As of 2022, the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) stories that 72.3% of Individuals on group water techniques — roughly 62.8% of the whole inhabitants — obtain fluoridated water.1 This apply started within the Forties, primarily based on the idea that including fluoride to municipal water provides would cut back tooth decay.2
Nevertheless, a rising physique of analysis exhibits that fluoride presents little, if any, profit for dental well being and comes with vital dangers. Fluoridating public water successfully doses the whole inhabitants with out consent, together with susceptible teams like pregnant girls, infants, and folks with medical situations that make fluoride publicity extra hazardous.
Globally, most nations have rejected water fluoridation. Nations comparable to Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands don’t fluoridate their water, but they report dental well being outcomes that rival these in the USA.3 Regardless of this, the U.S. stays an outlier, persevering with to fluoridate water regardless of rising considerations about this apply.
A latest investigation from a small city in North Dakota reveals the deeper subject — highly effective pursuits with a stake in fluoridation are driving its continued use, regardless of mounting scientific proof of hurt. The result’s a public well being tradeoff with critical penalties, particularly for youngsters’s mind growth.4
Washburn Uncovers the Fluoride Playbook
In April 2025, the nonprofit investigative group Kids’s Well being Protection printed an in depth report exposing how Washburn, a small North Dakota city of simply 1,300 residents, grew to become the goal of a federally backed effort to override native authorities of their effort to finish water fluoridation.5
• Washburn’s commissioners voted to finish fluoridation — Washburn’s commissioners voted 4-1 to cease including fluoride to the city’s water provide. Their determination got here after months of analysis, public dialogue, and professional testimony revealing that fluoridation presents little to no dental profit whereas exposing kids to documented neurological hurt.
• A rising variety of communities are transferring away from fluoridation — The city grew to become the newest of rural and suburban communities rejecting water fluoridation in mild of rising analysis concerning its unfavourable well being results. The proof driving this motion hyperlinks fluoride publicity to lowered IQ and impaired mind growth, even at ranges at present promoted by U.S. well being businesses.
• Commissioners encountered orchestrated resistance — When the problem was first raised in January, city leaders anticipated a good-faith dialog. As a substitute, they had been instantly met with a wave of stress that didn’t originate from inside the group.
Letters poured in from out-of-state dental associations, many utilizing equivalent language and arguments. A better inspection revealed they had been copied from templates circulated by fluoride advocacy teams.
• Public information uncovered misuse of federal funds — In response to the weird depth of the lobbying, Commissioner Keith Hapip filed a public information request to research potential coordination behind the scenes. The paperwork he obtained confirmed that Jim Kershaw, a fluoride advocate and water superintendent from Bismarck, had labored with North Dakota’s Oral Well being Program (OHP) to oppose Washburn’s reconsideration of fluoridation.
Kershaw’s journey bills to the assembly, regardless of his public claims of attending on his personal, had been reimbursed by North Dakota OHP. The OHP is funded by a $380,800 CDC grant and a $400,000 HRSA grant, each of which explicitly prohibit lobbying or influencing laws.
• Officers had been instructed to suppress opposition, not educate — Emails uncovered in Hapip’s information request painted an image of strategic interference moderately than impartial public well being help. North Dakota’s OHP Director Cheri Kiefer inspired Kershaw to “flatten them like a pancake,” referring to Washburn’s elected officers.
The communications included pre-approved kind letters for dentists to submit and speaking factors crafted to take care of the looks of unbiased advocacy. These ways had been designed to drown out native debate and create a misunderstanding of unanimous professional help for fluoridation.
• Critics of fluoridation had been intentionally silenced and discredited — After figuring out the uniformity of the opposition letters, Hapip contacted a number of of the dentists to ask their opinion on latest research linking fluoride to neurodevelopmental hurt. None responded.
The emails revealed that these inquiries had been forwarded to Kershaw, who instructed the dentists to not have interaction. Following this, Kershaw shifted to utilizing a private electronic mail account moderately than his government-issued deal with, suggesting an try to defend communications from additional public scrutiny and evade accountability.
• ‘Astroturfing’ was used to fabricate pretend public help — “Astroturfing is when a gaggle with cash and energy pretends to be common of us supporting one thing, but it surely’s actually a deliberate push from the highest,” Hapip defined. “Actual grassroots come from the group naturally. And right here, the oral well being program used CDC money to fabricate help for fluoridation in Washburn.”
• Unprofessional and hostile conduct confirmed non-public disdain for public dissent — In a single electronic mail, Dr. Johnny Johnson, president of the American Fluoridation Society, used vulgar language to insult Hapip earlier than providing to reply on to his inquiries.
Kershaw replied, “Don’t reply to him now, I’ve a plan.” This conduct revealed not solely a strategic intention to suppress Washburn’s efforts, but additionally a broader tradition of disdain towards any officers questioning the fluoridation narrative.
• Different cities are dealing with the identical blueprint of manipulation and reversal — Based on the report, almost equivalent ways had been utilized in Grand Forks, the place officers additionally obtained the identical copy-paste letters from dentists forward of an area fluoridation vote. In McVille, a close-by city that had beforehand voted to finish fluoridation, the choice was reversed after Johnson and his allies flew in to stress the council.
