Kennedy’s Anti-Fluoride Crusade Gains Ground While Dentists Struggle to Hold the Line
Despite decades of evidence and advocacy, dentists are losing ground to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-fluoride campaign. As Republican-led states ban water fluoridation, the dental profession’s response has lacked the urgency and coordination needed to counter misinformation.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long-held opposition to water fluoridation is no longer a fringe position, it’s becoming policy. Politico’s Danny Nguyen recently provided an up-close look at how anti-fluoridation sentiment has taken hold and dentists’ response to the attack on long-held beliefs surrounding fluoride and tooth decay.
Both Utah and Florida have officially banned fluoride in drinking water this year, with other states considering similar moves. Oklahoma has dropped its fluoridation recommendations entirely. The net result: national access to fluoridated water, once reaching nearly 75% of Americans, is now poised for a significant decline.
Despite clear guidance from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Dental Association (ADA), and decades of public health data showing that fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by up to 70% in children and 60% in adults, Kennedy’s narrative — that fluoride is neurotoxic and unnecessary to ingest — is gaining traction. He has leveraged recent studies (many with questionable methodologies or irrelevant exposure levels) and elevated concerns over “purity” and “natural water” to build bipartisan momentum.
The dental community, in contrast, has struggled to make its case stick, according to Politico. While experts rightly emphasize the topical benefits of fluoride in toothpaste and mouthrinse, the profession’s failure to communicate the public health implications of eliminating community water fluoridation is costing ground. Kennedy’s argument, that topical fluoride is sufficient, is persuasive to the general public, despite the reality that vulnerable populations often lack access to daily dental hygiene products.
Moreover, Kennedy’s influence is growing within federal agencies. His administration has directed the CDC to revisit fluoride guidance and the Food and Drug Administration is now considering a ban on ingestible fluoride supplements for children, with a public meeting scheduled for July 23. Click here to read more.
