Latest news with #FluorideActionNetwork
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FDA to review prescription fluoride supplements for kids at risk for tooth decay
The Trump administration is inching closer to banning fluoride tablets and drops often prescribed to kids who don't have access to fluoridated drinking water and are at high risk for mouths full of decayed teeth. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration will host a public meeting featuring both supporters and opponents of fluoride supplements. While dentists overwhelmingly say the tablets have been used safely for decades, more than half of the meeting will be spent 'identifying safety concerns and potential risk' associated with the supplements. A final decision about whether to pull fluoride supplements off the market isn't expected until the end of October. In May, the FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, announced the agency's intention to get rid of them. Wednesday's meeting includes 18 speakers, including well-known fluoride skeptics like Dr. Bill Osmonsun, a retired dentist now with the Fluoride Action Network, and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Lanphear published a controversial 2019 study suggesting that IQ levels were slightly lower in kids whose mothers had ingested more fluoride while pregnant, research that's frequently cited by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Charlotte Lewis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Dr. Jayanth Kumar, who previously was dental director for California, will counter those presentations. Dr. James Bekker, a pediatric dentist and a member of the Utah Dental Association who is scheduled to speak at Wednesday's meeting, said: 'Say we take supplements off the market. What's the alternative? There is none.' Utah and Florida have banned fluoride from public water systems. Similar legislation is under consideration in Kentucky, Massachusetts and Nebraska. Critics say the risks from fluoride during a child's early years override the benefit of protecting against tooth decay, a disease that can cause pain, infection and other possible health problems. In an interview with Fox News, Kennedy acknowledged that areas without fluoride in their water are likely to have 'slightly more cavities.' Bekker was more blunt. 'Buckle up,' he said. 'We're going to have an onslaught of cavities.' What are fluoride supplements? Nearly two-thirds of dentists in the United States prescribe fluoride supplements to their patients, especially in areas without community water fluoridation, according to a American Dental Association report this year. Sodium fluoride tablets and drops are prescription only, and they have been used for decades to prevent tooth decay. A 2011 analysis of 11 studies, including some randomized controlled trials, by French researchers found that 0.25 mg up to 1 mg a day of the supplements reduced rates of cavities in kids by nearly a quarter. The chewable tablets come in several doses and are particularly important for families who live in areas without fluoride in drinking water and who don't have dental insurance or can't afford regular visits to dentists. Even though Medicaid covers oral health for children, fewer than half went to the dentist at least once a year. Cavities that erupt in those kids get worse if they're left untreated, and they can cause widespread damage. The decay 'eats away at the bone' around the tooth and sometimes gets into the bloodstream, said Dr. Steven Levy, a professor of preventive and community dentistry at the University of Iowa. 'This is more than just a garden-variety, middle-class person's experience with a cavity,' he said. Major public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommend prescribing supplements for children starting at 6 months if the water supply isn't fluoridated. Fluoride supplements are often given to kids from age 5 until they have their permanent teeth, around age 13 or 14, Bekker said. Babies get drops until they're old enough to chew tablets. They're generally inexpensive. Over-the-counter vitamins and supplements don't contain fluoride. Fluoride is available over the counter only in toothpaste and mouthwashes. Limited research on fluoride supplements According to Makary, the FDA commissioner, ingested fluoride alters the gut microbiome. That assertion appears to hinge on a 2023 review of research on the matter. Scientists in Ireland noted that animal studies suggested ingesting fluoride affected the microbiome but that none of the studies examined fluoride and the human microbiome. They concluded that any possible effect of fluoride on the microbiome is 'still in its early days, and studies investigating the impact of fluoride on the human microbiome have only begun to appear in the literature.' Makary also objects to the fluoride supplements because they aren't approved by the FDA. Because the supplements had been in use for decades before Congress mandated that drug manufacturers show that their products were not only safe but also effective, they were never required to go through the approval process. For almost as long as the supplements have been prescribed, critics have been concerned about the lack of rigorous data showing their potential health effects and how they protect kids' teeth. 'I think we really need to understand the benefits,' said Linda Birnbaum, a toxicologist and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. Birnbaum is listed as a speaker at the FDA meeting Wednesday. Bekker said safety and efficacy of fluoride supplements for kids have long been established. 'Why is this even a question? This is the biggest no-brainer since sliced bread,' he said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
