CHICAGO, April 7, 2025 — The American Dental Association (ADA) believes that good oral health depends on proper diet, nutrition, oral hygiene and optimally fluoridated water. Eighty years of community water fluoridation at optimal levels has proven to be safe and effective at reducing tooth decay to improve oral health. The ADA is available to engage in the development of high-quality studies to review the careful consideration necessary to develop reliable scientific evidence that will impact the future of public health policy for fluoride safety and efficacy.
“The growing distrust of credible, time-tested, evidence-based science is disheartening. The myths that fluoridated water is harmful and no longer necessary to prevent dental disease is troublesome and reminds me of fictional plots from old movies like Dr. Strangelove,” said Brett Kessler, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association. “When government officials, like Secretary Kennedy, stand behind the commentary of misinformation and distrust peer-reviewed research it is injurious to public health. Let’s stop the rhetoric and comprehensively study fluoride at the optimal level once and for all.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s announcement to reconsider the health impacts of fluoride in drinking water with a review of new scientific information follows the lawsuit ruling using the weak evidence from the National Toxicology Program report that concluded that "higher levels" of fluoride (>1.5 mg/L) are linked to lowered IQ in children. These studies used research from areas outside of the US with high naturally occurring fluoride and did not find an association between fluoride and IQ at low levels. The authors clearly state that their findings do not pertain to the practice of fluoridation in the U.S. and Canada at 0.7 mg/L.
“If we want to do what is truly healthy for all Americans, policymakers need to review the relevant research with fluoridation levels similar to our country, like Australia, that demonstrate fluoride does not negatively impact IQ levels,” said Dr. Kessler. “The ADA relies on evidence-based research to improve the oral health of the public and stands ready to advance gold medal standards in any future studies on water fluoridation.” The American Dental Association looks forward to meeting with the EPA on the development of a comprehensive evidence-based study on fluoride.
A recent study from the University of Queensland in which the level of fluoride in water is comparable to that in the U.S. found no measurable effect on cognitive neurodevelopment or IQ scores in children. To prevent dental disease and promote overall health the ADA continues to recommend drinking optimally fluoridated water along with twice daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and eating a healthy diet, low in added sugars.
“As dentists, we see the direct consequences fluoride removal has on our patients and it’s a real tragedy when policymakers’ decisions hurt vulnerable kids and adults in the long term,” said Dr. Kessler. “Blindly calling for a ban on fluoridated water hurts people, costs money, and will ultimately harm our economy.”
“We see on a daily basis the benefits of fluoride — from both drinking fluoridated water and topically in products like fluoride toothpaste and other dental products, so we know the need for both exists. We are confident that any new studies will show us this is true.”
For more information on community water fluoridation and ADA advocacy, visit ADA.org/fluoride.