How do you feel about the practice of fluoridation, or local governments adding small amounts of fluoride to public drinking water?

👍 It should be allowed (61%) – "Low dose fluoride in water is one of the greatest achievements in public health. It provides the wider community, especially low-income communities, with access to fluoride of which the benefits are well known and low doses of it have been proven time and time again to be safe. Banning it will affect people who are the most vulnerable, such as those without access to dental care and/or not able to practice routine dental hygiene."

• "Fluoridation is fine. It only causes problems in percentages higher than the legal amount regulated by the US. Fluoride should remain in the water, especially since it helps all keep their teeth cleaner and healthier."

"Calgary removed fluoride; Edmonton kept it. Calgary is now putting fluoride back in their water because it resulted in dramatically more cavities and more gum infections in children; especially toddler to 6 year olds."

• "This is absurd. Doubling the body’s potassium intake can lead to blood in the urine—should we ban bananas? How is this even a debate when extensive, well-documented research has repeatedly confirmed fluoride’s benefits for dental health? Removing fluoride from water to boost the dental industry is quite literally something out of Parks and Recreation—except it was meant as satire. Who could have guessed that putting the most paradoxical, hypocritical, anti-vaxxer in charge of public health would take us backward?"

👎 It should be banned (24%) – "Personally I feel like the amount of fluoride we consume and/or use should be more of a personal choice, and I dislike the fact that it's automatically added in the water. I'd be interested to see data - if fluoride levels are consistently very low in all homes and water sources I'd be willing to concede, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable. This isn't like the chlorine compounds in water that we know actively kill dangerous bacteria (though I believe those levels need better regulation as well). And regardless of the effectiveness of fluoride, the absolute best way to have healthy dental hygiene remains limiting the amount of sugar/junk food consumed and regularly brushing your teeth (even without toothpaste or fluoride toothpaste it remains effective!)."

• "Studies have shown that ingested fluoride does not permeate the tooth enamel, but can cause health issues, especially in children, including lowering of IQ levels. Fluoride toothpaste is a better option, as applied fluoride does penetrate tooth enamel to some extent. Funny thing is, if you read the toothpaste label, it states that the product should not be swallowed and, if swallowed, poison control should be contacted. Yet we allow it in our drinking water?"

🤷 Unsure/other (15%) – "I live in Utah and had always supported fluoridation because of the benefits to teeth. However, I recently learned from my husband who is a hydraulic engineer that of the 65 gallons of water per day that the average person in Utah uses, only a tiny percentage makes it to our teeth. Most of it gets used for laundry, dishwashers, showers, and toilets. Because fluoride only works on contact, it does not make economic sense to rinse all of that down the drain. It is also very caustic and causes damage to our pipelines. I completely agree that people need access to fluoride, and I hope that is the next thing our lawmakers are looking at- getting access to everyone, especially low income children."