{"id":{"repo_id":"eit-nz","oai_identifier":"oai:null:10652/6339"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/eit-nz/oai:null:10652/6339","repository":{"repo_id":"eit-nz","name":"Eastern Institute of Technology","base_url":"https://www.researchbank.ac.nz/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Water fluoridation: A contest of control; An analysis of social discourses in the New Zealand fluoride debate","abstract":"Community water fluoridation involves the addition of an artificial fluoride compound to public drinking water supplies. This is done under the scientific principle that fluoride, ingested in small amounts, results in significant improvement in the incidence of tooth decay. Dental health remains a major issue for much of the New Zealand population. Dental decay remains the most prevalent chronic (and irreversible) disease worldwide, and disparities still exist in oral health status. Notwithstanding this, benefit and harm arguments have been hotly debated since its original introduction in the USA in the 1950s. Critical theorists have questioned the assumption on which medical ‘experts’ self-ruling and enormously powerful position in society is based. The ‘age of the internet’ has enabled unforeseen access to information allowing ‘non-experts’ to become increasingly more knowledgeable and articulate about health issues. In a shift from traditional medical models of health, everyday people are seeking to regain control and have a say in the types of intervention that are administered and the general care they receive. A critical discourse analysis of the fluoride debate offers the potential to discover the role and scope of language and power relationships that science, policy, law, ethics and community viewpoints have to play in determining the reasons for ongoing debate. The implications of these discourses for policy makers and dental care agencies are also considered. Findings are that significant societal changes since the inception of fluoridation 60 years ago have shaped a growing wave of uncertainty. Medical science; once the undisputed truth can no longer assume to have the complete trust of the general public in the modern world.","abstract_html":"Community water fluoridation involves the addition of an artificial fluoride compound to public drinking water supplies. This is done under the scientific principle that fluoride, ingested in small amounts, results in significant improvement in the incidence of tooth decay. Dental health remains a major issue for much of the New Zealand population. Dental decay remains the most prevalent chronic (and irreversible) disease worldwide, and disparities still exist in oral health status. Notwithstanding this, benefit and harm arguments have been hotly debated since its original introduction in the USA in the 1950s. Critical theorists have questioned the assumption on which medical ‘experts’ self-ruling and enormously powerful position in society is based. The ‘age of the internet’ has enabled unforeseen access to information allowing ‘non-experts’ to become increasingly more knowledgeable and articulate about health issues. In a shift from traditional medical models of health, everyday people are seeking to regain control and have a say in the types of intervention that are administered and the general care they receive. A critical discourse analysis of the fluoride debate offers the potential to discover the role and scope of language and power relationships that science, policy, law, ethics and community viewpoints have to play in determining the reasons for ongoing debate. The implications of these discourses for policy makers and dental care agencies are also considered. Findings are that significant societal changes since the inception of fluoridation 60 years ago have shaped a growing wave of uncertainty. Medical science; once the undisputed truth can no longer assume to have the complete trust of the general public in the modern world.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Westwood, Kirsten"],"institution":"Eastern Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master of Health Science","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016","date_published":"2016","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:14:55Z","subjects":["New Zealand","fluoride","water fluoridation","debate","dental decay","oral health","public health","discourse analysis"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["All rights reserved"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6339","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Westwood, Kirsten"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2024-06-04T21:58:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-06-04T21:58:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Health Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["New Zealand","fluoride","water fluoridation","debate","dental decay","oral health","public health","discourse analysis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["All rights reserved"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6339"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Community water fluoridation involves the addition of an artificial fluoride compound to public drinking water supplies. This is done under the scientific principle that fluoride, ingested in small amounts, results in significant improvement in the incidence of tooth decay. Dental health remains a major issue for much of the New Zealand population. Dental decay remains the most prevalent chronic (and irreversible) disease worldwide, and disparities still exist in oral health status. Notwithstanding this, benefit and harm arguments have been hotly debated since its original introduction in the USA in the 1950s. Critical theorists have questioned the assumption on which medical ‘experts’ self-ruling and enormously powerful position in society is based. The ‘age of the internet’ has enabled unforeseen access to information allowing ‘non-experts’ to become increasingly more knowledgeable and articulate about health issues. In a shift from traditional medical models of health, everyday people are seeking to regain control and have a say in the types of intervention that are administered and the general care they receive. A critical discourse analysis of the fluoride debate offers the potential to discover the role and scope of language and power relationships that science, policy, law, ethics and community viewpoints have to play in determining the reasons for ongoing debate. The implications of these discourses for policy makers and dental care agencies are also considered. Findings are that significant societal changes since the inception of fluoridation 60 years ago have shaped a growing wave of uncertainty. Medical science; once the undisputed truth can no longer assume to have the complete trust of the general public in the modern world."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Water fluoridation: A contest of control; An analysis of social discourses in the New Zealand fluoride debate"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Westwood, Kirsten"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2024-06-04T21:58:29Z"],"dc:date.available":["2024-06-04T21:58:29Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016"],"dc:description.abstract":["Community water fluoridation involves the addition of an artificial fluoride compound to public drinking water supplies. This is done under the scientific principle that fluoride, ingested in small amounts, results in significant improvement in the incidence of tooth decay. Dental health remains a major issue for much of the New Zealand population. Dental decay remains the most prevalent chronic (and irreversible) disease worldwide, and disparities still exist in oral health status. Notwithstanding this, benefit and harm arguments have been hotly debated since its original introduction in the USA in the 1950s. Critical theorists have questioned the assumption on which medical ‘experts’ self-ruling and enormously powerful position in society is based. The ‘age of the internet’ has enabled unforeseen access to information allowing ‘non-experts’ to become increasingly more knowledgeable and articulate about health issues. In a shift from traditional medical models of health, everyday people are seeking to regain control and have a say in the types of intervention that are administered and the general care they receive. A critical discourse analysis of the fluoride debate offers the potential to discover the role and scope of language and power relationships that science, policy, law, ethics and community viewpoints have to play in determining the reasons for ongoing debate. The implications of these discourses for policy makers and dental care agencies are also considered. Findings are that significant societal changes since the inception of fluoridation 60 years ago have shaped a growing wave of uncertainty. Medical science; once the undisputed truth can no longer assume to have the complete trust of the general public in the modern world."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6339"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:rights":["All rights reserved"],"dc:subject":["New Zealand","fluoride","water fluoridation","debate","dental decay","oral health","public health","discourse analysis"],"dc:title":["Water fluoridation: A contest of control; An analysis of social discourses in the New Zealand fluoride debate"],"dc:type":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Health Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Institute of Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:14:55Z"}