RFK Wants To Ban Fluoride From Drinking Water, Even If It Means “A Few More Cavities”

Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert Kennedy has been vocal in his desire to ban fluoride from public drinking water. As recently as last month, in an interview on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus, Harris Faulkner asked Kennedy about concerns held by dentists and public health experts that taking added fluoride out of water would cause a rise in dental concerns, particularly among low-income children who don’t regularly see a dentist.

“It is an issue,” the secretary conceded, “it’s a balance. You’re gonna see probably slightly more cavities, although in Europe, where they banned fluoride, they did not see an uptick in cavities. The issue is parents need to decide because science is very clear on fluoride. The National Toxicity Program issued a report of a meta-review of all the science on it in August that said there’s a direct inverse correlation between the amount of fluoride in your water and your loss of IQ.”

There’s a lot to unpack here, starting with…

Fluoride is not banned in Europe

While it’s true most countries in Europe don’t add fluoride to their water supplies, fluoridation is not banned across the continent, though some countries (the Netherlands, for example) have indeed prohibited adding fluoride to water.

Many European countries have never fluoridated their water. Others have stopped fluoridating their water — often due to logistical issues or public pressure — but did not necessarily ban the practice.

In a number of European countries, fluoride levels found naturally in the water are sufficient to protect against cavities and do not warrant any additions. Others prefer to add fluoride to other commonly ingested substances, like salt or milk.

And indeed a handful of European countries, or municipalities within countries, do indeed fluoridate their water, including Ireland, UK, and Spain.

A 2018 survey of 28 EU nations found that no country has banned or even halted fluoridation efforts due to harm, and few have done so due to safety concerns.

Less fluoride in water has been linked to more cavities

Though Kennedy claims there were no more cavities found in Europe after the cessation of fluoride treatments, studies have pointed to a rise in caries (another word for cavities) once fluoride stopped being added to water sources. Precise data is hard to come by since fluoride is rarely just present in water — people also get fluoride in toothpaste, mouthwash, or fluoride supplement tablets, which Kennedy also hopes to ban.

The Canadian city of Calgary banned fluoride in 2011 only to reverse course about a decade later when area dentists began to see significant upticks in cavities.

Fluoride has been linked to decreased IQ, but context is important

While a meta-analysis published earlier this year in JAMA Pediatrics did connect fluoride to slightly lowered IQ in children, but only at levels that are significantly higher than what they are in U.S. water supplies. There was no evidence in this analysis to indicate that low fluoride levels negatively affect IQ in either children or adults. Moreover, other studies have criticized the January 2025 study for methodological and statistical flaws.

Two states have banned fluoridating water in recent years

Fluoride has been added to U.S. public water supplies since the 1940s. Today, fluoridated water is supplied to nearly 75% of Americans through public water systems. Water fluoridation efforts have been hailed as a major public health triumph of the 20th century, as cavities represent the most prevalent chronic disease in both children and adults.

But earlier this year, both Florida and Utah have banned the addition of fluoride in water. A number of other states, including Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Kentucky have introduced similar legislation.

They might want to call Calgary before they do anything else…