RFK Jr. says fluoride is ‘dangerous’

A Trump presidency will remove fluoride from America’s public water supplies, Robert Kennedy Jr. said.

The statement comes from a post on X that Kennedy shared on Saturday, just days before the 2024 presidential election.

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. “Fluoride is an industrial waste product linked to arthritis, broken bones, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease. disease. President @realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to make America healthy again.”

Subsequently mailKennedy called fluoride a “dangerous neurotoxin.”

Water fluoridation, or adding fluoride to drinking water, has been a practice for decades in the US, but Kennedy’s statements have raised questions about the safety of fluoride in drinking water and what would happen if it was removed from the US water supply. Here’s what you need to know.

fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can help prevent tooth decay and strengthen bones. Fluoride is often found in water and various dental products, including toothpaste and mouth rinses, to prevent caries.

Almost all water contains some naturally occurring fluoride, but usually not enough to maintain dental health, so local governments began adding fluoride to water supplies in the 1940s. By 2020, more than 72% of the total U.S. population, or about 290 million people, received fluoridated water through a public water supply.

Water fluoridation is not required by law, and state and local governments decide whether to add fluoride to water. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has set the optimal concentration of fluoride in drinking water at 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. Although water fluoridation usually involves adding fluoride, communities can actually remove fluoride if natural levels are too high.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drinking fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults, resulting in fewer diseases. mouth painfewer fillings or tooth extractions and fewer missed days from work and school. It’s worth noting that a Cochrane review published in October 2024 found that the benefits of water fluoridation on tooth decay have declined since the 1970s, when fluoride toothpaste became more widely available.

Experts say it’s a complex issue: Research shows that the health risks associated with fluoride depend on the level of exposure.

“The science of fluoride is very interesting because fluoride in small quantities is beneficial, whereas fluoride in high doses is toxic,” Athanasios Zavras, DDS, MS, DMSctold Delta Dental of Massachusetts, professor of public health and community service at Tufts University School of Medicine and chair of the school’s department of public health and community service. Health.

But there are currently no proven health risks associated with fluoride at optimal levels. “There is no evidence to support claims that 0.7 mg/L fluoride causes any of the conditions mentioned,” Zavras said.

However, evidence suggests that fluoride is associated with some adverse health effects at higher levels. Ashley Malin, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida.

Fluoride and neurodevelopment

Malin primarily studies the effects of fluoride on neurodevelopment, and there is some evidence suggesting a connection between the two.

In August, a report from the National Toxicology Program found that higher levels of fluoride exposure—for example, drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of fluoride—are associated with lower IQs in children.

Most of the studies included in the report were conducted in countries outside the United States with higher levels of fluoride exposure. But the report found that nearly 2 million Americans have water that naturally contains at least 1.5 mg/L of fluoride (the upper limit set by the World Health Organization), and 1 million Americans have tap water that is naturally fluoridated in concentrations 2 mg/l and above. .

The report was also cited in a lawsuit filed against the Environmental Protection Agency by a non-governmental organization and other plaintiffs. A California federal court has ruled in favor of plaintiffs who argued that fluoride levels in U.S. drinking water pose a risk to human health.

Although the court’s ruling did not conclude that current levels of fluoride in water are hazardous to public health, the EPA must now strengthen its rules regarding fluoride in drinking water due to “substantial and scientifically credible evidence establishing that fluoride poses a risk to human health.” human health.” health.”

Opponents of this decision, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), questioned the validity of the research highlighted in this case, particularly by scrutinizing the NTP report on the link between fluoridated water and IQ.

“There is nothing in the current decision that changes my confidence in the safety of optimally fluoridated water in the United States,” Charlotte W. Lewis, MD, MPH, FAAP, AAP Section Member on Oral Health, says the statement. “Water fluoridation is a public health policy based on a strong foundation of evidence. When new research is published, it is carefully reviewed by health experts to ensure it meets high standards of public safety.”

