DRINKING water in Fiji is not fluoridated.
Fiji Dental Association president Dr Vikash Singh said Fiji did not have the equipment and monitoring systems to ensure that optimal levels of fluoride was maintained.
“Adding fluoride to water has been shown to be very beneficial provided the levels are correct,” he said.
“You cannot have too much or too little. It has to be just right.
“As a result of that, fluoridation of water is not a simple matter.
“Equipment and monitoring systems are needed to ensure that optimal levels were maintained in water people drank.
“If this is correctly done, it will have a major impact in reducing tooth decay quite considerably and very cheaply.
He said with Fiji’s current system and the way water supplies were delivered, this process would be hard.
“As a result, you do need specialised equipment, personnels and infrastructure to enable this to happen.
“Even in developed nations, ensuring that the general population has access to fluoridated water, too much fluoride will cause issues like fluorosis and too little will not have any impact.
“Couple of years ago there were attempts to fluoridate the water but unfortunately it was not successful and there are many reasons for this.
“From these experiences we need to learn where the shortfalls were and how to not repeat the same mistakes again.”
He said the fluoridating of water came under the Ministry of Health and FDA could only advise.
Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said there had been discussions on the matter.
“This requires multiple stakeholders such as Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) and Ministry of Health,” he said.
“It is not a simple process. “The Government has made it very clear that they are very keen in ensuring that within the next few years Fijians will have access to safe and clean drinking water,” Mr Waqainabete said.
