News Archive

Class action complaints allege misleading, fraudulent claims Flavorings for kids risk fluoride overdoses, plaintiffs say Safety claims toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers make about their fluoride-containing products for young children violate consumer protection and other laws, according to multiple complaints filed against companies on Monday. Parents of preschoolers filed complaints against the Procter & Gamble Co., […]

Six class action lawsuits filed today accuse major dental product manufacturers of deceptively marketing products containing fluoride to young children, and misleading parents to believe the products are safe for toddlers. The lawsuits name children’s toothpaste brands Crest and Colgate/Tom’s of Maine, and the children’s mouth rinse brands Act, Colgate/Tom’s of Maine, Firefly and Hello. Plaintiffs include parents and caregivers […]

In September of 2024, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a report linking high levels of fluoride with lower intelligence scores in children.1 Less than two months later, the Trump administration announced its opposition to fluoride in US drinking water. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., longtime opposer of both vaccines and water fluoridation, will oversee the department […]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has put the decades-old debate over water fluoridation back on the table. As President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, he might become the most powerful public health figure in the US who believes we should take fluoride out of our water. Currently, it’s up to municipalities to […]

A new study has found a clear relationship between high fluoride exposure and decreased I.Q. in children. The findings, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, add fuel to the ongoing national debate around whether or not fluoride should be banned from U.S. drinking water—a discussion most recently pushed by Donald Trump’s highly contested health secretary […]

handful of weeks ago it seemed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Michael Pollan—two men whose work I appreciate—might meaningfully connect. And as both are among the most well-known critics of Big Food and Big Ag, and as Big Food and Big Ag are greatly harming human beings, plants and animals, and our earth, the prospect […]

Most communities in the U.S. add fluoride to the tap water. It has been common practice for nearly 80 years to protect against tooth decay and cavities, and it’s considered a major achievement in public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says research shows that community water fluoridation reduces cavities by around 25%. […]

A new study commissioned by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences looked at the effect that high fluoride consumption can have on children’s IQ scores. Recently published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study found that children who had the highest levels of fluoride exposure were also more likely to have lower IQs than those who […]

Water fluoridation is often touted as one of the great public health successes of the 20th century, celebrated for reducing dental decay and saving billions in dental costs.1 It’s widely accepted that adding fluoride to water prevents tooth decay, with studies showing around a 25% reduction in cavities among those who drink fluoridated water—a lifeline […]

Fluoridating the public water supply has been common practice for nearly 80 years in the U.S. It’s an acclaimed public health intervention that helps prevent cavities. For just as long, some have raised concerns about the practice that can veer from evidence-based to unsubstantiated conspiracy. An analysis by government researchers, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, […]