The American Dental Association reiterated its support for water fluoridation following a new report from the National Toxicology Program linking higher fluoride exposure to lower IQs in children.
1. The report is mostly based on epidemiology studies in non-U.S. countries where some pregnant women, infants and children received total fluoride exposure amounts higher than 1.5 mg fluoride per liter of drinking water, which is the current safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
2. The report concluded there is "moderate confidence" in the scientific evidence showing an association between higher levels of fluoride and lower IQ in children.
3. The ADA said it reviewed the NTP's monograph and said the findings do not provide any new or conclusive evidence that should necessitate changes in current community water fluoridation practices.
4. The ADA has previously criticized the NTP's research methods. The federal dental agency called for revisions to the NTP's third draft report in 2023. Its recommendations aimed to enhance the report’s scientific integrity, clarity, transparency and timeliness.
5. Dr. Howard Pollick, the ADA's spokesperson on fluoridation, said during a 2023 scientific review panel that the NTP did not adequately address concerns about the research methods used in its initial draft reports from its original reviewer, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
6. The American Academy of Pediatrics also reiterated its support for the use of fluoride in caries prevention after the NTP report was released.