The battle over adding fluoride to public drinking water supplies is heating up. Mark Strassmann reports.

Fayetteville

The debate over fluoridating public drinking water continues in Arkansas and other parts of the United States. Arkansas state senator Brian King and other critics are pushing for the repeal of state mandates requiring fluoride in public water, citing concerns about potential health risks such as kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children. 

Dentists and public health officials, however, maintain that fluoride is a proven, safe method to reduce tooth decay, with over 75 years of supporting research. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized water fluoridation as a major public health achievement. Despite this, at least 19 states have considered legislation to make fluoride optional or remove it from water supplies, reflecting ongoing public distrust and debate over scientific and governmental authority.

Fight over fluoride in water continues, despite warnings from dentists

We dropped by Brian King's cattle farm in northwest Arkansas. Does this seem a long way from the fluoride debate? Oh, yeah. To talk about fluoride. You're anti-fluoride? I mean, I do have concerns. This is just a state issue. King is also an Arkansas state senator. And since 2011, when the state mandated most public drinking water include fluoride, King has thrown his anti-fluoride voice behind a handful of bills seeking to repeal that mandate. The dentists say the science of fluoride is undeniable. If that's the case, they need to individually go out to each water district and sell it to the people in there and let them make their own water decisions. Fluoride is a natural mineral. It strengthens teeth and fights dental decay. And since the 1940s, it's been added to America's public drinking supplies, such as this one servicing Fort Smith, Arkansas. The CDC rated fluoride as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century. But at least 19 states have considered legislation to remove, ban, or make fluoride optional in public drinking water. The evidence against fluoride is overwhelming. Fluoride critics include Robert Kennedy Jr., the U.S. secretary of health and human services. In the latest skirmish over science, fluoride opponents argue that at high levels, it can lead to kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children. But dentists such as Kenton Ross say the science supporting fluoride is indisputable. He's also president of the state's dental association. You're going to see a 25% reduction in tooth decay. We have over 75 years of research behind community water fluoridation. It goes into a day storage tank, and then it's pumped into the water. Lance McAvoy oversees Fort Smith's water supply. He showed us its fluoride system. It's monitored 24-7? Yes. So we actually take samples every 15 minutes to verify the online equipment. Have you ever had an instance where significantly higher level than desired got into the system? No, we have not. And to dentists, losing fluoride could mean losing the battle against tooth decay. It's going to affect the children the worst because if they don't get it, we can't put it in later in life. Come here. The biggest issue I've seen in my time in politics when it comes to health care is the trust factor, being able to trust, you know, the scientists, the government, the funding. With critics like King, the anti-fluoride fight is growing. And their concerns can't just be brushed away. For Eye on America, I'm Mark Strassman in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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Breakdown