Is fluoride good or bad? RFK Jr’s skepticism reignites the debate | – Times of India
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is one of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services has vowed to remove fluoride from the US public water supply. His skepticism about fluoride has reignited the debate about whether fluoride is good or bad.
RFK Jr.’s pledge that Trump’s administration would ‘advise all U.S. systems to remove fluoride from public water’ has sparked an outcry among health experts, who believe fluoridated water is safe and essential for protecting oral health in children.
In a post shared on X, in Nov. 2024, he said, “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
He also stated that “It reduces IQ in exposed fetuses at way below therapeutic doses. Please see the attached link for more detailed information. Michael Connet is the attorney who just won a landmark Federal court case against the FDA for failing abysmally to protect public health against fluoride exposures.”
Let’s take a look at the fluoridation of drinking water and whether it’s good or bad.
Fluoride is a mineral occurring naturally in water, soil, and air. It has been proven to prevent dental cavities. Fluoride works by strengthening the tooth’s enamel, thereby making it more resistant to the acids produced by the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Before the fluoridation of public water supplies, most Americans struggled with tooth decay. After the introduction of fluoride in water, it dipped, in both children and adults.
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What do experts say?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called fluoridation of drinking water one of 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century because of the dramatic decline in cavities since community water fluoridation started in 1945. Contrary to RFK Jr.’s beliefs, the CDC also recommends using fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water if it is available where you live.
The American Dental Association too agrees that community water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay. “Even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from various sources, other studies show that community water fluoridation prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in children and adults throughout their life span. The scientific weight of sound evidence around the benefit of community water fluoridation is clear and compelling,” Linda J. Edgar, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association said in a release.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
