Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted on Thursday there are some probably large 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 providers secretary to deal with considerations from America’s dental neighborhood about lower-income kids who won’t be getting preventative dental care.
Kennedy admitted there can be trade-offs for eliminating fluoride in water.
“It’s a steadiness,” he mentioned. “You’re gonna see in all probability barely extra cavities. Though in Europe, the place they banned fluoride, they didn’t see an uptick in cavities. The problem is, mother and father must resolve, as a result of science may be very clear on fluoride.”
A few years of analysis present that water fluoridation can considerably cut back cavities in each kids 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 on the subject of fluoride, “the more you get, the stupider you are,” referencing a 2025 journal article that recommended fluoride would possibly decrease IQs in kids.
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 quite a lot 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 international locations don’t add it to their water, the area has a patchwork of practices, as outlined by a 2018 report. Some components 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 alternate:
As a result of the science may be very clear that water fluoridation can stop cavities, and since oral hygiene affects overall health, many individuals mocked Kennedy for minimizing the potential results of his anti-fluoride campaign, which is predicted to hurt low-income kids essentially the most.
One individual snarkily noticed an upside to RFK Jr.’s anti-fluoride push.
