Awards for Excellence in Dental Journalism presented today

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) is proud to announce the winners of its Excellence in Dental Journalism 2014 Awards (Awards).

The Awards are for dental journalism published in Australia through public print, television or radio in the two years prior to 31 December 2014. Two separate Awards are granted: one for electronic media and another for print media. Each award includes a cash prize of $5,000.

Neil Keene and Jane Hansen are joint recipients for the print media category of the Awards for their series of articles that formed part of the Daily Telegraph's "Stop the Rot" campaign over August-September 2013. The campaign called for fluoridation of water to become a state government issue, taking it out of the hands of Local Councils. Geraldine McKenna and Ruben Meerman's "Water Fluoridation" story, which aired on ABC TV's Catalyst on 8 August 2013, won the Award for the electronic media category. This story considered the science supporting water fluoridation in light of the Queensland Campbell Newman Government's decision to return Local Councils with the power to add fluoride to their water supplies.

The President of the ADA, Dr Rick Olive, AM RFD, will present the Awards at the 36th Australian Dental Congress today.

"These Awards are the dental profession's opportunity to recognise the media's exceptional reporting about dental issues," Dr Olive said.

"There is an increasing awareness of the link between good dental health and good general health. While dental decay and gum disease are the most common adverse health conditions in Australia, most dental disease is preventable. We encourage the media to continue to do its part in raising community awareness about the importance of dental health.

"These specific winning entries for these Awards provided a much needed public focus on the scientifically proven dental health benefits that fluoridation of public water supplies provide the community.

"While the ADA regularly campaigns on a variety of issues and holds its annual Dental Health Week in August each year, we hope that the media continues to raise dental issues with the community and this in turn encourages policy makers and our elected representatives to make a greater investment in everyone's dental health."

The Australian Dental Congress (ADC) provides dentists and broader dental teams with the opportunity to hear from highly respected international and Australian lecturers covering a wide range of subjects relevant to dental practice. The ADC is being held today at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre until Sunday 29 March 2015.