The American Dental Association calls the mineral fluoride "nature's cavity fighter." However, the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water has long been a target of conspiracy theories and opponents of public health measures.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administration's pick to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has called fluoride "an industrial waste” and stated that the Trump administration would advise the entire U.S. water system to remove fluoride on Day 1.
The incoming president has not confirmed that policy step — he told NBC News that Kennedy’s plan “sounds OK to me. You know it's possible.” Still, the topic is worrying dentists and health providers who maintain that fluoride is an important part of maintaining public health policies.
The fluoridation of much of the U.S. supply represents “one of those great achievements,” Dr. Dwight McLeod, dean of A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health, said Tuesday. “It's economically feasible, it's equitable, whether you live in a rich or poor neighborhood, you have access to fluoridated water, then you're going to derive the benefits.”
Dr. Poonam Jain, a professor and vice dean at ATSU and the St. Louis Dental Center, noted that the low levels of fluoride added to water do not pose health dangers.
Instead, she explained that the “magic” of fluoride results in protection from acid and strengthening tooth enamel.
“There is skepticism, and we face that,” Jain said, adding that she typically hears concerns from parents with young children. In those cases, she said that she provides dental products without fluoride.
To learn more about how dentists are responding to skepticism of fluoride, and to hear Dr. Dwight McLeod and Dr. Poonam Jain take questions from callers about fluoride and dental care, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
