SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) – As of May 7, a new law took effect in Utah, prohibiting fluoride in public drinking water. Shortly after, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed plans to phase out oral fluoride supplements commonly administered for strengthening children’s teeth.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remarked that Utah is leading the charge to restore public health in America through its initiatives against fluoridation. With federal measures now aiming to curtail fluoride consumption, what implications does this hold for the American populace?
Nexstar’s KTVX had a conversation with pediatric dentist Dr. Darren Chamberlain, an ex-president of the Utah Dental Association (UDA) and a current American Dental Association delegate on the UDA board, about alternative methods available to maintain dental health if ingestible fluoride supplements become unavailable.
“I guess our only option is fluoridated toothpaste,” Chamberlain said. “Unfortunately, that isn’t quite as effective as small doses of fluoride every day.”
Chamberlain explained that fluoride toothpaste only goes on the “biting surface or outside surface of the teeth,” which is why he has typically prescribed fluoride supplements throughout his 21 years of practicing dentistry.
“Now that that option is being taken away, I’m really, really nervous what we’re going to see coming through my office,” Chamberlain said. “I think we’re going to have a generation of children that are going to be affected and are going to have the detrimental effects of not having fluoride on their teeth.”
The Associated Press reported that the FDA is planning to conduct a scientific review of ingestible fluoride products by the end of October, aiming to ask manufacturers to voluntarily pull their products.
The FDA said the ingestible products that would be reviewed and potentially removed have “never been approved by the FDA.” The AP reports that the FDA’s plan would not affect toothpaste, mouthwash, or dental office fluoride treatments.
The impacts of fluoride
“To be able to get the true effects of fluoride, especially with children, as a pediatric dentist, that’s most of my concern,” Dr. Chamberlain told KTVX. “You would have to consume fluoride either in a water supply or through these supplements.”
Chamberlain said fluoride gets incorporated into the teeth and creates a layer that is stronger than the enamel, which can help prevent cavities and make teeth stronger. He said that with less access to fluoride, it’s likely that children will be getting more cavities.
“You don’t get the same effect topically as you would systemically from fluoride,” Chamberlain said.
However, he also noted some of the negative effects of fluoride, including fluorosis, which alters the appearance of teeth if they are exposed to too much fluoride while growing in, according to the CDC.
“While dental fluorosis can be moderate or severe, causing extensive enamel changes, in the U.S., dental fluorosis is mostly mild and cosmetic, meaning it does not affect tooth function and is not painful,” the CDC explains. “Moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis are rare.”
Chamberlain said there are other policies that Kennedy has introduced that he agrees with, such as getting rid of ultra-processed foods. He said sugars and carbohydrates can contribute to creating cavities, and getting rid of those could help decrease the need for fluoride.
“Unfortunately, in the world that we live in, the best way to have a healthy smile and healthy teeth is by using fluoride,” Chamberlain said.
The Associated Press and Nick Butts contributed to this report.
