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Outside/In: Fluoridation Nation

A still image from "Target, Tooth Decay," an instructional video produced in the 1950s by the Oklahoma Department of Public Health.
An image from "Target, Tooth Decay," an instructional video produced in the 1950s by the Oklahoma Department of Public Health.

Ever since fluoridation became widespread in the 1950s, the incidence of cavities in American kids have fallen drastically. The effort is considered one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. But it’s also one of the most controversial.

At really high doses, fluoride is toxic: It can calcify your ligaments and joints and even fuse your spine. It also potentially has impacts on our brains. There’s a small but growing body of research suggesting that too much fluoride can inhibit intelligence in children.

This is still unsettled and hotly debated science but, as host Nate Hegyi finds out, in our polarized and increasingly digital world . . . unsettled science can quickly become doctrine.

A 1950s cartoon depicting fluoridation as one of three communist plots against America.
Public Domain
A 1950s cartoon depicting fluoridation as one of three communist plots against America.

Research and additional reading material

The CDC has a website that tells you how much fluoride is in your drinking water.

Here’s the reasoning behind the U.S. Public Health Service’s recommended limit for artificially fluoridating water.

The National Toxicology Program suggests that a child’s IQ could be impacted if they or their pregnant mother ingests more than 1.5 ppm of fluoride in their water.

Philippe Grandjean’s peer-reviewed study suggests that the safe level of fluoride in water for pregnant women is much lower than what the U.S. Public Health Service recommends.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association have cast doubt on the National Toxicology Program’s conclusions and say that the fluoride levels in U.S. waters are safe.

A U.S. district court judge ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to take a second look at its limits for fluoride in the water, citing the National Toxicology Program’s monograph.

Before joining New Hampshire Public Radio in February 2022, Nate covered public lands, federal agencies and tribal affairs as a reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, a consortium of NPR member stations in the region. Nate's work has aired on NPR, BBC, CBC and other outlets.
Outside/In is a show where curiosity and the natural world collide. Click here for podcast episodes and more.
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