Another Charlotte-area county says it will no longer put fluoride in its water. The move by Lincoln County last month comes as fluoridation has become increasingly politicized, with Trump-appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. pushing to remove fluoride from drinking water.
The practice has been used around the world for decades as a way to prevent tooth decay. Joining WFAE’s Morning Edition host Marshall Terry to talk more about fluoridation in North Carolina is reporter Ann Blythe, who wrote about it for NC Health News.
Marshall Terry: First, give us a little context. How widespread is fluoride in water?
Ann Blythe: So fluoride is pretty widespread in drinking water across the United States. The CDC reported in 2022 that about 72% of the population got its water from community water systems that had fluoridated water. The North Carolina households that are connected to community water systems, 88% get fluoridated water. It's something that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described as one of the hallmark public health achievements of the 20th century. They've called it the most cost effective method of delivering fluoride to all members of the community and lowering tooth decay in children and adults.
Terry: Union County also said last year it would drop fluoridation. What did Lincoln County leaders give as their reason for dropping fluoride? And was it the same as Union County's reason?
Blythe: So Lincoln County was facing a decision about whether to make costly repairs to their water system and the high price tag was one issue that troubled some of the commissioners. But they were also questioning whether fluoride was still needed in its community water system, partly because of its widespread availability. You can get it in toothpaste and gels and other oral health products. In the resolution that they sent to the state health department, they noted that community members had expressed both support for the introduction of fluoride for dental health and concerns regarding potential adverse health effects associated with it. So they sort of looked at both issues.
And then Union County, from what I understand, they voted to ban the addition of fluoride at its treatment plant after a group called the "Fluoride Fighters" came and asked them to take action. One of the board members who spoke with North Carolina Health News said he supported the ban in part because he thought it was important that government shouldn't be making this decision about whether to add fluoride to the water. It should be an individual's choice.
Terry: Debate over fluoridation has ramped up, with RFK Jr. becoming the U.S. health secretary. And what argument do skeptics like RFK Jr. make against it? What does the research about fluoridation say?
Blythe: Well, critics of community water fluoridation point to studies that have linked potential risks of cognitive decline to fluoride in drinking water. That's at levels much higher than those used in this country. And supporters of the fluoride in water again have questioned the rigor of those studies. They quickly point out they're not comparing apples to apples. The countries that were studied have much higher levels of fluoride.
And so, you know, RFK before even he became health secretary, he had put out post on social media where he called fluoride in industrial waste. And he said it was connected to all these health issues. But this kind of thing has been going on for decades. Robust research has discounted many of these claims. I think a principle of toxicology is the dose makes a poison. And so a lot of dental associations and dentists say fluoride in community water systems has not only proven to stave off tooth decay in children and adults. But it's. Been a cost-effective way to deliver a public health benefit to people facing barriers to access.
Terry: Well, one of our editors here went to the dentist last week in Charlotte and was offered a supplemental fluoride treatment because places are removing it. Have you heard about that before?
Blythe: You know, you're the first to tell me about that specific kind of situation. But dentists have been using these topical fluoride gels and varnishes for several decades, but I haven't heard that they're starting to link it to places removing it in North Carolina.
