Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted on Thursday there are some doubtlessly huge holes in his choice to stop recommending water fluoridation nationwide ― as in cavities.
Throughout an interview on Fox News, host Harris Faulkner requested the conspiracy theory-peddling well being and human companies secretary to handle issues from America’s dental group about lower-income youngsters who may not be getting preventative dental care.
Kennedy admitted there could be trade-offs for eliminating fluoride in water.
“It’s a stability,” he mentioned. “You’re gonna see most likely barely extra cavities. Though in Europe, the place they banned fluoride, they didn’t see an uptick in cavities. The difficulty is, dad and mom have to determine, as a result of science could be very clear on fluoride.”
A few years of analysis present that water fluoridation can considerably scale back cavities in each youngsters and adults, and the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has hailed it as one of many nation’s 10 biggest well being achievements of the twentieth century.
Kennedy, nonetheless, has railed towards it. He mentioned in April that in terms of fluoride, “the more you get, the stupider you are,” referencing a 2025 journal article that recommended fluoride would possibly decrease IQs in youngsters.
The authors of that examine have mentioned themselves that their findings shouldn’t be used to judge the use of fluoride in water within the U.S., for a wide range of causes.
Kennedy was additionally mistaken when he recommended that Europe as a complete had banned fluoride in water. Whereas it’s true that many European nations don’t add it to their water, the area has a patchwork of practices, as outlined by a 2018 report. Some elements of the U.K. and Ireland fluoridate their faucet water, whereas Greece provides it to bottled water. And in some areas, fluoride happens naturally within the water provide.
Right here’s a clip of the change:
As a result of the science could be very clear that water fluoridation can forestall cavities, and since oral hygiene affects overall health, many individuals mocked Kennedy for minimizing the potential results of his anti-fluoride campaign, which is anticipated to hurt low-income youngsters essentially the most.
One particular person snarkily noticed an upside to RFK Jr.’s anti-fluoride push.
