A trial in a case aimed at declaring fluoride so risky that its use in drinking water to fight cavities would have to be banned is set to begin Jan. 29, a federal judge said Tuesday.

Judge Edward M. Chen, with the US District Court for the Northern District of California, set the date during a case status conference.

The nearly six-year lawsuit has taken years to come to trial due to repeated delays in a scientific report on fluoride’s potential to harm IQ. The National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued a draft …