The Fluoride Debate

What if everything you’ve been told about fluoride is only half the story?

For decades, fluoride has been hailed as a public health hero. Dentists recommend it. It’s in our water, toothpaste, and even kids’ dental treatments. The CDC even named water fluoridation as one of the “Top 10 Public Health Achievements of the 20th Century.”

But in recent months, something has shifted.

High-profile figures, public health experts and doctors have raised serious questions about fluoride and health.

So, what’s the truth? Is fluoride really the cavity-fighting miracle we’ve been led to believe? Or is there more to the story?

Let’s dive in.

The Problem: New Research Is Changing What We Know About Fluoride

For years, we’ve trusted fluoride to keep our teeth strong. But recent studies are painting a more complicated picture.

A federal study published in JAMA Pediatrics found a link between high fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children (Green et al., 2019). A review by the National Toxicology Program reported evidence of neurodevelopmental effects, especially in children and pregnant women (National Toxicology Program, 2024).

Even fluoride’s effect on bones is being looked at again.

High fluoride intake has been associated with an increased risk of bone fractures.

Skeletal fluorosis, a condition in which bones become brittle and painful, is associated with long-term high fluoride exposure.

And here’s a fact many people have not heard: up until the 1950s, fluoride was prescribed to lower thyroid function in patients with overactive thyroids. The same compound now added to our water was once used to suppress a hormone.

Fluoride isn’t only a dental question. It is a whole-body one.