More than 70 per cent of Aussies have access to fluoride in their drinking water and in New South Wales that percentage almost rises to 100.
But a few councils in New South Wales have repeatedly voted against putting fluoride in their water — one of which is Oberon, a town of less than 3000 people.
At a recent council meeting, the residents of the central NSW town passionately debated about putting the mineral in the water supply.
In 2013, both Byron Shire Council and Lismore City Council on the north coast of NSW decided to not fluoridate its water.
The dental health of kids on the north coast of NSW has now become one of the worst in the state, according to dentists working in the area.
Representatives from the Australian Dental Association attended the meeting, giving the dozens of locals concrete evidence about how fluoride actively prevents tooth decay.
Australians born after 1970, when the majority of water fluoridation programs started, have half the level of tooth decay.
Source:Supplied The previous petition with 672 signatures against adding it to the water — more than a fifth of the town — indicates the strong sentiment.
That is a comparison we can make weekly in Bathurst and Oberon,” Ms James, a NSW Health worker, told the publication.
Most other states have been adding it to their water supplies since the 1950s and 1960s.