23-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
FDA to review prescription fluoride supplements for kids at risk for tooth decay
The Trump administration is inching closer to banning fluoride tablets and drops often prescribed to kids who don't have access to fluoridated drinking water and are at high risk for mouths full of decayed teeth. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration will host a public meeting featuring both supporters and opponents of fluoride supplements. While dentists overwhelmingly say the tablets have been used safely for decades, more than half of the meeting will be spent 'identifying safety concerns and potential risk' associated with the supplements. A final decision about whether to pull fluoride supplements off the market isn't expected until the end of October. In May, the FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, announced the agency's intention to get rid of them. Wednesday's meeting includes 18 speakers, including well-known fluoride skeptics like Dr. Bill Osmonsun, a retired dentist now with the Fluoride Action Network, and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Lanphear published a controversial 2019 study suggesting that IQ levels were slightly lower in kids whose mothers had ingested more fluoride while pregnant, research that's frequently cited by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Charlotte Lewis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Dr. Jayanth Kumar, who previously was dental director for California, will counter those presentations. Dr. James Bekker, a pediatric dentist and a member of the Utah Dental Association who is scheduled to speak at Wednesday's meeting, said: 'Say we take supplements off the market. What's the alternative? There is none.' Utah and Florida have banned fluoride from public water systems. Similar legislation is under consideration in Kentucky, Massachusetts and Nebraska. Critics say the risks from fluoride during a child's early years override the benefit of protecting against tooth decay, a disease that can cause pain, infection and other possible health problems. In an interview with Fox News, Kennedy acknowledged that areas without fluoride in their water are likely to have 'slightly more cavities.' Bekker was more blunt. 'Buckle up,' he said. 'We're going to have an onslaught of cavities.' What are fluoride supplements? Nearly two-thirds of dentists in the United States prescribe fluoride supplements to their patients, especially in areas without community water fluoridation, according to a American Dental Association report this year. Sodium fluoride tablets and drops are prescription only, and they have been used for decades to prevent tooth decay. A 2011 analysis of 11 studies, including some randomized controlled trials, by French researchers found that 0.25 mg up to 1 mg a day of the supplements reduced rates of cavities in kids by nearly a quarter. The chewable tablets come in several doses and are particularly important for families who live in areas without fluoride in drinking water and who don't have dental insurance or can't afford regular visits to dentists. Even though Medicaid covers oral health for children, fewer than half went to the dentist at least once a year. Cavities that erupt in those kids get worse if they're left untreated, and they can cause widespread damage. The decay 'eats away at the bone' around the tooth and sometimes gets into the bloodstream, said Dr. Steven Levy, a professor of preventive and community dentistry at the University of Iowa. 'This is more than just a garden-variety, middle-class person's experience with a cavity,' he said. Major public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommend prescribing supplements for children starting at 6 months if the water supply isn't fluoridated. Fluoride supplements are often given to kids from age 5 until they have their permanent teeth, around age 13 or 14, Bekker said. Babies get drops until they're old enough to chew tablets. They're generally inexpensive. Over-the-counter vitamins and supplements don't contain fluoride. Fluoride is available over the counter only in toothpaste and mouthwashes. Limited research on fluoride supplements According to Makary, the FDA commissioner, ingested fluoride alters the gut microbiome. That assertion appears to hinge on a 2023 review of research on the matter. Scientists in Ireland noted that animal studies suggested ingesting fluoride affected the microbiome but that none of the studies examined fluoride and the human microbiome. They concluded that any possible effect of fluoride on the microbiome is 'still in its early days, and studies investigating the impact of fluoride on the human microbiome have only begun to appear in the literature.' Makary also objects to the fluoride supplements because they aren't approved by the FDA. Because the supplements had been in use for decades before Congress mandated that drug manufacturers show that their products were not only safe but also effective, they were never required to go through the approval process. For almost as long as the supplements have been prescribed, critics have been concerned about the lack of rigorous data showing their potential health effects and how they protect kids' teeth. 