A new study says that the use of fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwashes has lowered the health benefits of water fluoridation. However, the researchers say that it would be a mistake for municipalities to use these findings as a reason to pull back on adding the cavity-fighting mineral to their water systems. The study was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Anne-Marie Glenny, co-author of the study and a professor of health sciences research at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom said, “There’s no evidence to suggest that where water fluoridation programs are in place, that they should necessarily be stopped.” According to a report in NBC News, hundreds of U.S.
communities are opting out of water fluoridation. City leaders often cite medical freedom as a reason, saying it should be up to voters, not governments, to decide what is and what isn’t added to the municipal water supply. Groups opposed to fluoride also raise concerns that it may affect children’s IQ levels.
A federal judge in California ruled last month that even though he couldn’t conclude with certainty that fluoridated water was a danger to public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should strengthen water fluoridation regulations.
For the new study, the researchers analysed more than 157 studies that compared tooth decay in kids living in communities that added fluoride to their water supplies with communities that didn’t. Studies have highlighted .