Fluoride and oral health

One established problem associated with high levels of fluoride exposure in young children is dental fluorosis: too much fluoride during tooth growth can cause discoloration of the teeth, including white spots, spots or lines.

In the United States, cases of dental fluorosis are mostly mild and cosmetic, meaning they do not affect the function of the teeth or cause pain. Children are no longer at risk for dental fluorosis around the age of 8, when the enamel of permanent teeth is fully formed.

Fluoride and other health problems

In his post on X, Kennedy also linked fluoride in drinking water to poor bone and joint health, namely bone fractures, bone cancer and arthritis, as well as thyroid disease.

Although high levels of fluoride can weaken bones, in severe cases causing a condition known as skeletal fluorosis.—bone cancer has yet to be reliably linked to fluoride exposure. The National Research Council review raised concerns about bone cancer risk based on preliminary and animal studies, but Malin said there were no rigorous low-exposure studies in the United States.

According to Malin, there have been some studies that have found a link between fluoride exposure and an increased risk of bone fractures. Most studies have tested higher levels of fluoride, but a recent Swedish study found that fluoride exposure at the same levels as in the US was associated with an increased risk of severe osteoporosis and hip fracture among postmenopausal Swedish women.

Regarding arthritisOverall, studies linking fluoride to an increased risk of arthritis have been inconclusive. One study of residents of Tongyu County in China found that overexposure to fluoridated water may increase osteoarthritis risk, but only at levels above the recommended 0.7 mg/l.

Thyroid diseases has not yet been closely linked to fluoride exposure. Malin said the link is plausible, and a Canadian study found an increased risk hypothyroidism in pregnant women with low levels of fluoride exposure from drinking water, but more rigorous studies are needed in the United States.

The National Sanitation Foundation has approved three chemicals for drinking water fluoridation: hydrofluorosilicic acid, sodium fluorosilicate, and sodium fluoride. “It could be a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production,” Malin said, perhaps explaining what Kennedy meant when he called fluoride an “industrial waste.”

Two of these fluoride supplements contain heavy metals, Malin said. A 2014 study found arsenic, lead and aluminum in hydrofluorosilicic acid, and aluminum and barium in sodium fluoride, noting that all samples tested contained “surprising amounts of aluminum.”

The study only used a few samples, but Malin also warned that the two chemicals could have harmful effects when combined with disinfectants such as chlorine found in water pipes.

“When combined, disinfectants can cause lead to leach from lead-containing tap water into public drinking water, and this can increase lead exposure,” Malin said. “Often people think it’s medical grade fluoride or similar to naturally occurring fluoride, but these chemicals are completely different from my perspective.”

The most important and immediate consequence will be a significant increase in the incidence of dental caries, especially among children.

“Water fluoridation is often called a ‘public health miracle’ because it helps many people from all socioeconomic groups avoid the devastating consequences of dental disease,” Zavras said. “Groups that consume large amounts of carbohydrates will bear a disproportionate burden of this increase.”

However, according to Malin, there is evidence to suggest that water fluoridation is no longer necessary to prevent tooth decay because fluoride toothpaste is widely available. “The demonstrated benefit appears to have declined over the years,” Malin added. “There is more evidence to support topical use.”

Fluoride recommendations have already changed. HHS initially set the optimal range for water fluoridation to be 0.7 to 1.2 mg/L. In 2015, the agency updated its recommendations to the current optimal concentration of 0.7 mg/L due to increased amounts of fluoride in foods treated with fluoridated water. “We must remember that community drinking water is not the only source of fluoride exposure,” Malin added.

Whether Kennedy is in charge of America’s health initiatives or not, the Environmental Protection Agency will have to address the health risks associated with water fluoridation under a federal court ruling.

“I think it makes sense to continue to regulate this chemical to reduce the risk,” Malin said. “Whether this means a reduction in concentration or complete elimination of it from the water supply remains to be determined.”