Running head: DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 1

Dental Health Australia

Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 2

Dental Health Australia

Introduction
Dental health is an essential aspect of the overall well-being of a person. Poor dental

health can have detrimental effects such as adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory

complications, and close linkages to heart disease and diabetes. Australia and Queensland

authorities have taken necessary measures to curb and treat dental conditions. Precisely,

adults in Queensland have access to free dental care which is publicly funded. Dental health

practitioners have increased substantially since 2011 from 18, 700 to approximately 19, 600

(AIHW, 2014). However, the prevalence of dental caries is still substantial amongst children

despite a sharp decline since the 1970s. Poor dental and oral health results in social and

economic costs to society and individuals (Duckett, Cowgill & Swerissen, 2019). For

example, hospitalization of people with dental complications requires economic resources

which could be useful in other sectors within the society and for individual development.

Social costs also accrue since working hours are spent seeking dental care rather than in

society development. Precisely, poor oral and dental health has adverse economic and social

impacts. Therefore, this discussion will examine oral and dental health in Queensland and

Australia using economic models to determine the social and economic costs by both society

and individuals. Effects of insufficient use of fluoride will be explained using appropriate

economic theory.

Overview

According to AIHW (2018), the number of hospitalizations for dental complications

was approximately 70, 200 between 2006-2017. Of these admissions, one out of ten is a

preventable condition including tooth decay. The average number of filled teeth, missing or

decayed teeth are 12.8 for Australians (AIHW, 2018). In redycing tooth decay and other

complications, most western countries promote the use of fluoridated water. Sadly, programs
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 3

meant to ensure community water is fluoridated are ineffective. In Australia, community

fluoridation of drinking water started in 1960. However, Queensland implemented water

fluoridation in 2008. The decision of fluoridating drinking water was later passed from the

state to local authorities, something which has resulted to a decline in the amount of fluoride

intake especially in Queensland as only 75 % of its population can access the fluoridated

water compared to the 89% in Australia (NHMRC, 2017). This has led to increased

hospitalizations because of dental conditions which are compounded by the variations across

economic and social groups particularly in the adoption of appropriate preventive measures

and behaviours. Therefore, community water fluoridation programs can be useful in reducing

the number of hospital admissions across the state.

Economic and Social Costs

Poor dental health has direct and adverse impacts on the quality of life. First, teeth

loss constrains eating, which in turn results to a decline in one’s nutritional status, causing ill

health, especially for older people and children. According to Richardson & Richardson

(2011), a quarter of the Australian population avoids taking specific foods because of

discomfort and pain. Poor oral health does not only cause pain but can also create disability

and disfigurement. Socially, approximately one-quarter of the population in Australia feel

embarrassed and tend to be self-conscious given their dental health conditions. This

constrains their freedom to engage with other people in society and thus affecting the quality

of life (Richardson & Richardson, 2011). Also, poor dental health has close linkages to other

severe health conditions including peripheral vascular illness, low birth weight, stroke otitis

media, oral and pancreatic cancer and cardiovascular disease (Richardson & Richardson,

2011). Hence, the quality of life is negatively affected by the lack of proper dental health

care.
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 4

Direct and indirect costs accrue from poor dental health. Directs costs stem from

dental care given by dentists, other healthcare workers and treatment of other illnesses

induced by poor oral health (Richardson & Richardson, 2011). Indirect costs include lost

productivity within the society since time, and scarce economic resources are used to treat

illnesses associated with poor oral health. These costs do not only fall on the person with

dental conditions by different groups. A substantial amount of the costs is shared across the

community through taxes for public dental health programs. Increased taxes result in low

disposable income which in turn constrains social development. In Australia, hospital

admissions which can be prevented through early treatment have become the second-most

expensive disease category. Precisely, the costs of oral treatment are estimated to be

approximately $ 6 billion per year (Richardson & Richardson, 2011). Additional dental care

costs exceed $1 billion which can be used to fund other projects to better the society.

Precisely, lack of proper dental care causes massive costs both directly and indirectly on the

person with the complication and the society at large.

Effects of inadequate fluoride use on economic efficiency

Cost-effectiveness examines the health gains and costs of a particular intervention or

policy. In this case, inadequate use of fluoride results to decreased economic efficiency given

the costs incurred in the treatment of dental conditions. Mainly, fluoridation of drinking water

suppliers constitutes an inexpensive strategy which is useful in promoting good dental health.

Contrarily, the treatment of tooth decay and other oral complications is costly to both the

public and the individual (Wong, 2014). This cost is not only through the insurance

premiums, costs of visiting health clinics for check-ups but also via indirect costs such as the

time lost in search of dental care. Precisely, inadequate fluoridation of water is costly and

affects the economic efficiency of the state. The costs associated with restorative care meant

to avert the effects of inadequate fluoride use considerably outweigh the costs used to
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 5

implement water fluoridation (Moore, Poynton, Broadbent & Thomson, 2017). Therefore,

community water fluoridation is an ideal strategic response which can improve the intake of

fluoride and improve Queensland dental health at a relatively low cost.

