Adding fluoride to our water supply might have made sense in the 1940s, but today, it is an outdated practice whose necessity should be seriously questioned. Europe provides a valuable example: almost no country there fluoridates its water, and their dental health outcomes are largely on par with, if not better than, those in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), several European countries that do not fluoridate their water supplies have achieved similar or better dental health outcomes compared to the United States. For instance, data indicates that countries like Germany and Denmark report lower incidences of dental cavities among children. This fact alone should give us pause.
If our European counterparts—advanced, prosperous, and science-driven nations—have chosen not to fluoridate, perhaps we should reconsider whether this practice is beneficial or even necessary. And even if we set aside potential health concerns, the cost of adding fluoride to our water supply is significant, raising the question: is it really worth it?