--- title: What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your Water description: Here's what to know about other sources of the mineral, from toothpaste to varnishes and chewables. canonical: https://time.com/7285568/what-to-do-fluoride-removed-from-water/ author: Matt Fuchs article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-05-14T21:53:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-05-15T14:30:14.000Z article:section: Health og:title: What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your Water og:description: Other sources of the mineral include toothpaste, varnishes, and chewables. og:url: https://time.com/7285568/what-to-do-fluoride-removed-from-water/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf35d826890056f01/6998c6a6f1b08220f86f1551/toothbrush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2122 og:image:height: 1194 og:image:alt: Close-up of toothpaste on a toothbrush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your Water twitter:description: Other sources of the mineral include toothpaste, varnishes, and chewables. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf35d826890056f01/6998c6a6f1b08220f86f1551/toothbrush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your 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 weekday 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 weekday 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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=293a4fd0-32e4-4c1a-9979-c8e9f8127df5&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Science Vs. Values: The Question of Fluoride [Watch (HLS stream): Science Vs. Values: The Question of Fluoride](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5xGmmtTy.m3u8) (3:19)  _Published 2024-12-19. Dr Anupam Jena and Dr Christopher Worsham, authors of Random Acts of Medicine, discuss the question of fluoride in public water supply systems and whether or not we should be guided by science or how our values should help us make the best decisions._ by [Matt Fuchs](https://time.com/author/matt-fuchs/) ## Matt Fuchs Matt Fuchs writes about science, health, aging, and well-being. His Substack is Prime Factors and he is a 2026-2027 Knight-Wallace Fellow. Updated: May 15, 2025 2:30 PM UTCPublished: May 14, 2025 9:53 PM UTC Dr Anupam Jena and Dr Christopher Worsham, authors of Random Acts of Medicine, discuss the question of fluoride in public water supply systems and whether or not we should be guided by science or how our values should help us make the best decisions. by [Matt Fuchs](https://time.com/author/matt-fuchs/) ## Matt Fuchs Matt Fuchs writes about science, health, aging, and well-being. His Substack is Prime Factors and he is a 2026-2027 Knight-Wallace Fellow. Updated: May 15, 2025 2:30 PM UTCPublished: May 14, 2025 9:53 PM UTC Right now, it’s politically hot to spit out fluoride. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long railed against fluoride in public water supplies, claiming that it correlates to lower IQs in kids. ([Research](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2828425) suggests that fluoride may be linked to lower IQ scores only at very high exposures.) Dozens of places in the U.S.—including [Miami-Dade County, Fla.](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/cities-counties-start-remove-fluoride-public-drinking-water/story?id=120418245), [Peshtigo, Wis](https://wtmj.com/news/2024/11/29/spinning-the-state-peshtigo-caledonia/)., and the entire state of [Utah](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2025/february/utah-set-to-ban-community-water-fluoridation/)—have recently passed restrictions banning the fluoridation of public water supplies. Florida just [announced plans](https://www.wctv.tv/2025/05/12/florida-ban-fluoride-water/) to ban fluoride beginning July 1, 2025\. More states and localities may follow suit after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [announced](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-begins-action-remove-ingestible-fluoride-prescription-drug-products-children-market) on May 13 that it is taking steps to remove ingestible fluoride supplements prescribed to children from the market. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also [said](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-will-expeditiously-review-new-science-fluoride-drinking-water) in April that it’s studying the health risks of fluoride, and Kennedy has [signaled](https://time.com/7275689/rfk-jr-cdc-stop-recommending-fluoride-drinking-water/) that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop recommending water fluoridation. These concerns contrast with the views of most U.S. [dentists](https://www.ada.org/about/press-releases/american-dental-association-reaffirms-support-for-community-water-fluoridation) and [pediatricians](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33257404/), who advise that fluoride is safe in small doses and one of the few bright spots in the [fight against cavities](https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride) since its addition to water [in 1945](https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/timeline-for-community-water-fluoridation/index.html#:~:text=Jan%2025%2C%201945,the%20end%20of%20the%20year.). About [1 in 4 kids](https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/dental-caries/children) have dental decay by kindergarten, with those at lower economic levels [affected most](https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/5/e042908). “I am concerned about the fluoride issue,” said Dr. Mike Simpson, a Republican congressman from Idaho, to Kennedy during a May 14 [congressional hearing](https://www.nbcnews.com/video/rfk-jr-questioned-about-banning-fluoride-from-drinking-water-239537221885). “I've seen the benefits, having been a practicing dentist for 22 years.” “If you are successful in banning fluoride...we better put a lot more money into dental education, because we're going to need a whole lot more dentists,” Simpson said. Here’s what you should do if your water stops being fluoridated, and what to know about the various sources of the mineral. ## Why fluoride helps Fighting cavities is important throughout life, but especially during childhood, from infancy through early adolescence. “There is a critical window for getting fluoride to protect teeth as they’re developing,” says Dr. Erica Caffrey, clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. When kids miss this window, they have [more cavities](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16708783/) and, as adults, [higher rates](https://www.aapd.org/contentassets/e8b0b67fdc044732af60d16ed430f43a/stateoflittleteeth.2ndedition.pdf) of dental disease. “Treatment is a much different game” than prevention, Caffrey says. An expensive game at that: the U.S. spends [billions of dollars](https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/data-research/facts-stats/fast-facts-return-on-investment.html) treating cavities, even though they’re preventable. Caffrey deals with serious complications from dental disease in her Maryland practice, including kids with swollen faces and so much pain they can’t eat. Sometimes their dental infections spread [elsewhere in the body](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31327369/), causing dehydration and fatigue. “What affects your teeth can also affect cardiac health and your child’s behavior, nutrition, and speech,” Caffrey says. Fluoride [helps protect teeth](https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2025/january/facts-and-fears-fluoride.html#:~:text=Decades%20of%20research%20and%20public,when%20it%20was%20first%20introduced.) by making the hard outer layer—the enamel—more resistant to acid attacks by bacteria and sugars. When acid starts to wear down enamel, fluoride draws in calcium and phosphate to rebuild the weakened areas, in a process called [remineralization](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2883807/#:~:text=Fluoride%20is%20the%20most%20commonly,causes%20enamel%20dissolution%20to%20stop.). **Read More**: [_How Well Will You Age? Check Your Grip Strength_](https://time.com/7281402/grip-strength-longevity/) When fluoridated, drinking water applies fluoride to the teeth continually and passively, without people needing to think about it. “The fluoride sits in the oral environment and makes the teeth stronger over time,” Caffrey says. This is critical for the millions of Americans who [struggle to access](https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/health-equity/index.html) dental care. Most Americans still live in [places with fluoridated water](https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride), but if [your child’s water supply is not fluoridated](https://nccd.cdc.gov/doh%5Fmwf/default/default.aspx), professional associations of dentists and pediatricians recommend talking with your health care providers about fluoride supplements to help ward off dental decay. ## Diet and dental hygiene Cavities are [mainly caused](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sugars-and-dental-caries) by eating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates. Just by having a healthier diet, people can reduce their vulnerability to cavities and the need for fluoride supplements to make up for its absence from community drinking water. Refined carbs are processed by the bacteria in our mouths, [creating the acid](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534248/) that breaks down tooth enamel. When bacteria are fed less, it’s harder for them to create the tiny holes in teeth known as cavities, Caffrey explains. Liquids, such as juice and soda, are especially problematic because they soak the teeth in sugars, she adds. Sugar-free soda doesn’t help much; the carbonation harms the enamel because it’s acidic. **Read More**: [_5 Things You’re Forgetting to Clean (But Really Should)_](https://time.com/7278769/what-to-clean-house-bacteria/) “The fundamental cause of cavities is sugar and starches,” says Dr. Philippe Hujoel, professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington, so limiting intake is important for dental health. Talk with your dentist or primary care doctor about replacing these foods with fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins for oral and overall health, especially if your community doesn’t fluoridate the water. You could also opt for foods that are naturally [higher in fluoride](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Fluoride-HealthProfessional/), such