What is water fluoridation?
This is the addition of fluoride to community water supplies that is done with the intention of control for the prevention of dental caries. This public health measure was initiated in the United States in the 1940s and is nowadays practiced throughout most of the world. Its principle is based on extensive research that proves that fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and renders the teeth more resistant to decay, especially on those children whose teeth are still developing.
Fluoride naturally occurs in the water supply at many different levels; however, most often, community water fluoridation involves adjusting those levels to an optimum concentration for the prevention of dental caries, usually 0.7 ppm. The process has been approved by a variety of health organizations including the CDC and the ADA and was labeled one of the ten greatest public health improvements of the 20th century.
The fluoridation controversy
The practice of water fluoridation has recently become an issue of controversy since its initial general acceptance. Critics do argue that adding fluoride to drinking water is a method of mass medication without consent and is ethically wrong. There have also been reports in some studies of health risks, especially from higher exposures than those from fluoridated water.
The safety of fluoride has been debated again recently with a growing amount of research evidence. A National Toxicology Program report citing studies, for example, stated “with moderate confidence” that reducing levels of fluoride is associated with “decreased IQ” in children. Critics note, however, that these studies used levels of fluoride significantly greater than those in community fluoridation programs. Besides, there is great concern about diseases like dental fluorosis, where a high level of exposure to fluoride during childhood may result in yellowish discoloration of teeth.
RFK Jr.’s stand on fluoridation
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most famous anti-vaccinationists, is also a well-known environmental attorney who has long been vocal in his opposition to water fluoridation. He also promised, as a future Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, that he will “get rid of fluoride” in the public drinking water should he be appointed to the position. According to Kennedy, who labels fluoride an “industrial waste” product, it has been linked to developmental problems and disorders of the bone, among other health issues.
That sentiment puts Kennedy in league with a growing movement among some groups to have fluoride removed from drinking water. He contends that when dental hygiene practices were not as advanced, fluoride served a useful purpose, but other methods-such as fluoride toothpaste-make water fluoridation both superfluous and injurious.
His remarks have generated praise and skepticism in equal measure. Those who agree with him refer to new research that links fluoride consumption to reduced cognitive capacity, but detractors point to numerous analyses supporting fluoridation as a sound health practice.
Consequences of abolishing fluoridation
The Kennedy ban on water fluoridation has great potential consequences for public health policy and dental health outcomes throughout the country. It is estimated that up to 75% of Americans receive fluoridated drinking water, credited with the drastic decline in dental caries among children and adults.
Removing the fluoride may increase dental caries rates, especially in those segments of the population that are most at risk, those who do not regularly visit a dentist or receive preventive treatments. Public health experts warn that this discontinuation will erase decades of gains in oral health.
Moreover, there are practical problems with Kennedy’s plan. Water supplies are generally controlled on purely local levels, and thus any federal edict would need to be enforced by state and municipal authorities. There could also be legal challenges as communities fight alterations in long-standing public health programs.
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