Community Water Fluoridation

Fluoride constitutes an adjustable factor, which helps to reduce dental caries

incidence. According to Ran, Chattopadhyay & Community Preventive Services Task Force

(2016), it prevents tooth decay through demineralization, inhibition of bacterial metabolism

and re-mineralization. In Queensland and Australia community, water fluoridation (CWF)

entails adding of controlled quantities of concentrated fluoride into the water supply to help

curb dental caries. It is termed as one of the most effective strategies to prevent dental

complications. Therefore, CWF results to an adequate use of fluoride and helps enhances the

quality of life through reduced tooth loss, improved chewing especially for people in rural

and disadvantageous environments (Rugg-Gunn, Spencer, Whelton, Jones, Beal, Castle,

Zusman, 2016). Inadequate use of fluoride can result to adverse economic impacts for the

state and individuals especially for the low-income households who strive to survive. The

effects of insufficient use of fluoride can be examined in the context of economic efficiency

through the cost-effectiveness theory.

Public Education Program

Programs for public education are essential for the creation of social capital. Mainly,

investing in public education can result in considerable economic and social benefits and

value for the society. Educating the public on the importance of water fluoridation will have a

positive impact on the community welfare and individual lives. These programs create

economic value since they inform the public accordingly on the importance of fluoride intake

and water fluoridation can be useful in preventing dental conditions (Petersen & Ogawa,

2016). The well-informed community can make rational decisions which have positive
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 6

impacts on individual development and the societal welfare at large. Therefore, public

education programs are crucial as they create awareness and provide crucial information

which translates to economic value as more people understand the importance of water

fluoridation and other practices meant to improve public health.

Conclusion

Summarily, oral and dental health are crucial aspects for the general well-being of an

individual. Poor dental health is often associated with other complications such as

cardiovascular disease, respiratory complications, stroke and oral cancer. Therefore, Australia

and Queensland have taken appropriate measures to ensure that public access fluoridated

water. While cases of dental conditions have declined considerably, a substantial number of

the population does not have access to fluoridated water. Insufficietn intake of flourude

results in dental complications such as tooth decay and tooth loss, which in turn adversely

affects the quality of life and creates substantial economic costs. Inadequate use of fluoride

results to economic inefficiency since costs associated with restorative care outweigh the

costs for community water fluoridation. Public education programs save billions and create

social value by informing the population on the importance of water fluoridation.

DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 7

References
AIHW (2014). Oral health and dental care in Australia: key facts and figures trends 2014.

Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-dental-

care-2014-key-facts-figures/contents/summary

AIHW (2018). Oral health and dental care in Australia. Retrieved from

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-

inaustralia/contents/introduction

Duckett, S., Cowgill, M., & Swerissen, H. (2019). Filling the gap: A universal dental scheme

for Australia. Grattan Institute. Retrieved from https://grattan.edu.au/wp-

content/uploads/2019/03/915-Filling-the-gap-Auniversal-dental-scheme-for-

Australia.pdf

Moore, D., Poynton, M., Broadbent, J. M., & Thomson, W. M. (2017). The costs and benefits

of water fluoridation in NZ. BMC oral health, 17(1), 134. Retrieved from

https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-017-0433-y

NHMRC. (2017). Water Fluoridation and Human Health in Australia. Retrieved from

https://nhmrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/reports/fluoridation-public-

statement.pdf

Petersen, P.E., & Ogawa, H. (2016). Prevention of dental caries through the use of fluoride –

the WHO approach. Community Dental Health, 3:66-68. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/oral_health/publications/2016_prevention_dental_caries_through

_use_fluoride.pdf?u a=1

Ran, T., Chattopadhyay, S. K., & Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2016). An

economic evaluation of community water fluoridation: a community guide systematic

review. American journal of preventive medicine, 50(6), 790-796. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6171335/
DENTAL HEALTH AUSTRALIA 8

Richardson, B., & Richardson, J. (2011). End the decay: the cost of poor dental health and

what should be done about it.

Rugg-Gunn, A. J., Spencer, A. J., Whelton, H. P., Jones, C., Beal, J. F., Castle, P., Zusman,

S. P. (2016). Critique of the review of Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental

caries published by the Cochrane Collaboration in 2015. British Dentistry Journal, 2

Wong, E. (2014). The Real Cost of Removing Water Fluoridation: A Health Equity Impact

Assessment. Canadian Electronic Library. Retrieved from

http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/The-Real-Cost-of-

Removing-Water-Fluoridation.pdf