as [tea](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-93548-3), shrimp, and, if you can tell from the label, products grown or packaged in other communities that do fluoridate the water, Caffrey recommends. It’s just as important to reduce risk through good oral hygiene: brushing in the morning and before bed, flossing once per day, and attending regular dental checkups. ## Varnishes Fluoride is most effective for oral health when it’s topical, or applied directly to the teeth. This is “the predominant effect of fluoride,” Wright says. Your dentist may recommend a topical fluoride, depending on your diet and dental hygiene. One option is painting the teeth with a concentrated form of fluoride, called [varnish](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/146/6/e2020034637/33536/Fluoride-Use-in-Caries-Prevention-in-the-Primary). It sticks to the enamel, gradually releasing fluoride that bolsters the tooth surface. Applied by a dentist, pediatrician, or nurse, these treatments are especially recommended for kids and adults with high risk of tooth decay. An extensive [research review](https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002279.pub2/full) found that fluoride varnish lowers the risk of cavities in kids and adolescents by about 40%—and it has this [benefit](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36757696/) regardless of whether kids live in communities with fluoridated water. Varnish offers significant protection on its own, even without other fluoride exposures. It’s applied as frequently as every three months for children with high cavity risk. ## Toothpaste and mouth rinse Another topical approach is fluoridated toothpaste. “Using toothpaste with fluoride twice per day is among the most critical ways to prevent dental disease,” Caffrey says. Researchers have [found](https://www.cochrane.org/news/water-fluoridation-less-effective-now-past) that using fluoridated toothpaste regularly is protective enough that access to fluoridated water offers only a small additional benefit. Children under 3 should brush with no more than a [rice-grain-sized smear](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6804a3.htm) of fluoridated toothpaste on a soft toothbrush. For ages 3-6—after which kids can typically rinse with water and spit out the paste—a slightly larger pea-sized dollop suffices. After age 6, a slim ribbon is okay. **Read More**: [_Seed Oils Don’t Deserve Their Bad Reputation_](https://time.com/7269715/are-seed-oils-unhealthy/) Depending on your oral health, dentists may also recommend a [mouth rinse](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10566543/) with fluoride. Rinses can help kids with braces, who may have a harder time reaching the whole tooth. “As with anything, there’s such a thing as too much fluoride,” Caffrey explains, but “it takes a significant amount of ingested fluoride daily to get into the worry zone.” Hujoel is more concerned about [this threshold](https://time.com/5656476/is-fluoride-in-water-safe/). “There are many fluoride exposures” even without fluoridated water, such as fluoride in food, he says. “You can easily go above the recommended dose.” One risk, [researched](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK77904/) by Hujoel, is [fluorosis](https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/about/about-dental-fluorosis.html), a condition causing mild discoloration of teeth. Discuss [cumulative intake](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/fluoride/) with a dentist to better understand your personal risk. ## Bottled fluoride [Bottled water with fluoride](https://bottledwater.org/ibwa-brands-containing-fluoride/) is another supplement option. In communities without fluoridated water—like Clifton, N.J., where pediatrician Dr. Bob Jawetz practices—it’s ideal to combine bottled fluoride water with a topical supplement (like toothpaste, mouth rinse, and/or a varnish), Jawetz says. Although topical fluoride has the strongest effect, when you drink fluoride, too, it’s [absorbed](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9920376/) into the inner structure of the tooth, providing some degree of additional benefit. ## Prescription gels, drops, and chewables Some fluoride supplements are prescribed, including stronger versions of the mouth rinses, but also lozenges and tablets that can be chewed and swished around the mouth. To maximize fluoride’s effect, keep them in the mouth for [1-2 minutes](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/ada%5Fevidence-based%5Ffluoride%5Fsupplement%5Fchairside%5Fguide.pdf?hash=FEC2BBEA0C892FB12C098E33344E48B4&rev=60850dca0dcc41038efda83d42b1c2e0) before swallowing. You could also dissolve such chewables into water, in which case “you’re back to water fluoridation,” Wright says. Kids too young for chewables might instead be prescribed drops or gels. A 2015 [review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7138249/#:~:text=From%20the%20three%20trials%20looking,missing%20and%20filled%20tooth%20surfaces.) found gels—a topical treatment applied in a tray—are effective without adverse effects, but Caffrey rarely uses them because kids could end up swallowing more than is ideal, she says. **Read More**: [_The Supplements Doctors Actually