Op-ed: It Is Time to Protect Kids’ Developing Brains From Fluoride

The debate on the fluoridation of drinking water—one of the most polarized, long-running, and high-decibel controversies in public health—has been reignited as new studies find that fluoride is toxic to the developing brain.

Last week, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a systematic review of all published studies evaluating the potential neurotoxicity of fluoride; the benefits of fluoride with respect to reducing tooth decay were not addressed. A committee of the National Academy of Science, Medicine, and Engineering will review it this fall. This comprehensive report scrutinized hundreds of human and animal studies on the impact of fluoride on brain and cognitive function. Most, but not all, of the high-quality studies evaluated fluoride concentrations that were about twice the level added to drinking water or higher. However, when considering all the evidence, their conclusion was “fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive developmental hazard to humans.”

The NTP’s conclusion was strengthened by a synthesis of high-quality studies showing that children who were exposed to higher amounts of fluoride during early brain development scored about 3 to 7 points lower on their IQ tests.

Their conclusion is consequential; about 75 percent of Americans on community water systems have fluoride in their tap water. Water is the main source of fluoride for people who live in communities with water fluoridation.