Sugary drinks are causing poor oral hygiene in Australian kids, dentists say.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) and Australian Medical Association (AMA) are joining forces to call for a tax on sugary drinks to send a strong signal that they are deeply unhealthy.
ADA federal president Dr Stephen Liew said one in four Australian children and one in three adults had untreated tooth decay, while ten in 1000 children aged 5 to 9 years experienced potentially preventable hospitalisations for dental conditions.
“It is not hard to see the role that poor oral hygiene and a high sugar intake have on the health of Australians, particularly children,” he said.
Dr Liew said tooth decay was the most prevalent chronic disease in Australia and cost $4.5 billion dollars in 2019.
“Sugary drinks are a leading contributor to tooth decay through its acidity and source of nutrition to bacteria in the mouth,” he said.
“This acidity can lead to irreversible loss of tooth structure, contributing to pain, loss of function, aesthetic changes, and bad breath.”
High consumption of sugary drinks is associated with many negative health impacts, including tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections, oral cancer, obesity, and chronic diseases.
Despite these proven links to poor health outcomes, research shows Australians drink at least 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks every year — enough to fill 960 Olympic-sized swimming pools. AMA president Professor Steve Robson said this alarming figure showed why Australia needed a tax on these drinks.
“Sugary drinks are making Australians sick, with a worrying number of children and adults alike suffering from chronic diseases,” he said.
Professor Robson said sugar-sweetened beverages contributed to Australia’s obesity crisis.
“AMA’s research shows a tax on selected sugary drinks would reduce sugar consumption from soft drinks by 12 to 18 percent, which would then lead to far better health outcomes for Australians,” he said.
AMA analysis shows the tax would also raise $749 to $814 million in revenue each year, which could be invested into preventative health initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians.
But Professor Robson also said that a broad range of measures were required to address social and cultural inequities that prevented many Australians from receiving regular dental care.
The ADA’s Dental Health Week campaign highlighted the greater impact poor oral health could have.
Studies reveal a link between oral health and numerous chronic diseases throughout the body, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
