The Connecticut State Dental Association has reaffirmed its support for water fluoridation after a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must address the impact of fluoride in drinking water.
Five notes:
1. Several nonprofit environmental groups took EPA to court after a petition to ban fluoride was denied in 2017.
2. The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen does not ban or limit the addition of fluoride to public drinking water supplies, just that the EPA is required to take action on the matter.
3. The ruling comes after the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program released a report in August stating that drinking water with more than double the recommended limit has been associated with lower IQ levels in children.
4. Since the NTP report was released, several dental organizations reaffirmed their support for water fluoridation, including the American Dental Association and American Dental Hygienists Association.
5. While discussing its support for water fluoridation, the Connecticut State Dental Association said community water fluoridation reduces tooth decay by approximately 25% among both children and adults.