US to withdraw prescription fluoride for children

US President Donald Trump’s administration has announced plans to withdraw prescription fluoride drugs for children, part of a growing movement reexamining public exposure to fluoride.

Fluoride is added to tap water in countries including the United States to prevent tooth decay, and is found in toothpaste and mouthwash.

Supplements in the form of drops and tablets can also be prescribed to children at high risk of tooth decay or living in areas where water has a low fluoride concentration.

But controversy has grown around the mineral’s potential neurotoxic effects, while new US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has long been a vocal critic of fluoridated water.

“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it is initiating action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers. They have also never been approved by the FDA.”

The statement pointed to studies suggesting a link between the mineral and thyroid disorders, weight gain and a lower IQ, and said that ingested fluoride “has been shown to alter the gut microbiome.”

HHS said it aimed to complete a safety review by October 31.

Fluoride was first introduced to US water systems in 1945, dramatically reducing childhood cavities and adult tooth loss, and fluoridated water currently reaches an estimated 200 million Americans—about two-thirds of the population.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hails it as one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century.

But last year, HHS under former president Joe Biden concluded with “moderate confidence” that higher levels of fluoride are linked to lower IQ scores.

In January, a paper in the prestigious journal JAMA Pediatrics, authored by the same government scientists, found a “statistically significant association” between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ. However, it left open key questions about what dosage levels may be harmful.

In March, the US state of Utah became the first to prohibit fluoridation of its public drinking water.

“Several states have taken action to stop fluoridation of drinking water, and fluoride is not added to drinking water in most of Europe or other countries of the world,” the HHS statement added.

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association warned the move would particularly impact US citizens with limited access to dental care.

“Fluoride and regular dental hygiene visits remain essential components of comprehensive cavity prevention, especially for those who lack resources for routine dental care,” ADHA president Erin Haley-Hitz said in a statement.

“We urge policymakers to consider the profound impact these decisions have on the oral health of the American people.”

© 2025 AFP

US President Donald Trump’s administration has announced plans to withdraw prescription fluoride drugs for children, part of a growing movement reexamining public exposure to fluoride.

Fluoride is added to tap water in countries including the United States to prevent tooth decay, and is found in toothpaste and mouthwash.

Supplements in the form of drops and tablets can also be prescribed to children at high risk of tooth decay or living in areas where water has a low fluoride concentration.

But controversy has grown around the mineral’s potential neurotoxic effects, while new US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has long been a vocal critic of fluoridated water.

“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it is initiating action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers. They have also never been approved by the FDA.”

The statement pointed to studies suggesting a link between the mineral and thyroid disorders, weight gain and a lower IQ, and said that ingested fluoride “has been shown to alter the gut microbiome.”

HHS said it aimed to complete a safety review by October 31.

Fluoride was first introduced to US water systems in 1945, dramatically reducing childhood cavities and adult tooth loss, and fluoridated water currently reaches an estimated 200 million Americans—about two-thirds of the population.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hails it as one of the top public health achievements of the 20th century.

But last year, HHS under former president Joe Biden concluded with “moderate confidence” that higher levels of fluoride are linked to lower IQ scores.

In January, a paper in the prestigious journal JAMA Pediatrics, authored by the same government scientists, found a “statistically significant association” between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ. However, it left open key questions about what dosage levels may be harmful.

In March, the US state of Utah became the first to prohibit fluoridation of its public drinking water.

“Several states have taken action to stop fluoridation of drinking water, and fluoride is not added to drinking water in most of Europe or other countries of the world,” the HHS statement added.

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association warned the move would particularly impact US citizens with limited access to dental care.

“Fluoride and regular dental hygiene visits remain essential components of comprehensive cavity prevention, especially for those who lack resources for routine dental care,” ADHA president Erin Haley-Hitz said in a statement.

“We urge policymakers to consider the profound impact these decisions have on the oral health of the American people.”

© 2025 AFP