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    • RFK Jr. wants to remove fluoride from water. Experts say it's safe.
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    RFK Jr. wants to remove fluoride from water. Experts say it's safe.

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Fluoride – it is added to the water systems of more than two-thirds of Americans. It is found in dental products, from toothpaste to mouthwash. It is the subject of long-standing conspiracy theories.

    And now Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Donald Trump could try to cut off water supplies nationwide if he's elected president.

    Kennedy, who says he is running for a position in a second Trump administration, relied on false claims about vaccines and other conspiracy theories in his failed presidential bid.

    Kennedy also claims, without evidence, that fluoride in U.S. water systems is linked to a variety of illnesses.

    “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy said in a Saturday post to X. “Fluoride is an industrial waste linked to arthritis, bone fractures and bone cancer “IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid diseases.”

    U.S. health experts disagree.

    The Centers for Disease Control calls the addition of fluoride to tap water systems one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the last century. Major medical groups such as the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics also support water fluoridation in recommended amounts as a way to improve oral health.

    The naturally occurring chemical has long been a bugbear for conspiracy theorists – even before Sterling Hayden appeared in Stanley Kubrick's satire “Dr. Strangelove” about the Cold War added fluoride to the water in his famous tirade against “communists” when he was a mad general.

    But what does science really say about adding fluoride to tap water?

    What is Fluoride?

    Fluoride is a natural mineral. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, it is found in soil, air, food and water sources around the world, although in varying amounts depending on location.

    Fluoride strengthens teeth by hardening their outer surface, the enamel. It is a common ingredient in oral health and teeth cleaning products such as toothpastes, mouthwashes and varnishes used by dentists.

    Why is fluoride added to drinking water?

    The American Dental Association says adding fluoride to water streams is a “safe, beneficial and cost-effective” public health measure, citing studies that show it reduces tooth decay in children and adults by 25%.

    “Decades of research and practical experience show that fluoride is safe and beneficial for oral health,” Linda Edgar, president of the American Dental Association, said in a statement released in August.

    The American Association of Pediatrics also claims that fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste is a safe way to improve children's oral health.

    Charlotte W. Lewis, a member of the AAP's oral health division, said in a statement in September that she was confident in the “safety of optimally fluoridated water in the United States.”

    “Water fluoridation is a public health policy based on a solid evidence base,” she said.

    Water problems: Two weeks after Helene, Asheville residents still don't have clean water

    Is fluoride dangerous?

    Several studies published last year have raised concerns about the effects of large amounts of fluoride, providing ammunition to groups pushing for a ban on fluoridation of public waters in some communities.

    A report released in August by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams per liter “is consistently associated with lower IQ in children.”

    However, the report, which reviewed studies from Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico, found that the levels of fluoride that cause such risks were more than twice the amount that U.S. officials allow for addition Recommend public water systems. Such high levels of fluoride are found primarily in other countries and in a tiny minority of U.S. communities.

    The report also did not say how much the IQ score dropped or whether adults could also be affected.

    A study published in May also found that having children in the womb in “optimally fluoridated” areas in the U.S. could increase the risk of neurobehavioral problems after birth.

    The Department of Health and Human Services said the data was “insufficient” to determine whether the current recommended level of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water also had an impact on IQ and that “further research is needed.” to understand whether lower levels also have health effects.

    Health position? RFK Jr. said Trump “promised” him control of health authorities. A Trump adviser refuted that.

    Since when has fluoride been added to tap water?

    Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city to add fluoride to its water systems in 1945. Over the next 15 years, scientists monitored tooth decay rates in nearly 30,000 children in the city and found that the rate of tooth decay fell more than 60% in 11 years, according to the NIDCR.

    According to the CDC, as of 2022, more than 209 million Americans, 72% of the population, have their municipal water systems fluoridated. Another 11.6 million people drink from water systems that naturally contain high enough levels of the chemical to reap the dental health benefits cited by dentists.

    The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends a fluoride level of 0.7 milligrams per liter of water to maximize oral health benefits while minimizing the risk of fluorosis, a condition triggered by excessive fluoride intake, usually in small children occurs to children.

    Naturally occurring fluoride is higher in some parts of the world than others. According to a World Health Organization report, groundwater in some villages in China has been measured at 8 milligrams per liter of fluoride, while some Canadian waters contain levels of less than 0.05 milligrams per liter.

    Are state water systems required to add fluoride?

    No, state water systems are not federally required to fluoridate their water.

    According to the CDC, state and local governments implement their own fluoridation levels, sometimes set by voters at the ballot box.

    Some states have recently introduced measures to change fluoridation regulations.

    A Kentucky bill that would make fluoridation optional failed earlier this year but could be reintroduced in 2025. In New Jersey, which does not require the addition of fluoride to water utilities, lawmakers have introduced a bill to require it.

    According to the American Dental Association, Georgia, Nebraska, Missouri and North Carolina have also recently introduced fluoride laws.

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    Kathleen William
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