Have you joined the water fluoridation debate? As a water treatment company dedicated to the safety of drinking water, we take a stand against the fluoridation of public water supplies. While the EPA and our water treatment plants have the best intentions, the major arguments we’ve seen in favor of water fluoridation just aren’t enough to justify the risks.

Argument: Water fluoridation protects teeth against cavities.

Truth: According to the largest water fluoridation study to date in the U.S., fluoridation of water has little effect on the incidence of tooth decay in children.¹ Too much fluoride, on the other hand, has been shown to lead to dental fluorosis, or the pitting and discoloration of teeth. According to the CDC, 41% of American kids between 12-15 have dental fluorosis.²

Argument: Fluoride is a natural water additive.

Truth: Far from natural, the fluoride added to water supplies is in the form of fluorosilicic acid, a waste product from the fertilizer industry. Rather than pay to dispose of this hazardous waste, our cities purchase the waste product and add it to the water. While it can be argued that the fluoride ions are the same whether from a natural source or a waste product, you also must consider that the waste product comes with a whole host of other added contaminants, including arsenic, a known carcinogen.

Argument: Water fluoridation is safe.

Truth: There have not been any large-scale studies in the U.S. that show that fluoridation of water is harmful, because there have never been any large-scale studies on the safety of water fluoridation at all. Unfortunately, the lack of evidence that fluoride in water is harmful is often used as an argument that fluoride in water is safe.

The fact is that fluoride is the only chemical that’s added to water for purposes of medication, and not water safety. The exact same dosage is added to an entire population’s water, and those who drink more water will ingest more of the medication. For this reason, careful consideration should be given to the health risks fluoride poses when consumed by formula-fed infants and small children.

Argument: Water fluoridation is of great benefit to children in low-income families without access to regular dental care.

Truth: Fluoride has been shown in multiple international studies to potentially lower the IQ of children, even at low doses. Children with poor diets – typically those in low-income families – are the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, these are also the families that can’t afford to filter their drinking water to remove the fluoride.

Argument: The CDC considers water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Truth: The evidence used by the CDC to make this statement was fundamentally weak. The Flouride Action Network’s Critique of the CDC’s Promotion of Fluoridation explains how.

If you’d like more information on why you should be avoiding fluoride in water, check out 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation, or watch this interview of Paul Connett, PhD. And when you’re ready to consider removing fluoride from your water, give us a call at or request a quote for the EasyWater RevitaLife Drinking Water System.  RevitaLife effectively removes fluoride and most other contaminants from drinking water, and restores calcium and trace minerals.  Watch how!

¹Yiamouyiannis, John A, Ph.D. Water Fluoridation & Tooth Decay: Results from the 1986-1987 National Survey of US Schoolchildren. http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/caries/nidr-dmft.html

²CDC Publication: Prevalence and Severity of Dental Fluorosis in the United States, 1999-2004. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm