The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) supports community water fluoridation as a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay.
This stance is in response to the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) August 2024 report on fluoride and its impact on brain development. The U.S. Public Health Service advises a fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L in drinking water, which has been proven to reduce tooth decay by 25% in both children and adults.
The NTP's report cites studies from outside the U.S. with higher fluoride levels (over 1.5 mg/L) and links lower IQs in children to levels of fluoride exceeding 1.5 mg/L. The ADHA supports maintaining fluoridation at recommended levels to continue reducing the incidence of dental disease.
