A new study from the University of Queensland in Australia discovered that early-life exposure to fluoride does not have any measurable impact on IQ scores in children.
The results revealed that children who consistently drank fluoridated water had an average IQ score of 1.07 points higher than children with no fluoride exposure, according to a Dec. 21 news release from the American Dental Association.
The study assessed the IQ scores of 357 children who participated in the 2012-2014 National Child Oral Health Study.
Factors that could have an effect on the relationship between fluoride and IQ, including socioeconomic status, were accounted for in the study.
In August, the National Toxicology Program released a report claiming that higher levels of fluoride exposure are associated with lower IQ in children. Following the report, dental organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the ADA and the American Dental Hygienists Association pushed back against the NTP's report and reaffirmed their support for water fluoridation.
The ADA's National Fluoridation Advisory Committee is currently reviewing the research, the report said.