The fluoridation of public water is a highly complex issue, which has caused a great deal of controversy during much of its lifetime. Artificial water fluoridation has been around for 60 years, with the purpose of reducing dental decay, and since the sixties every capital city in Australia has been fluoridated, except Brisbane. Although the advantages of Fluoride in dental health have been proven, there are a number of alleged disadvantages of water fluoridation. In regards to Brisbane, there are a number of factors to consider when deciding if fluoridation should be done, including ethical, economic, health, and environmental considerations.

In the early 20th century, several instances of dental fluorosis (staining or mottling of teeth) had been noticed in US children. This was accompanied with a low incidence of dental caries (cavities), and evidence gathered that these two effects were a result of...