--- title: U.S. Lowers Recommended Fluoride Levels in Drinking Water description: For the first time in over 50 years, the U.S. has lowered its recommendation on fluoride levels in drinking water to prevent tooth decay. canonical: https://time.com/3837133/fluoride-drinking-water-teeth/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-27T18:56:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T06:43:05.919Z article:section: Health og:title: U.S. Says There Should Be Less Fluoride in Drinking Water og:description: Lowers recommended levels for first time in over 50 years og:url: https://time.com/3837133/fluoride-drinking-water-teeth/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c894db5ce6d9f11/6987ed1206f2c1c9b5337f09/faucet.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5120 og:image:height: 2880 og:image:alt: sb10066698kv-001 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: U.S. Says There Should Be Less Fluoride in Drinking Water twitter:description: Lowers recommended levels for first time in over 50 years twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c894db5ce6d9f11/6987ed1206f2c1c9b5337f09/faucet.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # U.S. Lowers Recommended Fluoride Levels in Drinking Water > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 27, 2015 6:56 PM UTC  Water Drips From Domestic Tap, UK Water Drips From Domestic Tap, UK Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 27, 2015 6:56 PM UTC For the first time in over 50 years, the U.S. has [lowered its recommendation](http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2015pres/04/20150427a.html) on fluoride levels in drinking water to prevent tooth decay. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its recommendation for an optimal concentration of fluoride at 0.7 mg per liter of water. The previous recommendations, released in 1962, allowed for 0.7 to 1.2 mg per liter. U.S. states and cities began adding fluoride to water supplies in the 1940s to aid dental care and today, 3 in 4 Americans with access to public water systems get fluoridated water. But an excess of fluoride can cause white spots on teeth. The HHS says Americans today have many other sources of fluoride, including toothpaste and mouthwash. The agency says the new recommended level will maintain the positive effects fluoride has on tooth decay but reduce the risk of Americans getting too much exposure. Also on Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [sent](http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/default.htm?source=govdelivery&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery) an industry letter recommending that bottled-water manufacturers, distributors and importers limit the amount of fluoride they add to bottled water to no greater than 0.7 mg per liter. “Community water fluoridation is effective, inexpensive and does not depend on access or availability of professional services. It has been the basis for the primary prevention of tooth decay for nearly 70 years,” said U.S. Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral Dr. Boris D. 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