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3mo ago

Fluoride Ban Would Add 25M Cavities and Nearly $10B in Dental Costs

Health experts warn ending water fluoridation risks undoing a leading public health success

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 16: In this photo illustration, water runs from a kitchen faucet on May 16, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that will ultimately ban fluoride from the state's water system, going into effect on July 1. (Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • A JAMA Health Forum microsimulation forecasts 25.4 million extra decayed teeth in US children within five years if fluoridation ceases.
  • Treatment for those additional cavities is projected to cost $9.8 billion over five years and $19.4 billion over a decade.
  • Children on Medicaid or without insurance would face the greatest tooth decay increases due to existing access barriers.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to rescind CDC fluoridation guidelines has spurred fluoride bans in Utah and Florida.
  • The CDC, American Dental Association and other experts maintain that fluoride at recommended levels is safe and cite Calgary’s cavity spike after its 2011 ban as evidence of fluoridation’s benefits.