In This Section

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that, when included in community water systems, can reduce tooth decay by as much as 25 percent according to the ADA. More than 75 years of research supports the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation. The ADA also reports that communities with fluoridated water have an average return on investment (ROI) of $38 for every $1 spent on fluoridating water supplies.

In the News

  • In April 2025, Secretary Kennedy announced that he would direct the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoride. Read more in the May 2025 Advocacy Brief.
  • In March 2025, Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in community water supplies. Read more in the March 2025 Advocacy Brief.
  • In 2024, a number of individuals petitioned the EPA to more strictly regulate community water fluoridation, claiming the fluoride had a negative impact on consumers’ IQ levels. In Food & Water Watch v. EPA, the court ruled in favor of the petitioners, ordering the EPA to “engage with a regulatory response.” Read more in the February 2025 Advocacy Brief.
  • On November 2, 2024, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., wrote in a post on X, “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.” In February 2025, Kennedy was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

ASDA supports fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, as a safe evidence-based local and systemic therapy in the prevention of tooth decay. This can include community water fluoridation, topical fluoride, and other fluoride products.

ASDA urges dental professionals and dental societies to continue sharing scientific information regarding the safety and efficacy of fluoridating community water supplies with policymakers and the public.

ASDA supports and advocates for ongoing research on fluoridation.

(Interim I-1 policy, adopted April 2025)

What Has ASDA done?

  • ASDA, along with 250 organizations representing healthcare professionals, signed a coalition letter reaffirming the safety and efficacy of community water fluoridation. Read more in the May 2025 Advocacy Brief.
  • ASDA joined 12 other healthcare organizations in a coalition letter urging the EPA to repeal the court’s decision. The letter notes that the ruling “reflects a fundamental misunderstanding…on the safety of water and community water fluoridation.” Read more about the coalition letter in the February 2025 Advocacy Brief.

From Dental Students

Related Content