Dental organizations are continuing to back community water fluoridation as the future of this practice comes under threat at the federal level.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told The Associated Press that he plans to advise the CDC to stop recommending adding fluoride to public water supplies. The Environmental Protection Agency, which sets the maximum level of fluoride that is allowed in public water systems, also announced April 7 that it will review new information on the potential health risks of fluoride to create an updated health effects assessment for the mineral.
These updates came as Mr. Kennedy continued his Make America Healthy Again tour in the Southwest region, during which he has met with local leaders, visited health centers and celebrated legislation that banned water fluoridation. The tour ends April 9.
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health spoke out against the announcements April 8. Melissa Burroughs, the organization’s senior director of policy, said efforts to remove fluoride ignore “well-established science and risk worsening our nation’s oral health crisis.”
“These actions come at a time when 70 million Americans lack dental insurance, 23 million face potential cuts to Medicaid dental coverage, and recent HHS layoffs have scaled back vital oral health programs at the federal level. As a result, our nation is at risk of losing critical layers of protection for basic oral health access,” Ms. Burroughs said in a news release. “Without these programs and infrastructure, the U.S. could see a sharp rise in not just dental disease, but also preventable conditions linked to poor oral health — including diabetes, hypertension, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. As this administration works to make America healthier, we need solutions on oral health that continue to make improvements and address challenges posed by recent changes.”
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association also reiterated its support for community water fluoridation April 9, warning that its discontinuation could harm the public and lead to more dental disease.
The organization also said removing fluoride from public water supplies will bring more financial strain to families and healthcare systems.
“Decades of research back the safety and effectiveness of fluoridation at recommended levels,” ADHA President Erin Haley-Hitz said. “Removing fluoride from drinking water poses a significant risk to public health. The evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of fluoride is robust, and the potential consequences of increased dental decay and related health issues are alarming.”
