The effectiveness of consuming fluoridated water in reducing children's caries experience.

水加氟在多大程度上有助于减少近年来澳大利亚儿童的龋齿，目前尚不清楚，这可能是因为氟化物在牙膏、滴剂、片剂和专业应用等其他来源中的可获得性增加。建议对23140名中小学生进行为期约三年的抽样监测，以检查饮用含氟水对新的龋齿的确切影响。该项目还旨在研究饮食、刷牙、社会经济地位和其他因素在龋齿发生中的比较作用。鉴于澳大利亚供水中普遍存在的氟化现象，以及公众对其在预防龋齿方面的有效性的持续辩论，该项目最显著的特点之一是，它能够帮助计算水加氟的成本效益，将其作为减少儿童龋齿的公共卫生战略。该项目的发现将提供强有力的论据，要么由于其公共利益可以忽略不计而从供水中消除氟，要么将水加氟扩大到其余四分之一的澳大利亚人口，这些人目前因无法获得饮用含氟水所带来的健康好处而处于不利地位。

The extent to which water fluoridation has contributed to the considerable reduction of dental decay in children in recent times in Australia is unclear, due perhaps to the increasing availability of fluoride in other sources such as toothpaste, drops, tablets, and professional applications. It is proposed to monitor for approximately three years a sample of 23,140 primary and secondary school children to examine the precise contribution of consuming fluoridated water to new tooth decay. The project also aims to examine the comparative role of diet, toothbrushing, socioeconomic status, and other factors in the development of tooth decay. Given the widespread fluoridation of water supplies in Australia, and the continuing public debate over the extent of its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay, one of the project's most significant features is its capacity to contribute to a calculation of the cost effectiveness of water fluoridation as a public health strategy for the reduction of decay experience in children. The findings of the project will provide a strong argument for either eliminating fluoride from the water supply due to it's negligable public benefit or extending water fluoridation to the remaining quarter of the Australian population who are currently being disadvantaged by not having access to the health benefits derived from consuming fluoridated water.