Research has revealed fluoride has both beneficial and harmful effects in people and animals but many of the more critical findings of potential harm are strongly debated.
One of the more contentious findings linked water fluoridation to cancer, a claim that has been largely discounted, though others haven’t been so easily forgotten.
Fluoride has been shown to decrease the prevalence of dental caries, but fluoride critics argue that water fluoridation might not be the most effective way to protect the public from cavities.
It’s now recognized by dental researchers that fluoride’s primary benefit comes from topical application and that it doesn’t need to be swallowed to prevent tooth decay. An October 1999 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report states that laboratory and epidemiologic research findings had dispelled the earlier belief that ingesting fluoride resulted in stronger teeth. It asserts that fluoride effects “primarily are topical for both adults and children.”