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Fluoride graphic 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 community water fluoridation (CWF). 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.

Check out these recent studies

Study

Key Findings

“Municipal Water Fluoridation, Adolescent IQ and Cognition Across the Life Course: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study” (April 2026)

No evidence suggests that CWF negatively impacted adolescent IQ or adult cognitive functioning.

“Community Water Fluoridation and Birth Outcomes” (Jan. 2026)

CWF does not correlate with changes in birth weight.

“Childhood Fluoride Exposure and Cognition Across the Life Course” (Nov. 2025)

High school and senior age test subjects who drink fluoridated water perform better on cognitive tests than those without access to CWF.

Recent Events

2026

  • Jan. 2026: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to study community water fluoridation. The research will look at “potential harmful effects and will not consider beneficial effects.”

2025

  • Oct. 2025: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)restricted the sale of unapproved ingestible fluoride for children.
  • July 2025: The Trump administration announced plans to continue the Biden administration’s efforts to appeal the decision in Food & Water Watch v. EPA.
  • July 2025: Connecticut adopted a law creating state fluoride levels, independent of recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services.
  • June 2025: Oklahoma Governor Kevin Schmitt signed an executive order that temporarily halts recommending fluoride in drinking water until the Oklahoma State Department of Health conducts a review of the state’s policies relating to fluoridated water.
  • May 2025: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into how companies are marketing fluoride toothpaste to parents and their children. In a press release, Paxton cited that his concerns stem from the “well-known acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose.”
  • May 2025: Florida became the second state to ban community water fluoridation in May.
  • April 2025: Secretary Kennedy announced that he would direct the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride.
  • March 2025: Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in community water supplies.

2024

  • Nov. 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.” Kennedy was confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in February 2025.
  • Sept. 2024: A U.S. District Court judge ordered the EPA to review fluoride guidelines after petitioners alleged that community water fluoridation was harmful to public health.

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.

(I-1 Policy)

What has ASDA done?

Since Nov. 2024, ASDA has joined hundreds of other groups in organized dentistry and healthcare to support access to community water fluoridation. As oral healthcare professionals continue to debunk false or misleading information, ASDA is committed to advocating for science-backed fluoride policies.

✓ 774 ASDA Action letters sent for the Protect Our TEETH Act during Legislative Action Week

✓ 5 coalition letters signed advocating for fluoride

From Dental Students

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