RFK Jr., the nation's Health Secretary, has just ordered the CDC to change its long-standing recommendation of including a small amount of fluoride in public drinking water. 

For decades, fluoridating public water systems has been a cornerstone of American public health. It has reduced cavities in children and adults by about 25%, according to the CDC, and is recognized as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

Now, with RFK Jr.'s plan to reverse this guidance, public health experts and dental professionals across the country are sounding the alarm—and so are we.

Changing the CDC’s recommendation would not only ignore decades of peer-reviewed science, it would also give state and local governments cover to roll back water fluoridation policies that have protected generations from preventable dental disease. We are already seeing the consequences: Utah recently became the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water. If the federal stance changes, others may follow.

RFK Jr. has claimed that fluoride poses a threat to brain development, bones, and overall health—but major health organizations, including the American Dental Association, the CDC, and the World Health Organization, have thoroughly reviewed these claims and continue to support the safety and efficacy of fluoride at recommended levels.

Let’s be clear: weakening the CDC’s guidance would increase suffering and health care costs, particularly for the millions of Americans—especially children and low-income families—who don’t have regular access to dental care.

RFK Jr.: We’re asking you to listen to the overwhelming consensus of the medical and scientific community. The CDC’s recommendation is not about politics—it's about protecting people. Public health guidance should be grounded in science, not misinformation or ideology.

Please do not direct the CDC to change its stance on community water fluoridation. Protect the health and well-being of all Americans by standing with science.