The US Food and Drug Administration announced – on Tuesday – that it will gradually go to get rid of fluoride supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, according to the Associated Press News Agency.
Fluoride has always been criticized by the United States Minister of Health and Humanitarian Services, Robert F. Kennedy, the son, while dentists emphasize its importance in preventing dental decay, especially in children who live in areas where fluoride levels are decreased in drinking water, according to Newsweek.
The centers of control and prevention control in the United States have confirmed that fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, and reduces their caries by compensating the minerals lost from the tooth while eating and drinking, making it more resistant to acidic attacks than Black and sugars.
Fluoride was first added to the tap water in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after research showed that societies that contain naturally tasted water have much lower rates of tooth decay.
Federal officials had supported the addition of fluoride to drinking water in 1950, and put guidelines about the amount that must be added to the water in 1962, according to Newsweek.
Pulling fluoride supplements from the market
The US Food and Drug Administration will conduct a scientific review of fluoride supplements for children’s teeth by late October, with the aim of withdrawing them from the market, according to the Associated Press.
The administration does not plan to officially withdraw these products, because the process of doing it will take years. Instead, the administration will ask manufacturers voluntarily to withdraw their products from the market, according to the Associated Press, quoting an administration official.
The Food and Drug Administration announces – the first yesterday – after Kennedy stated last month that he would order the centers of control and prevent them from stopping the recommendation of adding fluoride to the tap water.
Kennedy praised the step of gradual disposal of children’s supplements for children, saying in a statement released yesterday, “It is long awaited the end of the use of digestive fluoride. This decision brings us another step to fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise to restore health in America.”
Counterpart opinions
The Minister of Health strongly opposed the addition of fluoride to public water supplies, describing the fluoride as “artificial waste” and “dangerous nervous poison”, indicating his association with a number of diseases, including cancer. His views have motivated a number of pro -prohibitions at the state level and lawsuits targeting fluoride products.
Utah became the first state to prohibit fluoride in drinking water after Kennedy announced last month, and legislators in Florida have approved legislation aimed at applying a similar ban in all parts of the state.
Scientists and doctors have strongly criticized Kennedy’s views, arguing that they are not based on adequate scientific evidence, and public health initiatives may be undermined to prevent dental caries.
Organizations, including the World Health and the American Dental Association, confirm that adding fluoride to drinking water is a safe and effective health.
Critics add fluoride to drinking water that this may negatively affect the intestine microbium, and that excessive intake of fluoride may lead to a decrease in the intelligence rate.
The American Cancer Society has previously stated that “the general consensus in the reviews that have been conducted so far is that there is no strong evidence of a link between water and cancer fluoride” and that more research is needed.