For many years, fluoride has been added to public water systems across countries like the United States because it is a cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay. In fact, since the practice began in 1945, it has been credited with drastically reducing dental cavities in children and adults alike. However, while many health organizations support it, recent studies have shown concerns about fluoride’s potential risks to brain development in young children. The issue of fluoride in drinking water is a complex and controversial one, with many advocates specifying its dental health benefits and critics warning the public of the possible cognitive effects.
Now, a recent court ruling in the United States has once more sparked a debate on the safety of fluoride in drinking water. Judge Edward Chen, responding to health advocates, found that fluoride in the United States water at current levels has a potential risk to children’s IQ. Chen didn’t declare fluoride harmful with certainty, but he noted enough risk to urge the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to consider new fluoride regulations.
The History of Fluoridation
The history of fluoridation started in the early 1990s when dentists noticed that some people in certain areas of the United States had fewer cavities and stronger teeth. These areas had high natural levels of fluoride in the water, which led scientists to link fluoride to dental health. This was discovered by accident though, as no one initially thought fluoride would be connected to healthy teeth.
By the 1940s, researchers saw fluoride as a potential weed to help prevent tooth decay nationwide. In 1945, they started adding small amounts of chloride to the public water supply in some of the cities in the United States. This idea quickly spread as it was an easy and affordable way to protect people’s teeth, especially in children. Within a few decades, water fluoridization became a common practice in many parts of the United States and several other countries.
The Science Behind Fluoridation
Fluoride is a mineral that helps to keep the teeth strong and reduce tooth decay. It makes the surface of the teeth harder, which protects it against acid from bacteria that can wear down the enamel and cause cavities over time. When people drink water with a small amount of fluoride, their teeth absorb it, making the teeth stronger and more resistant to decay.
However, high fluoride levels could lead to dental fluorosis, which causes white spots or streaks on the teeth. More controversial concerns linked to fluoride are weakened bones, especially over many years of being exposed to fluoride, effects on the thyroid, which helps control metabolism and energy levels, and effects on brain development in young children.
The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is responsible for setting safe levels of fluoride in drinking water in the United States. Currently, the EPA recommends that water systems limit fluoride to 0.7 mg per liter, a level that is considered enough to prevent cavities but also low enough to avoid other health risks. The EPA regularly reviews new research and debates with scientists and public health experts about whether this level should be changed.
Take Away
Remember, Judge Chen didn’t declare it harmful with certainty, but noted enough risk to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to consider new fluoride regulations. This decision is a win for anti-fluoride activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who now has more support to push for removing fluoride from water, an effort the Trump administration might endorse.
The scientific community is divided: while some support lowering fluoride levels based on emerging research linking fluoride to IQ reduction, others argue that there’s insufficient evidence to alter longstanding public health policies. Major health organizations continue to defend current fluoride levels, citing its benefits for dental health.
