Community Water Fluoridation Is Under Fire
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water, igniting fresh debate over a decades-old public health practice. As Utah becomes the first state to ban fluoridation, oral health professionals face a new wave of challenges in the fight against tooth decay.
In a move shaking the dental and public health communities, United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to halt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s longstanding recommendation to fluoridate public water systems. While Kennedy cannot force communities to cease fluoridation, he does have the authority to shift national policy by influencing the CDC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. He’s assembling a task force to re-evaluate fluoride’s safety and efficacy — calling it a “dangerous neurotoxin.”
This announcement coincided with the EPA’s decision to review recent scientific studies on fluoride exposure. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emphasized that any future policy changes would be based on a “foundational scientific evaluation.” Currently, the EPA sets the upper fluoride limit at 4 mg/L, while the CDC recommends 0.7 mg/L.
The timing follows Utah’s historic ban on public water fluoridation, overriding the objections of oral health professionals and health organizations that argue it disproportionately harms low-income families with limited access to care. All Utah communities must cease fluoridation by May 7, making it a flashpoint in what may become a national trend.
This comes on the heels of significant budget cuts, including the elimination of the CDC’s Division of Oral Health, which supported community-based dental health initiatives, including fluoridation. Click here to read more.
