The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is re-evaluating the use of fluoride in drinking water, raising health concerns among medical and dental experts. This change follows recent legal action and new government direction under the Trump administration, with key officials signaling a shift away from long-standing fluoride support.
Earlier this week, the EPA announced it would “quickly review new scientific information” related to potential health risks from fluoride. This move comes after a judge ordered the agency to reexamine its fluoride policy due to growing questions about its safety.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also added pressure to this issue. He told reporters he plans to instruct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending the addition of fluoride to drinking water.
What Is Fluoride and Why Is It Used?
Fluoride is a natural mineral found in soil, rocks, and water. However, natural levels in drinking water are usually too low to help prevent tooth decay. For decades, U.S. cities have added fluoride to municipal water supplies to reduce cavities in both children and adults.
The CDC reports that adding fluoride to public water can lower the risk of cavities by about 25% across all age groups.
According to 2022 data, over 209 million Americans — roughly 72.3% of those using public water systems — had access to fluoridated water. Another 11 million people received water from systems where fluoride levels occur naturally at higher-than-recommended concentrations.
Health Professionals Warn Against Policy Shift
Many public health experts and dentists are voicing concern over the potential rollback of water fluoridation.
Dr. Scott Tomar, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago’s College of Dentistry, said the mouth plays a vital role in a person’s health.
“The mouth, the teeth, have a substantial impact on pretty much every aspect of people’s lives — certainly their health,” Dr. Tomar said in an interview with The Hill.
“An infection of your tooth becomes an infection of the surrounding area and often spreads to other parts of the body.”
Experts fear that removing fluoride could especially hurt low-income communities. Many people in these areas rely on tap water to maintain dental health because they may not have access to regular dental care or fluoride-rich products like toothpaste or mouthwash.
Why Is the EPA Reviewing Fluoride Now?
The EPA’s decision comes after a California federal judge ruled that the agency must take a closer look at fluoride’s possible health risks. That ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), which argues that fluoride may harm brain development, especially in young children.
FAN and other groups have pointed to some studies suggesting that high levels of fluoride could be linked to lower IQ scores. However, many scientists argue these studies are either inconclusive or focused on areas with unusually high fluoride levels, well beyond the amounts found in U.S. drinking water.
The EPA says its current review will include new scientific studies and input from public health experts before any final decision is made.
What Could Happen Next?
While the EPA has not made any official changes to current rules, the ongoing review could influence how fluoride is handled in the future. If the CDC withdraws its recommendation, cities and towns may decide to stop adding fluoride to their water systems.
Such a move could reverse decades of progress in dental health, experts say.
In fact, a 2018 report from the National Institutes of Health found that tooth decay is still the most common chronic disease in children — and water fluoridation is one of the most effective tools for prevention.
A History of Fluoride in the U.S.
Fluoridation began in the U.S. in the 1940s after studies showed a strong link between fluoride and lower rates of cavities. Since then, health agencies including the CDC, WHO, and American Medical Association have endorsed its use.
In 1999, the CDC named water fluoridation one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Still, it has not been without opposition. Some activists have long claimed fluoride poses health risks, though most of these claims have been rejected by leading scientific bodies.
