Colorado Springs’ mysterious brown teeth led a dentist to discover the benefits of fluoride. Now it faces a new chapter.

In the early-1900s, a dentist arrived in Colorado Springs and made an observation that was something like: Holy cow, the people in this town have strong but ugly teeth. Residents’ teeth looked gawdawful — stained dark brown with what the dentist, Dr. Frederick S. McKay, called “mottled enamel.” But there was a shockingly low incidence […]

As the federal government scales down fluoride in drinking water, San Diego’s levels rise

New studies show high fluoride levels can lead to behavioral issues and lower IQ’s in children. SAN DIEGO — The federal government is scaling back its dependence on fluoride in drinking water after new studies found a link between high fluoride exposure to behavioral issues and lower intelligence in children. Despite this, data obtained by […]

With fluoride again drawing criticism, sorting out its prevalence in Pittsburgh-area drinking water

Nearly 100 years ago, it was a Pittsburgh chemist who first identified fluoride as the mystery ingredient in the water supply affecting teeth — trying to understand why children in some communities had teeth with mottled brown spots. Further research found that while the children’s teeth looked unpleasant, they were surprisingly resistant to decay. And […]

MAP: Fluoride in Drinking Water, by State

Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’ll recommend that local governments remove fluoride from their water supplies. But the mineral is much less prevalent in the drinking water of some states than others, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Less than one-tenth of Hawaii’s municipally served […]

To fluoridate, or not to fluoridate?

When the clock struck 4 p.m. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945, something historic happened: Engineers in a water filtration plant added a controlled amount of fluoride into the water, making Grand Rapids the first city to implement fluoridation. It was a reaction to three decades of investigation into the effects of fluoride on teeth. As […]

It’s a done deal: Fluoride coming out of drinking water in Naples

Naples leaders are stopping the practice of adding fluoride into the city’s drinking water. The Naples City Council made the decision in a 4-to-3 vote following a public hearing Wednesday with at least a dozen speakers on both sides of the issue. Council members Ray Christman and Beth Petrunoff had asked for the decision to […]

Port to review water fluoridation practice

NEWBURYPORT — Public concerns about the potential dangers of adding fluoride to the city’s water supply, have prompted Newburyport Public Health Director Laura Vlasuk to put the topic on the agenda for the next Board of Health meeting. “We just want to open things up for anyone who wants to express their concerns, either way,” […]

Fluoridation critics raise health concerns. Here are fluoride levels in Jacksonville area.

U.S. Health and Human Services secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Lapado are sounding alarms about the addition of fluoride to drinking water, but at least in Northeast Florida, whatever fluoride exists in tap water comes straight from Mother Nature. Fluoride strengthens teeth and protects against cavities. The Centers for Disease […]