Although he has yet to be appointed by President-elect Donald Trump, there's plenty of speculation that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be asked to oversee the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy has made no secret that one of his first actions in this role would be to remove fluoride from all U.S. water systems. Kennedy claims the mineral causes, among other things, arthritis, bone fractures, IQ loss, and neuro-developmental disorders.
President of the Minnesota Dental Association, Dr. Alejandro Aguirre, says this could be problematic.
"It will not be helpful. Reducing tooth decay by at least 25% in children and adults is effective," says Aguirre. "The CDC recognizes that water fluoridation is one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century."
According to the CDC, fluoride repairs and prevents damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria in the mouth produce acid when a person eats or drinks. The acid dissolves minerals in a tooth's surface, making the tooth weaker and open to cavities.
Kennedy made the declaration in October on the social media platform X alongside a variety of claims about the heath effects of fluoride.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to Make America Healthy Again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.
Trump told NBC News that he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet, “but it sounds OK to me. You know it’s possible.”
Aguirre says he won't be concerned until this actually happens, but says reaction to a recent report showing the mineral only provides a minimal benefit and could also be linking fluoride with certain health issues, is too reactionary. He says they need more evidence before changing course.
"You have 75 years of scientific research and you are comparing it to one single study," explains Aguirre. "So you have to look at the ways, and what the study is looking at, to compare it. So I would like to see more research on it."
The former president is currently busy filling administration roles but so far has declined to say whether he would seek a Cabinet role for Kennedy. That's a job that would require Senate confirmation, but Trump added, “He’s going to have a big role in the administration.”
Kenney has been a prominent proponent of other debunked public health claims as well, including vaccines. Asked whether banning certain vaccines would be on the table, Trump said he would talk to Kennedy and others about that.
Trump described Kennedy as “a very talented guy and has strong views.”
In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.
Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.
In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.
A federal judge later cited that study in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.