The truth about fluorides
Fluoride is present in dental products such as toothpaste, protecting teeth from cavities and preventing bacteria in the mouth. It will also be added to public water supplies.
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US health regulators have announced that it is beginning to remove ingestible fluoride supplements for children from the market, the latest move by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to target dental enrichment minerals.
Fluorides – naturally occurring minerals found in water, soil, air and a variety of foods – help prevent tooth caves and tooth decay. The mineral has been added to public water supplies in the United States for decades and has been added to dental supplies such as toothpastes.
In a May 13 news release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the Food and Drug Administration is beginning to phase out “intakeable prescription drugs” from the market. Fluoride supplements are usually prescribed to children at high risk of tooth decay and cavities, or to children who live in areas where drinking water is not frozen.
The agency noted that supplements taken verbally with tablets or drops were not approved by the FDA. FDA Commissioner Marty McCurry also cited studies that suggest that supplements can alter the gut microbiota of children and demonstrated a possible link between ingested fluoride and “thyroid disorders, weight gain, and possibly a decrease in IQ.”
“The termination of use of ingestible fluorides has been postponed for a long time,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This decision brings us a step closer to realizing President Trump’s promise to make America healthy again.”
Kennedy’s push on fluoride is part of his controversial American healthy move, focusing on bringing an end to what he calls the “chronic illness epidemic.” Scientists and dental health groups have repeatedly warned that the Health Secretary’s recommendations on fluoride are disastrous for public health.
“The rationale for limiting use should be evidence-based, and there is no scientific evidence that low levels of fluoride affect the gut microbiota,” American Association of Dental Hygienists President Erin Haley Hitz said in a statement following a May 13 FDA announcement.
Eliminating fluoride resources presents “unprecedented challenges for oral disease prevention” in underserved areas, Haley Hitz added. According to Reuters, the American Dental Association has also repeatedly supported the community’s water fluorination to prevent tooth decay.
The FDA has set a goal date for October 31st and has included safety reviews and public comment periods in the measurement.
What are the advantages of fluoride?
Fluoride works by strengthening the enamel of teeth, which is a hard exterior surface, and is resistant to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Fluoride also reverses early tooth decay by replacing and preventing mineral loss.
Before the start of community water fluorination, tooth collapse and cavities were widely available and affected the entire US population, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Public health officials later recommended water fluorination after studying how fluoride can reduce tooth decay.
The CDC, known as drinking water fluorination, is one of the biggest public health outcomes of the 20th century, during which time the average life expectancy of Americans increased by 30 years.
Over 100 health agencies, including the CDC, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ADA, claim that water fluorination is safe and effective. According to the American Dental Association, community water fluorination reduces tooth decay in children and adults by more than 25% and more than 25% for children and adults.
The announcement comes after a push by RFK Jr. to ban fluoride in the water
Kennedy supports the claim that fluoride is behind many health conditions, ranging from ADHD and hypothyroidism to lower IQ. Dentists and epidemiologists have fought back on the unscientifically proven accusations and warn that removing fluoride from the water system could seriously damage public health.
In April, the health secretary said he would direct the CDC to stop recommending cities and states add fluoride to public water systems. Adding fluoride to water is not required by law.
Utah became the first state in the United States to ban fluoride in public water systems after Gov. Spencer Cox signed the law in March. The law came into effect on May 7th.
Florida is set to become a second state that bars fluoride from being added to public water supplies after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he planned to sign the bill on May 6th. The new law is expected to come into effect on July 1st.
Contributions: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, and Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today; Reuters
