The Journalist Resource: "Our health editor dug through decades of research to address 15 common questions about fluoride in drinking water"

This week at The Journalist’s Resource we’re discussing the longtime practice of adding fluoride to public water systems in the U.S. as a community dental health measure.

15 common questions about fluoride in drinking water

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, avidly opposes fluorinating water.
 
Early last month, in a post on X, Kennedy called fluoride “an industrial waste,” and made unsubstantiated claims that the mineral is associated with a long list of health issues. He also posted that “the Trump White House will advise all U.S​. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”
 
Meanwhile, many major public health organizations promote water fluoridation. In a scientific statement published in May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the agency “promotes the safety and benefits of community water fluoridation as an effective, cost-efficient method for preventing tooth decay and improving overall oral health," adding that 1 in 4 American children living below the poverty level experience untreated tooth decay.
 
To help journalists and their audiences navigate the fluoride debate, JR senior health editor Naseem S. Miller dug through decades of published research to address 15 common questions about fluorinating water. Among them:

• Who makes decisions about water fluoridation? “Community water fluoridation is not enforced at the federal level,” Miller notes. “The decision of whether and how much to fluoridate public drinking water is made by state and local officials.”
• How effective is water fluoridation? “Years of research have found that water fluoridation prevents dental cavities,” Miller writes. “In the decades following the implementation of water fluoridation, the reduction of cavities in children was significant. However, recent studies show that the effect of water fluoridation has lessened since the mid-1970s with the widespread use of fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated mouthwash.”
• Is fluoride in water safe? “The main documented risk of community water fluoridation is dental fluorosis, a cosmetic change in dental enamel, mostly in the form of visible white markings on teeth,” Miller writes. She also provides a helpful rundown of what the research shows about fluoride and several other health issues.

To learn more, read “Here are the answers to 15 common questions about fluoride in drinking water.”