(StatePoint)

In a May 2025 national poll by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association in cooperation with the American Dental Association (ADA), more than 4 out of 5 survey takers said they are familiar with fluoride’s role in oral health and that fluoride is particularly important for children, while more than 2 out of 3 said they are comfortable with fluoride in their tap water.

Fluoride, a mineral that naturally occurs in water sources such as rivers, lakes and oceans, helps prevent tooth decay by making the surface of teeth stronger and more cavity-resistant. It’s often the “active ingredient” in cavity-fighting toothpastes. Adding fluoride to tap water is like adding vitamins and minerals to foods and drinks, helping people access important nutrients for their oral and overall health. So why has it become such a focus of conversation lately?

Misleading data from countries with fluoride levels that can reach 30 times the amount in U.S. public water systems have created a flurry of misinformation, yet still, this survey shows that people know and trust in fluoride’s power to help prevent tooth decay at optimal levels. If community water fluoridation is being debated in your hometown, here’s what America’s dentists want you to know.

Fluoride in water saves you pain and money: Cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease, and community water fluoridation is proven to do two important things: reduce tooth decay by 25% in children and adults and reduce the costs and complications of severe cavities. The ADA Health Policy Institute estimates removing fluoride from all U.S. community water systems would cost $46 billion over five years because of increased dental care costs.

Estimates aside, present-day proof exists. When Calgary, Alberta; Windsor, Ontario; and Juneau, Alaska stopped adding fluoride to their water, dental disease and its associated costs rose in children and adults. Five years after the ban in Windsor was implemented, a dental health report found that the rate of children with tooth decay and/or requiring urgent care for untreated dental health issues increased by 51%. Windsor and Calgary have since resumed community water fluoridation.

Bans don’t help fight dental disease: Community water fluoridation is simply the adjustment of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water to an optimal level to prevent tooth decay. Almost all U.S. water sources naturally contain fluoride, but often not enough to be effective in preventing cavities.

When a state bans fluoridation — as Utah and Florida did recently — communities that were adding fluoride to their water lose access to a proven dental health benefit, while others lose the opportunity to start. While someone who lives in an area with fluoridated public water can easily access water without fluoride if they choose — through purified bottled water or at-home water filtration — someone who wants fluoridated water where it’s been banned has had their choice taken away without valid alternatives offered. This is especially harmful to rural and low-income communities and those who lack regular access to dental care.

“Fluoridated water is a simple, inexpensive way to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities,” said ADA dentist, Scott L. Tomar, D.M.D., Dr.P.H. “Take away that access, and we know the risk for cavities increases.”

The bottom line is that fluoride is popular and good for your dental health. For more information about fluoride in water, visit MouthHealthy.org/fluoridation and ADA.org/fluoride.

“The freedom to access optimally fluoridated public water and receive its dental health benefits should not be denied because of misinformed policy decisions that ignore community needs and majority support for fluoride,” said Dr. Tomar. “Community water fluoridation is the popular and proven choice.”