TAVARES, Fla. — Tavares city council members will discuss removing fluoride from the city’s drinking water during their meeting Wednesday night as the health benefits of the mineral face political controversy.
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Fluoride isn’t just in water; it’s commonly found in toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products. The CDC said nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population gets fluoridated drinking water.
Since 1945, fluoride has played a crucial role in public health initiatives aimed at reducing dental cavities and improving overall oral health for adults and children. Dental experts say fluoride reduces dental decay by strengthening tooth enamel.
Beginning in 1962, the government first recommended fluoride levels ranging from 0.7 milligrams per liter in warmer climates, where people tend to drink more water, to 1.2 milligrams in cooler regions.
However, this standard was later adjusted to 0.7 milligrams everywhere.
Research conducted by the National Toxicology Program found that drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter was linked to lower IQs in children.
This raised concerns. In 2011, officials reported that 2 out of 5 U.S. teens exhibited mild tooth streaking or spottiness due to excessive fluoride exposure, the Associated Press said.
In November, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that President-Elect Donald Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day as president.
Following Kennedy’s remarks, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo held press conferences calling for the end of water fluoridation and spoke of potential “Neuro-psychiatric” risk from fluoride exposure.
The City of Tavares said fluoride was previously discussed during a council meeting in November 2020.
Removing fluoride from the city’s drinking water will reduce the cost to the City’s Sanitation Department, city staff reported. During Wednesday’s council meeting, the utility director will provide the estimated savings that the changes could have.
However, the CDC says the average person living in a community with fluoridated water spends $32 less per year in dental treatment. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association said it will continue to endorse community water fluoridation at optimal levels to help prevent tooth decay.
Last month, Winter Haven leaders voted to remove fluoride from their city’s water system by Jan. 1 or as soon as reasonably practical.
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