A bill introduced by state Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Hixson, would prohibit water utilities like Tennessee American Water, which supplies Chattanooga with water, from adding fluoride as they do now to comply with current state law.
If the measure passes, Tennessee would join Florida and Utah in banning the additive.
Many people prefer not to have fluoride in their water for a variety of reasons, Reneau said in a January interview about the issue.
“It’s possible, for one, people are getting too much fluoride,” Reneau said in the phone interview. “If you’re using it topically, which is considered the best form of fluoride, through your toothpaste, mouthwash or whatever other topical applications there are. But, to get it when you’re ingesting it, you can’t control that.”
The bill will likely be discussed Wednesday by members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee, where it has been assigned. For the bill to move forward, it must pass the subcommittee.
“We were always educated that it was in there to protect kids’ teeth. Now, the people who want it out say that it does not protect teeth,” said state Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, who is a member of the subcommittee. “So what I’m interested in is a window of education about why it’s in there. What happens if you take it out?”
Reneau introduced the bill in a slate of legislation aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement that ranges from banning artificial food dye to amending the state constitution to add a ‘right to food.’
The day before Reneau announced the bill targeting fluoride, she met with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who coined the phrase MAHA — Make America Healthy Again — to describe his health agenda for the country, during a visit to Nashville.
MAHA largely rejects the medical establishment and aims to reform U.S. food standards. Embedded in MAHA is a distrust of corporate interest, particularly in medicine and agriculture. Water fluoridation has been one focus of the MAHA movement.
(READ MORE: MAHA gains momentum in Tennessee)
Tennessee American Water adds fluoride to water to comply with Tennessee state law, which requires a certain level of the chemical compound be maintained in the state’s water, according to the water company’s policy.
“The company will modify its local treatment accordingly to comply with any revised regulations,” said Ruben Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Tennessee American Water, in a statement about the proposed bill. “Regarding the proposed legislation, there will be no impact on service.”
(READ MORE: Reneau introduces slew of bills to Tennessee legislature in line with MAHA agenda)
Fluoride in water is largely credited by scientific research with reducing tooth decay by 25% and narrowing health disparities for people without regular dental care. Fluoride helps keep teeth healthy by strengthening tooth enamel, reversing early tooth decay, and stopping the growth of bacteria that cause cavities, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Also, according to the NIH, too much fluoride may cause dental fluorosis, a condition that occurs in mild forms in the U.S., which causes white flecks on the teeth, and skeletal fluorosis, an extremely rare condition in the U.S., which causes pain and damage to bones and joints.
Kennedy has directed new recommendations on the use of fluoride in U.S. water sources, reported NPR, and has blamed the fluoridation of water for a number of health problems.
In January, the federal government released a plan to study the potential toxic effects of fluoride exposure, which could be the basis of changes to drinking water standards, Axios reported.
According to the National Institute of Health, Dental and Craniofacial Research, 63% of the United States population receives fluoridated water.
(READ MORE: Reneau seeks reelection in 2026, plans to focus on MAHA policy)
In 2016, the North West Utility District, which services Soddy-Daisy, Sale Creek, Mowbray Mountain and Falling Water, voted to remove fluoride from its drinking water.
Utah and Florida have banned the additive, and another 15 states are considering legislation that would do the same.
It’s inexpensive to obtain fluoride for topical use but expensive to remove from water for people who don’t want it, Reneau said in the January interview.
Removing fluoride from water would lead to more decayed teeth and cavities that would disproportionately impact patients with limited access to dental care, especially people on Medicaid and those from low-income households, according to a study published by JAMA Health Forum, an internationally peer-reviewed publication owned by the American Medical Association.
Original article online at: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2026/mar/02/bill-would-ban-fluoride-in-tennessee-public/#/questions/