Think You Should Take_](https://time.com/7202466/best-supplements-to-take-vitamins/) Dentists may recommend these supplements in communities lacking fluoridated water for infants whose teeth haven’t erupted yet. Follow the recommended dose. Your dentist may advise minimizing other fluoride sources to reduce risk of fluorosis. ## The consequences of forgoing fluoride Removing fluoridated water can negatively impact kids who may not brush regularly or optimally, and whose diets may increase cavity risk, Caffrey says. “When you take a blanket health measure away, such as community water fluoridation, the most at-risk children are the ones likely to suffer most.” “The dental community is very worried” about fluoride’s removal from the water, Wright says. “Increasing the burden on an already-stressed health care system is going to be challenging to manage.” ## Transcript [00:00] My colleague Chris and I are here to talk about fluoride. [00:03] Or more specifically, about how scientific evidence may [00:07] not always be enough to go on when it comes to decisions about public health, [00:11] especially if those decisions take away personal autonomy, [00:15] like when fluoride is in the public water supply. [00:22] It feels a little counterintuitive. [00:25] We should be the people who say that science has all the answers. [00:29] But when scientific research is quoted to help people [00:32] and politicians arrive at completely opposite conclusions, [00:36] you've got to wonder if science is being used consciously or [00:40] not to distract from an uncomfortable conversation about values. [00:44] So fluoride has been added to public water supplies in the US since [00:49] the mid 20th century when research made [00:52] it clear that it could significantly reduce tooth decay. [00:55] If our values are that we should protect people, [00:57] especially kids from cavities, [01:00] then we can see how that makes good sense, right? [01:03] But not everyone might agree. [01:05] Some focus on research adjusting toxic effects of fluoride at high levels, [01:10] concerned that it may be harmful even at lower levels, [01:13] even though existing research has shown it's safe in small amounts. [01:17] Maybe it's because it's a lot easier to cite and over [01:20] interpret research on toxicity than it is to say, [01:23] I don't think we should have fluoride in [01:25] the water supply because of the small potential risks, [01:28] even if it means cutting off the known dental benefits to the wider community. [01:32] When we hear politicians or anybody else say that they are listening to the science, [01:38] we have to wonder what part of the discussion might [01:41] they not be listening to or might not want to talk about. [01:44] Truly listening to the science means accepting that science, [01:48] while helpful is no substitute for honest human judgment, [01:51] judgment that will reasonably differ among individuals and [01:54] differ across time in our diverse and ever changing society. [01:58] It means we should be prepared to change our minds if new data suggests to us that [02:03] trade offs and potential harms aren't worth [02:06] making for the potential benefits or vice versa. [02:09] There are some issues where there's already broad agreement on trade offs worth making. [02:14] For example, surveys tell us the vast majority of Americans support requiring [02:19] vaccination against potentially devastating childhood illnesses to attend school. [02:25] But for most people, fluoride represents a new discussion, [02:28] and there we think good faith debate [02:30] involves considering the real benefits for dental health, [02:33] rigorously evaluating any risks of toxicity from excess fluoride, [02:37] and acknowledging the greater availability of other sources of [02:41] fluoride in things like toothpaste and mouthwash in the last century. [02:45] So reasonable minds could arrive at different conclusions, [02:49] which is why we're seeing some communities, [02:51] both in the US and abroad, [02:52] choose to add and some choose to remove fluoride from their public water supplies. [02:57] Moving forward, having transparent evidence based [03:00] discussions about the trade offs at play in public health decisions, [03:04] unobscured by distracting, misinterpreted or non existent research that [03:09] doesn't actually inform those trade offs [03:11] might help us make better collective decisions for our health. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7285568/what-to-do-fluoride-removed-from-water/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7285568/what-to-do-fluoride-removed-from-water/"},"headline":"What to Do If Fluoride Is Removed From Your Water","datePublished":"2025-05-14T21:53:51.000Z","dateModified":"2025-05-15T14:30:14.000Z","description":"Other sources of the mineral include toothpaste, varnishes, and chewables.","url":"https://time.com/7285568/what-to-do-fluoride-removed-from-water/","keywords":["Public Health","freelance","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf35d826890056f01/6998c6a6f1b08220f86f1551/toothbrush.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Matt Fuchs","jobTitle":"Matt Fuchs writes about science, health, aging, and well-being. 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