The second Queensland Child Oral Health Study (QCOHS II), led by the University of Queensland, surveyed 7,748 school students between 2022 and 2024 and compared them with children surveyed in 2010-2012.
What it found
- Dental decay fell across every age group from 5 to 14 over the decade.
- The drop was mainly in areas with water fluoridation.
- Consumption of sugary drinks among children also fell significantly over the same period.
- Nearly one-third of Queensland children do not have access to fluoridated water, mostly in regional areas.
- Untreated decay ranged from 21.1% of children in major cities to 39.1% in remote and very remote areas.
The policy push
The Australian Dental Association and its Queensland branch used the findings to call on the state government to take responsibility for fluoridation back from councils.
"Tooth decay is dropping across Queensland, which proves fluoridation works." Dr Chris Sanzaro, ADA President
Reading it carefully
Two things changed at the same time: fluoride coverage and sugar intake. A falling decay rate alongside falling sugary drink consumption is good news, but separating how much of the improvement belongs to each requires the full paper's statistical analysis, not a press release. Remote communities also differ from cities in diet, income and access to dentists, which all affect decay.
None of that means the finding is wrong. It means "proves" is a strong word for an observational survey. We have requested the full report and will publish a plain-English breakdown of its methods.