Hapip has since filed a proper grievance with the North Dakota Division of Well being and Human Companies, arguing that the misuse of federal funds and the focused silencing of native voices characterize a elementary menace to democratic well being coverage.
A Public Well being Tradeoff We Can’t Afford
Even when fluoride reduces cavities, the value we pay is much too steep. Dental caries is a visual, treatable situation, however neurodevelopmental hurt is invisible and everlasting. Sacrificing cognition to protect enamel shouldn’t be a public well being development however a societal regression.
• Fluoride publicity causes measurable IQ loss in kids — A 2023 meta-analysis of 12,263 kids throughout seven nations confirmed a median IQ drop of 5.6 factors amongst these with larger fluoride publicity.
The drop in IQ obtained worse with larger fluoride ranges, even at quantities as soon as regarded as “secure.” Kids with urinary fluoride ranges of simply 0.28 milligrams per liter (mg/L), equal to frequent fluoridated water consumption, had detectable cognitive deficits.6
• Neurodevelopmental hurt is everlasting and population-wide — The Nationwide Toxicology Program’s 2024 report concluded with “reasonable confidence” that fluoride publicity, even at ranges close to the present U.S. goal of 0.7 mg/L, impairs cognitive efficiency in kids. The harm happens throughout very important phases of mind growth, particularly in utero and early childhood. These results are constant throughout research, populations, and methodologies.7
• Fluoride disrupts early mind growth via hormone interference — Research present that when infants are uncovered to fluoride within the womb, they’re extra more likely to have impaired government operate and better charges of ADHD signs. These results are seemingly attributable to thyroid hormone disruption. Florida’s high well being official, Surgeon Basic Joseph A. Ladapo, cited these findings in calling for an finish to water fluoridation.8
• Fluoride additionally impacts very important organs and blood operate in fetuses — A 2024 research printed in Environmental Well being9 revealed that rising maternal fluoride concentrations had been linked to unfavourable results on kidney and liver operate, which play vital roles in systemic cleansing and are identified to build up extra fluoride than different organs within the physique.
The research additionally confirmed that fluoride publicity lowered key proteins concerned within the complement cascade, part of the immune system that helps management irritation and impacts how a child’s physique develops. Researchers additionally discovered adjustments in proteins linked to blood clotting, suggesting that fluoride might intrude with regular blood operate throughout fetal growth.
For a deeper assessment of the science linking fluoride publicity to cognitive hurt, see the article “Fluoride’s Hidden Hazard — Decrease IQ in Kids Uncovered.”
Different Well being Dangers Linked to Lengthy-Time period Fluoride Publicity
Whereas officers proceed to champion fluoridation as a win for dental well being, fashionable toxicological analysis tells a special story. Over the previous decade, peer-reviewed research have drawn direct connections between fluoride publicity and numerous well being situations.
• Fluoride accumulates in bone tissue, resulting in skeletal fluorosis — Power fluoride causes it to construct up within the bones, which ends up in stiff joints, hardened ligaments, and bother transferring round. In areas with reasonable to excessive fluoride publicity, this buildup results in a critical, irreversible situation referred to as skeletal fluorosis. The early phases typically mimic arthritis and stay undiagnosed till everlasting harm is finished.10,11
• It alters calcium metabolism and will increase fracture danger — Fluoride impairs the stability between bone-forming and bone-resorbing cells, weakening bone construction over time. In populations with long-term fluoride publicity, research have discovered elevated charges of hip and wrist fractures.12,13,14
• It disrupts endocrine operate past the thyroid — Fluoride publicity has been linked to impaired glucose metabolism and altered insulin sensitivity, elevating considerations about its function in metabolic ailments.15 Some research counsel fluoride interferes with the pineal gland, lowering melatonin manufacturing and affecting sleep-wake cycles.16
• It contributes to muscle atrophy with extended publicity — A 2022 research discovered that long-term fluoride publicity breaks down key proteins in muscle tissues, which ends up in muscle shrinking and weak spot. The degradation was pushed by the upregulation of a pathway linked to muscle losing.17
If fluoride had been a prescription drug, it will require labeling, dosage management, and affected person approval. However as a water additive, it bypasses all security protocols. For extra on how fluoride entered the water provide with out correct regulatory oversight, see “Fluoride: Poison on Faucet.”
What Does This Imply for You and Your Neighborhood?
In case you stay in a city the place fluoride is added to the water, you want to perceive that the choice was seemingly made many years in the past with out your enter. These insurance policies typically keep in place just because nobody has reexamined them, not as a result of present science helps them. In lots of instances, group members are unaware that they’re consuming a substance with documented long-term dangers.
• You may have a proper to know what’s in your water and the way it impacts your well being — You even have a proper to query insurance policies that had been by no means primarily based in your consent. This isn’t only a well being subject — it’s about bodily autonomy and the liberty to make knowledgeable selections.
• Ask your native water utility whether or not your city fluoridates its water — Request documentation on the precise ranges and the way they’re monitored. In case your city does add fluoride, ask your native officers to revisit the choice and maintain public hearings that embrace up to date analysis and various professional views.
