What to know about fluoride in drinking water as CDC plans to change guidance
FILE-Tap water is seen in this photo illustration. A study published in 2019 linked exposure to fluoridated tap water during pregnancy to lower IQ scores in infants. (Photo credit ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants communities to stop fluoridating water, and he is taking steps to accomplish his goal.
Kennedy plans to talk to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the use of fluoride and plans to build a task of health experts to assess the problem and introduce new recommendations, the Associated Press reported.
RELATED: Fluoride: What is it and why is it added to our drinking water?
The Environmental Protection Agency is set to review scientific data on possible health risks linked to fluoride in drinking water.
What are the benefits of fluoride?
Why you should care:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride strengthens teeth and lowers cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, per the Centers for In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and in 1962 set guidelines for how much should be added to water.
Researchers tell the Associate Press that drinking water is the primary source of fluoride with roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population getting fluoridated drinking water, according to CDC data.
Can too much fluoride be a problem?
Dig deeper:
Too much fluoride has been linked with streaking or spots on teeth. The Associated Press noted that studies suggest that there is a connection between excess fluoride and brain development.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. In 2024, the National Toxicology Program, which summarized studies conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico, released a report which concluded that drinking water with over 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter was associated with lower IQs in children.
Why is RFK Jr. pushing to stop the use of fluoride?
The backstory:
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called fluoride a "dangerous neurotoxin" and "an industrial waste" tied to a range of health dangers, the Associated Press reported.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, claims that fluoride is linked to arthritis, bone breaks, and thyroid disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendations regarding fluoride are followed but are not mandatory, and the AP reports that Kennedy can’t mandate that communities stop using fluoride, but he can tell the CDC to stop recommending it.
States scaling back on fluoride use
Big picture view:
Utah is the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water, and lawmakers in other states are evaluating the matter.
The Associated Press, citing Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention data, reported that 36 states have stopped using fluoride in recent years. According to the AP, roughly 734 water systems that reported their data in those states have stopped fluoridating water.
Mississippi had over 1 in 5 of those water systems that stopped. Most water systems that ended fluoridation did so to save money, Melissa Parker, the Mississippi state health department’s assistant senior deputy, explained to the AP.
State and local governments decide if they choose to add fluoride to water if it doesn’t exceed the EPA's limit of 4 milligrams per liter.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Toxicology Program, which released a report on fluoride in drinking water in 2024. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.