Fluoride In Drinking Water May Be Harming Our Children. We Need To Address It.

 Fluoride in drinking water has been a controversial issue, but new research is washing away its image as a safe measure for dental health. It may be doing more harm than good. Here’s why.

By Michele Merkel

10.16.20

Since 1945, local governments have added fluoride to public drinking water supplies to reduce the rates of tooth decay. Now, over 207 million people in the U.S. received fluoridated drinking water — nearly three-quarters of the population served by community water systems. Hailed as a major public health accomplishment of the 21st century, community water fluoridation has contributed to significant declines in dental caries. Thanks to fluoridated products like toothpaste and mouthwash, we’ve also seen similar reductions in countries that don’t fluoridate drinking water. The benefits of fluoride in preventing tooth decay are well documented, but it’s time to revisit community water fluoridation in light of new research. Scientists are coming together to raise the alarm about fluoridated drinking water. The data show fluoride consumed from drinking water may have adverse neurological health impacts — especially among children.

It’s why Food & Water Watch, alongside groups including Fluoride Action Network and American Academy of Environmental Medicine, filed a petition in 2016 asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit or ban fluoridation. We’ve since taken them to court. When science is constantly under attack, we need to hold our public health agencies accountable, ensure they review new research, and make science-based decisions to protect our communities.........................