• Overview the present science for your self — Test peer-reviewed research and credible sources that aren’t tied to fluoride lobbying teams and acknowledge each dangers and advantages. Don’t simply settle for promotional materials from businesses with a vested curiosity in preserving the established order.
• If officers are hiding info, demand transparency — You possibly can request inner communications and coverage paperwork. Lots of the most revealing particulars in Washburn got here from Freedom of Info Act requests that uncovered what officers had been attempting to cover. These instruments can be found to you as nicely.
• Your group has extra energy than you assume — Most significantly, keep in mind that small cities have energy when residents stand collectively. Washburn’s commissioners stood agency regardless of coordinated opposition from well-funded establishments. They relied on public information, credible science, and a transparent understanding of their duty to guard residents. That strategy is on the market to any group prepared to confront the proof immediately.
5 Sensible Methods to Decrease Your Fluoride Publicity
With rising proof linking fluoride to critical well being dangers, particularly for youngsters, it’s extra vital than ever to take motion. Shield your loved ones’s well being by following these key steps to scale back fluoride publicity in your each day life:
1. Set up a complete water filtration system — Set up a high-quality filtration system designed to take away fluoride out of your consuming and cooking water.
Primary carbon filters like Brita and PUR, in addition to normal water softeners, gained’t take away fluoride, so be certain your system is designed particularly for it. Whereas reverse osmosis has been the usual for eradicating fluoride for years, it has vital drawbacks, comparable to losing water and eradicating wholesome minerals from the water.
Equally, bone char know-how requires the water to be acidic to work correctly. Additionally keep in mind to filter your bathe and tub water. Fluoride is absorbed via the pores and skin, so including filters to showerheads and different water sources all through your property offers you higher safety.
2. Use fluoride-free water for toddler formulation — In case you’re feeding your child formulation, by no means use fluoridated faucet water to combine it. Infants consuming formulation ready with fluoridated water ingest considerably extra fluoride than breastfed infants, posing dangers to their growing brains. If breastfeeding is not an possibility, go for filtered, fluoride-free water to guard your child’s neurological growth.
3. Swap to fluoride-free toothpaste and oral care merchandise — Fluoride-containing toothpaste and dental merchandise are among the many commonest sources of each day fluoride publicity. Avoiding them is without doubt one of the easiest methods to decrease your consumption.
Take time to analysis fluoride-free options and browse ingredient labels fastidiously. Many standard manufacturers additionally include different dangerous chemical substances like triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, diethanolamine, parabens, and plastic microbeads.
For a safer and extra reasonably priced possibility, take into account making your personal toothpaste at residence. A primary recipe features a few tablespoons of natural coconut oil and baking soda, a pinch of Himalayan salt, and a drop of peppermint important oil for a clear, acquainted taste.
4. Be careful for hidden fluoride in meals and drinks — Fluoride exhibits up in lots of processed meals and drinks that had been made utilizing fluoridated water. Tea leaves naturally take in fluoride, too. In case you’re a tea drinker, change to white tea, which tends to have decrease ranges than black or inexperienced teas.
5. Become involved in your group — Have interaction in native water coverage discussions and advocate for the removing of fluoride from group water provides. Share credible analysis on fluoride’s neurotoxic results with neighbors and native officers to lift consciousness. Greater than 200 million Individuals are nonetheless consuming fluoridated water with out knowledgeable consent. Your voice can assist change that.
Incessantly Requested Questions (FAQs) About Water Fluoridation
Q: Why is fluoride added to consuming water?
A: Fluoride was added to public water techniques starting within the Forties primarily based on early research suggesting it helped scale back tooth decay. It was promoted as a cheap manner to enhance dental well being on a big scale. Nevertheless, newer analysis exhibits its advantages are principally from topical publicity, not ingestion, and that ingesting fluoride carries critical dangers.
Q: How does fluoride have an effect on kids’s mind growth?
A: A number of high-quality research have proven that fluoride publicity, particularly throughout being pregnant and early childhood, is linked to decrease IQ and impaired cognitive growth. As an example, a 2023 meta-analysis discovered a median IQ drop of 5.6 factors amongst kids uncovered to larger fluoride ranges.
Q: Do different nations fluoridate their water just like the U.S. does?
A: No. Most developed nations don’t fluoridate their public water provides, citing considerations about security, ethics, and lack of clear systemic profit. These nations obtain equal or higher dental well being outcomes via topical fluoride use, entry to care, and diet with out mass medicating the inhabitants.
Q: Can I filter fluoride out of my faucet water at residence?
A: Sure. Nevertheless, most traditional residence carbon filters don’t take away fluoride. To cut back fluoride, you want a filter particularly designed to filter it out, so do your homework.
Q: What can I do if I would like fluoride faraway from my group’s water provide?
A: Begin by requesting your native water report and confirming whether or not fluoride is being added. Then contact native officers to request a coverage assessment. Arrange academic boards, submit public information requests, and share peer-reviewed analysis with decision-makers. As Washburn proved, group motion can overcome even coordinated resistance and alter outdated insurance policies.
