US President Donald Trump’s administration has introduced plans to withdraw prescription fluoride medicine for kids, a part of a rising motion reexamining public publicity to fluoride.
Fluoride is added to faucet water in international locations together with the US to forestall tooth decay, and is present in toothpaste and mouthwash.
Dietary supplements within the type of drops and tablets may also be prescribed to kids at excessive threat of tooth decay or dwelling in areas the place water has a low fluoride focus.
However controversy has grown across the mineral’s potential neurotoxic results, whereas new US Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has lengthy been a vocal critic of fluoridated water.
“The US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) right now introduced that it’s initiating motion to take away concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug merchandise for kids from the market,” the Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) stated in a press release on Tuesday.
“In contrast to toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these merchandise are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers. They’ve additionally by no means been authorised by the FDA.”
The assertion pointed to research suggesting a hyperlink between the mineral and thyroid issues, weight acquire and a decrease IQ, and stated that ingested fluoride “has been proven to change the intestine microbiome.”
HHS stated it aimed to finish a security overview by October 31.
Fluoride was first launched to US water techniques in 1945, dramatically lowering childhood cavities and grownup tooth loss, and fluoridated water at present reaches an estimated 200 million Individuals—about two-thirds of the inhabitants.
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention hails it as one of many prime public well being achievements of the twentieth century.
However final yr, HHS below former president Joe Biden concluded with “reasonable confidence” that larger ranges of fluoride are linked to decrease IQ scores.
In January, a paper within the prestigious journal JAMA Pediatrics, authored by the identical authorities scientists, discovered a “statistically important affiliation” between fluoride publicity and diminished IQ. Nonetheless, it left open key questions on what dosage ranges could also be dangerous.
In March, the US state of Utah turned the primary to ban fluoridation of its public ingesting water.
“A number of states have taken motion to cease fluoridation of ingesting water, and fluoride shouldn’t be added to ingesting water in most of Europe or different international locations of the world,” the HHS assertion added.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Affiliation warned the transfer would significantly impression US residents with restricted entry to dental care.
“Fluoride and common dental hygiene visits stay important elements of complete cavity prevention, particularly for individuals who lack assets for routine dental care,” ADHA president Erin Haley-Hitz stated in a press release.
“We urge policymakers to think about the profound impression these selections have on the oral well being of the American individuals.”
© 2025 AFP
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US to withdraw prescription fluoride for kids (2025, Might 14)
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