Tennessee may soon consider the issue of fluoride levels in drinking water, as there are ongoing debates about its advantages and potential risks.
The discussion surrounding fluoridation has been revived following comments made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of secretary of Health and Human Services.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy said in a post on X. “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
On November 22, Florida’s surgeon general released guidance regarding potential neuropsychiatric risks linked to fluoride exposure.
“Due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the state surgeon general recommends against community water fluoridation,” Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said.
Tennessee lawmakers and a local utility company are raising doubts about the advantages of adding fluoride to water.
“I think there’s going to be legislation this year that’s going to try to possibly recommend what Florida’s recommending,” said Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, at a recent Government Operations Joint Subcommittee on Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture meeting.
A town in northern Tennessee is thinking about removing fluoride from its water supply. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday by the Woodland Utility District, where a vote is anticipated, as reported by WTVF. Paul Clay, who operates a water treatment facility in Woodlawn, expressed his concerns about fluoride, stating that he thinks it may lead to health issues in young children.
A city with a population exceeding 10,000 does not specify the fluoride levels in its water on a database maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which offers details about fluoridation in U.S. water systems.
Nashville’s Metro Water Services keeps fluoride levels around 0.7 mg/L (or ppm) in its drinking water, according to Sonia Allman, manager of strategic communications, in an email to The Center Square.
“Metro Water Services looks to the health professionals regarding fluoridation, Allmann said. “Since 1950, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the American Dental Association, and other leading public health authorities have continuously and unreservedly endorsed the optimal fluoridation of community water supplies as a safe and effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay.”
The Tennessee Department of Health supports fluoride, referring to it as “nature’s cavity fighter.” In 1951, a water system in Gibson County became the pioneer in adding fluoride, as noted on the agency’s website. Over 88% of the water systems in the state incorporate fluoride.
“Every dollar spent on community water fluoridation saves $38 in dental costs and helps to keep our children in school, learning, instead of sitting in a dentist’s chair with a toothache,” the agency said on its website. “We lose 51 million school hours each year in the U.S. due to dental-related childhood illnesses.”
