Study Finds Dental Health Benefits of Fluoride in Drinking Water May Have Declined

‘Careful thought needs to be given to costs, acceptability, feasibility, and ongoing monitoring,’ its authors say.

Water flows from a tap in San Anselmo, Calif., on July 6, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A newly published study has found that fluoride might not be as effective as it was in the past, after a federal judge last month ruled that a U.S. agency must take actions to weigh possible risks posed by the compound to children’s IQs.

Published in the Cochrane Library on Oct. 4, a paper produced by researchers with the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, and Manchester in the United Kingdom reviewed data from 157 studies comparing communities that had water fluoridation and those that had no additional fluoride put in their water.