Four myths about water fluoridation and why they’re wrong

July 11, 2017 11.25pm EDT

Matthew Hopcraft,
Clinical Associate Professor, Melbourne Dental School, University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement
Matthew Hopcraft has received research funding from the Australian Dental Research Foundation, Victorian Department of Human Services, Alzheimer's Australia, Dental Health Services Victoria, Google Australia and the Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society. He is affiliated with the Australian Dental Association (Victorian Branch), SugarFree Smiles and SugarByHalf.

Partners
University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

We believe in the free flow of information Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Evidence gathered over 60 years about adding fluoride to drinking water has failed to convince some people this major public health initiative is not only safe but helps to prevent tooth decay.

Myths about fluoridated water persist. These include fluoride isn’t natural, adding it to our water supplies doesn’t prevent tooth decay and it causes conditions ranging from cancer to Down syndrome.

Now the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is in the process of updating its evidence on the impact of fluoridated water on human health since it last issued a statement on the topic in 2007.

Its draft findings and recommendations are clear cut:

NHMRC strongly recommends community water fluoridation as a safe, effective and ethical way to help reduce tooth decay across the population.

It came to its conclusion after analysing the evidence and issuing a technical report for those wanting more detail.

Here are four common myths the evidence says are wrong.

Click for Full Text!