Bottled water a dental disaster: "Parents who buy bottled water are wrong to believe they are doing the right thing by their children, after a South Australian study found a 71 per cent rise in tooth decay. The report by the branch of the Australian Dental Association has found the lack of enamel-strengthening fluoride in bottled water is a major factor in the high level of tooth decay in children. ADASA president Bruce Noble said yesterday that permanent tooth decay in 14- and 15-year-olds increased by 71 per cent in the six years to 2002. The study was conducted by the Australian Research Centre for Oral Health, based in Adelaide. "They're carrying wounded teeth until they die," Dr Noble told The Australian. "It's not only the cost, it's the discomfort." He said the increase in tooth decay coincided with the rise in popularity of bottled water and sports drinks in the mid-1990s. "Fluoride in drinking water is essential to ensuring healthy teeth," Dr Noble said. "It has been rated by the US Centres for Disease Control as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century."