CHICAGO, May 22, 2024 – The American Dental Association (ADA) is aware of a newly released JAMA Network Open study examining self-reported fluoride exposure during pregnancy. The study is not nationally representative and has a number of limitations including a small sample size from one population group in one US city. Also, the study did not measure the actual consumption of fluoridated water.
The ADA follows evidence and research on the best ways to advance public health and welcomes new research that advances oral health care policy. The JAMA study should be considered exploratory. To date, the ADA has seen no peer-reviewed research that would change its long-standing recommendation to the public to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and drink optimally fluoridated water.
Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children. There are decades of research and practical experience indicating community water fluoridation is safe and effective in reducing cavities by 25% in both children and adults.1
Public health policy is based on a collective weight of scientific evidence, not a single study. Decades of research and practical experience indicate that fluoride—in topically-applied dental products, such as toothpaste, rinses, and fluoride varnish, as well as naturally-occurring in drinking water and in fluoridated drinking water—is safe and beneficial to oral health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hailed water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.
The American Dental Association endorses community water fluoridation as a safe, beneficial, and cost-effective public health measure for preventing dental caries (cavities). This commitment is shared by many national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and multiple oral and public health professional organizations.
To help separate facts from misinformation, the ADA provides a detailed overview with science-based answers to common questions about fluoride in water via the Fluoridation FAQs section on the ADA’s website. To learn more about the benefits of fluoride, please visit MouthHealthy.org/fluoride.
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statement on the Evidence Supporting the Safety and Effectiveness of Community Water Fluoridation. Website. https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/guidelines/cdc-statement-on-community-water-fluoridation.html