Tax on sugary beverages positively affects oral health

The study found that in the adult population an ad valorem tax of 20 per cent, and the associated reduced consumption of SSBs, would lead to a reduction in decayed, missing and filled teeth by 3.9 million units over ten years, resulting in cost savings of A$666 million.

“We designed an economic model that accounted for the consumer response to price increase, the effect on oral health due to changes in sugar intake and subsequent changes in uptake of dental care services,” said Dr Ratilal Lalloo, associate professor at the university’s School of Dentistry. “Our results indicate that the total and per person impact would be considerable both in avoiding tooth decay and reducing the need for dental care.”

“Our study argues that frequent consumption of beverages such as soft drinks, energy drinks, flavoured water and fruit drinks is of significant concern for oral health in Australia and has been overlooked for too long,” added Prof. Pauline Ford, Head of the School of Dentistry. “This study provides a basis for real debate, demonstrating that a sugar tax may help ensure our already overstretched oral health services are not fixing problems that we know have upstream solutions.”

Globally, about 30 countries have already implemented an SSB tax in an effort to address dental caries.

The study, titled “The impact of a sugar-sweetened beverages tax on oral health and costs of dental care in Australia”, was published online on 22 May in the European Journal of Public Health ahead of inclusion in an issue.

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