25 million cavities and $9.8 billion: Study estimates the costs of removing fluoride from water
Researchers estimated 7.5% more U.S. children would get cavities, affecting 25.4 million additional teeth, if fluoridation were banned nationwide
Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office as health secretary, he promised to take action on water fluoridation. He would provide “good information” to municipalities, which regulate the water supply, and “fluoride will disappear,” he said in November.
In just over a couple of months, some places have made this a reality. Utah and Florida have both banned the addition of fluoride in water, with advocates of the laws like Kennedy arguing that adding the mineral to water poses a risk to children’s developing brains.
