“Harmful”
Although fluoride bacteria can kill, especially at high levels, it is used in oral health to inhibit the demineralization of tooth enamel and at the same time improve the remineralization of tooth surfaces, the ADA explains.
The best way to get fluoride is by drinking water, says the Ada. But supplements are a safe alternative if a child lives in an area without fluoridated water or if they usually drink bottled water. Given the unbridled false and controversial claims about fluoride, more communities are leaving now. This week, Florida became the second state after Utah to ban fluoridation state -wide.
“Yes, use fluoride for your teeth, that's fine,” said Florida Gov. Ron Desantis during a press conference after signing the prohibition in the law. “But forcing in the water supply is in fact forced medication about people. They have no choice.”
Ada President Brett Kessler is worried what children will do in places such as Utah and Florida to get enough fluoride if the ban on supplements goes through. “In non-geforidated communities, in particular rural areas, fluorides supplements are the only chance for individuals to get the correct amount of fluoride to prevent tooth decay,” Kessler said in the statement. The move will “be particularly harmful to the most vulnerable and those who do not have access to care,” he added.
Although Makary said that the FDA will carry out a safety assessment of fluoride supplements, the conclusion seems to have been waived, whereby the HHS writes that it is already “initiating action” to remove the products.
The ADA noted that places that have removed fluoride from drinking water, such as Calgary, Canada and Juneau, Alaska, have seen an increase in tooth decay, especially in children and populations with a low income.
“Proposals like these are in the countryside of America, they don't make them healthier,” said Kessler.