'I think we really need to understand the benefits,' said Linda Birnbaum, a toxicologist and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. Birnbaum is listed as a speaker at the FDA meeting Wednesday. 'Why is this even a question? This is the biggest no-brainer since sliced bread,' he said.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky House moves to make fluoridated water program optional
If the 31 sponsors of House Bill 16 are successful, Kentucky will let local water systems' governing bodies decide whether or not to have fluoridated water. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — A bill to make water fluoridation optional in Kentucky passed the House on Wednesday with bipartisan opposition. House Bill 16, should it become law, means Kentucky will let local water systems' governing bodies decide whether to add fluoride to water. The 68-29 vote came after 30 minutes of debate that focused on benefits of fluoride, state versus local control and more. 'House Bill 16 removes the unfunded state mandate on water producers that requires fluoride be added to water after the water is treated and clean for consumption,' the primary sponsor, Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, said. 'It does not ban fluoride, nor does it prohibit water producers from adding fluoride to the water.' Kentucky currently requires water utilities serving more than 3,000 customers to add low levels of fluoride to drinking water which, according to the National Institutes of Health, helps prevent cavities and tooth decay. Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, called fluoridation 'mass medicating without informed consent.' 'Water operators are not medical professionals,' Dotson said. 'We don't know how much is going in. I'm sure they do the best they can, but at the end of the day, they're not medical professionals.' Most states leave water fluoridation to local governments. According to the Fluoride Action Network, Kentucky is one of 13 that currently mandate it. Rep. William Lawrence, R-Maysville, pointed out how poorly Kentucky ranks for dental health with its fluoridated water program. 'We have all these facts about how much better it is for the state and our dental rates,' he said. But: 'It's not working. We need to do something else, but this is a step in the right direction.' Democrats condemned the bill as an attack on science that could exacerbate health inequities in Kentucky. Rep. Rachel Roarx, D-Louisville, said it 'would be a real shame' to remove fluoride and 'leave it up to the average citizen for if they need to supplement for fluoride.' 'If we're so interested in removing fluoride from water, then we should pony up some money to study this problem so that way we can actually look at the long term impacts and have better data to make this decision,' she said. During the committee discussion on this bill, both sides acknowledged studies showing a mixed bag of results on how exposure to high levels of fluoride affects children's IQs. Several dentists said the low levels Kentucky's water has is helpful in strengthening teeth and protecting them from cavities and decay. Also in committee, Steve Robertson, the executive director of the Kentucky Dental Association, said he expects removing fluoride means an increase in Medicaid expenses — about $19 million for every 10% of Kentuckians who lose that access. Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, called water fluoridation 'one of the most effective public health interventions of the past century.' She expressed concern about which communities would opt in and what that would mean for overall health. 'Allowing a patchwork of fluoridation creates inequitable health outcomes,' Camuel said. 'Communities with fewer resources or greater political opposition to fluoridation end up with higher rates of preventable dental disease. This particularly impacts vulnerable populations in Kentucky. It's our children, it's the elderly and those who have limited access to dental care.' Rep. Daniel Grossberg, D-Louisville, said 'this bill, which allows fluoridation to be optional, is essentially the same as allowing schools to go back to teaching about a round Earth as optional.' 'It concerns me today that we are challenging well-accepted science without legitimate reason to do so,' said Grossberg. In 2024, when Hart also tried to remove the fluoride mandate, the bill didn't pass either chamber. Now that it's cleared the House, it can go to the Senate for consideration there. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
