ADA President, AAPD Past President warn against removing community water fluoride
CHICAGO: Community water fluoridation has been described as one of the most effective public health interventions of the 20th century — and dental leaders are sounding the alarm about efforts to dismantle it.
In a Sept. 5 editorial published in JAMA Health Forum, ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and AAPD Immediate Past President Scott D. Smith, D.D.S., warned that removing fluoride from public water supplies could trigger an oral health crisis across the United States.
“Today we risk reversing the progress made for our service members and coming generations,” the authors wrote. “Eliminating one of the most successful preventive health measures would quietly withdraw care from the most vulnerable populations.”
Fluoride’s proven role in oral health
The editorial emphasized that fluoride remains a cornerstone of preventive dental care, especially for children in low-income communities and Medicaid programs who may lack consistent access to dentists or oral hygiene products.
Evidence from communities that removed fluoride — such as Juneau, Alaska — shows a 47% spike in cavity-related treatment costs after water fluoridation was discontinued. Such findings highlight the far-reaching health and economic impact of these decisions.
Policy decisions with generational consequences
Drs. Kessler and Smith criticized recent state-level bans in Utah and Florida, as well as the elimination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s oral health division earlier this year. They argued that legislative actions are being influenced by flawed studies and public confusion, rather than scientific consensus.
“Removing fluoride is not just a budgetary decision,” they wrote. “It is a values decision masquerading as policy neutrality.”
Impact on low-income children
Without fluoride, Medicaid budgets designed to cover 1,000 children’s dental care may only stretch to 700 — effectively cutting care for 300 kids. This could worsen rates of untreated dental caries, pain, and school absenteeism in already underserved communities.
Call to action for public and policymakers
The authors urged public health advocates, dental professionals, and policymakers to take an active role in defending fluoridation programs. They encouraged participation in the ADA Fluoride Ambassador Program, which empowers community members to advocate for science-based public health decisions.
“If we are serious about protecting children’s health and creating a healthier workforce, then preserving community water fluoridation is not optional — it is essential,” the editorial concluded.
Read the full editorial in JAMA Health Forum HERE.
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