“Harmful”

While fluoride can kill bacteria, particularly at high levels, it’s used in oral health to inhibit the demineralization of tooth enamel while enhancing the remineralization of tooth surfaces, the ADA clarifies.

The best way to get fluoride is through drinking water, the ADA says. But supplements are a safe alternative if a child lives in an area without fluoridated water or if they mostly drink bottled water. Given rampant false and controversial claims about fluoride, more communities are now abandoning it. This week, Florida became the second state after Utah to ban fluoridation state-wide.

“Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that’s fine,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference after signing the ban into law. “But forcing it in the water supply is basically forced medication on people. They don’t have a choice.”

ADA President Brett Kessler worries what children in places such as Utah and Florida will do to get adequate fluoride if the ban on supplements goes through. “In non-fluoridated communities, especially rural areas, fluoride supplements are the only chance for individuals to get the appropriate amount of fluoride to prevent tooth decay,” Kessler said in the statement. The move will be “particularly harmful to the most vulnerable and those who lack access to care,” he added.

While Makary said that the FDA will conduct a safety review of  fluoride supplements, the conclusion seems to be foregone, with the HHS writing that it is already “initiating action to remove” the products.

The ADA noted that places that have removed fluoride from drinking water, such as Calgary, Canada, and Juneau, Alaska, have seen increases in dental decay, particularly among children and low-income populations.

“Proposals like this stand to hurt rural America, not make them healthier,” Kessler said.