Fluoridation Does Not Work
When fluoride was first being promoted as an anti-cavity agent in the late 1930s and 1940s, proponents theorized that ingested (swallowed) fluoride was incorporated into the enamel while the teeth are forming during childhood, thus creating strong cavity-resistant teeth.
Research in the latter part of the 20th century and early 21st century has discredited this theory:
The 2024 Cochrane Meta-analysis Study, which analyzed 157 studies conducted between 1975 and 2023, reported a possible benefit from water fluoridation of 3% to 4% or no benefit at all.
The 2024 LOTUS study covering 6.4 million people in the United Kingdom reported a possible benefit of water fluoridation of 2% at best, and no meaningful benefit for the economically disadvantaged.
The Iowa Fluoride Study, a 2018 study funded by the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), assessed 600+ children in Iowa from birth to adolescence. “… To the surprise of many fluoridation advocates, the study has found that fluoride intake has (1) little relationship to cavity prevention, (2) a significant relationship to dental fluorosis, particularly when ingested during infancy, and (3) a potentially far more significant relationship to bone health than the authors have thus far acknowledged.” (Fluoride Action Network https://fluoridealert.org/studies/ifs/)
In conclusion, "the most obvious reason to end [water] fluoridation is that it is now known that fluoride’s main benefit comes from topical contact with the teeth, not from ingestion. …There is simply no need, therefore, to swallow fluoride, whether in the water, toothpaste, or any other form. Further, despite early claims that fluoridated water would reduce cavities by 65%, modern large-scale studies show no consistent or meaningful difference in the cavity rates of fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas.” (Fluoride Action Network https://fluoridealert.org/key-topics/what-is-water-fluoridation/)