In the aftermath of the 2024 election, there has been much discussion about the potential public policy changes that may occur in President-elect Donald Trump ’s second administration. Immigration, reproductive health access and economic plans are unsurprisingly big concerns at the moment, but Trump ally Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
, whom Trump may turn to for health policy , has also brought a less-expected topic to the national spotlight: fluoride. “We don’t need fluoride in our water,” Kennedy said on NPR’s “Morning Edition” the day after the election. “It’s a very bad way to deliver it into our systems.
” “I think fluoride is on the way out,” he told NBC News that same day. But what exactly is fluoride? What does it do? And why are people like Kennedy calling for its removal from public water systems? We asked experts to break down the debate. What is fluoride? Why is it in drinking water? “Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that belongs to a group of chemical compounds containing the element fluorine,” said Dr.
Jarrett L. Manning , a dentist and founder of JLM Dental Studio. “It exists in various forms: sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate.
” Small amounts of fluoride are naturally present in soil, plants, water and certain foods, but it’s also added to drinking water and dental products due to its ability to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. “Many communities add fluoride to public water supplies.
