Media release: Aotearoa NZ fluoridation dashboard launched as study confirms benefits for children

The launch of a new interactive online tool allowing New Zealanders to check whether their drinking water supply is fluoridated coincides with the publication of an analysis confirming that lower rates of tooth decay in children are associated with community water fluoridation.

A Public Health Communication Centre Briefing reports on an analysis of oral health screening data from more than 630,000 New Zealand children aged four years, which found significantly higher rates of tooth decay among children living in non-fluoridated areas.

University of Canterbury Associate Professor Tim Chambers, lead author of the study, says the findings provide contemporary evidence that community water fluoridation remains an effective public health intervention, even with the widespread use of fluoride toothpaste and improvements in dental care.

"After accounting for ethnicity, deprivation, age, sex, rurality and year of assessment, children living in non-fluoridated areas experienced significantly higher rates of tooth decay than children living in fluoridated areas.”

The findings highlight the importance of ensuring equitable access to fluoridated drinking water and maintaining fluoridation systems at recommended fluoride levels.

"The study also found substantial inequities in oral health, with Māori and Pacific children experiencing considerably higher rates of tooth decay than European children regardless of fluoridation status. While fluoridation was protective overall, the magnitude of benefit varied between ethnic groups, highlighting the need for broader strategies to address oral health inequities," says Dr Chambers.

"Until now, it hasn't been easy for people to find out whether their drinking water is fluoridated or whether fluoride levels have been consistently maintained. The dashboard that we have recently launched changes that by bringing together information from public water supplies across New Zealand in one place,” says Dr Chambers. 

"It gives communities easy access to information about their local drinking water supply and increases transparency around fluoridation. It also provides an accountability mechanism that enables communities, regulators and researchers to see how effectively fluoridation programmes are being implemented."