Donald Chi was surprised to hear fluoride had become a presidential issue.
“It's really rare for someone who has influence at the federal level to take a stand on an issue that directly affects oral health,” said Chi, an associate dean for research in the school of dentistry at the University of Washington.
Chi said that fluoride has been a staple of oral medicine for roughly eighty years, since the U.S. added the mineral to the country’s water supply with the goal of reducing the incidence of tooth cavities and decay.
Studies suggest the intervention was greatly successful at protecting Americans’ teeth. Water fluoridation was credited with a 65% reduction in cavities, and in 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared water fluoridation as one of the greatest public health interventions of the 20th century.
But Chi worries that may be about to change.
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
RFK Jr. has espoused a number of unfounded claims this election cycle, including that Wi-Fi causes cancer and vaccines cause autism. He also repeatedly said that he is concerned about the fluoride in America’s water supply system, thrusting the natural mineral into the spotlight and reviving some of the conspiracy theories and misinformation that’s surrounded it for years.
However, not all of RFK Jr.'s statements regarding fluoride are unfounded. Recent studies have found a potential association between high fluoride exposure and behavioral impacts in young children.
While most scientists say more research is needed to confirm a link between fluoride and negative health outcomes, others believe there is enough evidence to begin considering policy changes.
REPORTING: Benjamin Thorp
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