New Jersey A Laggard On Water Fluoridation Amid Drive To Ban Additive
As President-elect Donald Trump’s Health nominee pushes to remove fluoride from the nation’s drinking water, some say New Jersey needs more of the cavity-preventing additive.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice as Health and Human Services secretary, has linked ingested fluoride to cancer, arthritis and other ailments. If confirmed, he has said, he will move to ban it. About 73% of the nation’s water supply has fluoride added, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New Jersey, though, just 15% of the water is fluoridated. Only Hawaii has a lower rate among the states. Over the past 15 years, New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation to mandate its use, most recently in January. Even with support from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and others in public health, the proposal has failed.
That’s frustrating to Dr. Elisa Velazquez, a pediatric dentist and president of the New Jersey Dental Association, a trade group with more than 4,500 members.
“The NJDA remains steadfast in its position that fluoridation is a safe, effective, and vital component of public health,” Velazquez said.
Some legislators have suggested that dental disease is not a pressing public health issue in New Jersey, given the state’s reputation as healthy and affluent, she said. But she feels that overlooks the reality of severe dental disease in underserved areas.
“NJDA has a political action committee and has relationships in Trenton. We work with legislators to advocate for improved dental care for our community,” Velazquez said.
The dental association views water fluoridation as a matter of social equity, she said.
“It’s not just about having the financial means to visit a dentist for professional fluoride treatments, purchasing potentially expensive oral health products, or even having the necessary knowledge to maintain proper dental care,” Velazquez said.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that prevents tooth decay and promotes bone growth. The Centers for Disease Control ranks fluoridated drinking water, introduced in 1945, among the 10 greatest health achievements of the 20th century.
Not all health and science professionals, though, agree with the CDC. The Fluoride Action Network, a national group that includes dentists, doctors and researchers among its members, has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to disallow adding the mineral to water. The group’s website says fluoride is damaging to human health and the environment.
In New Jersey, Dr. Najwa Jaber, a holistic dentist who practices in Howell, cited a 2012 Harvard University study that referred to extremely high levels of fluoride in drinking water as a neurotoxin in adults. Its researchers suggested more evaluation of potential effects to children’s IQ. Jaber said she believes that the additive has a negative impact on children’s neurological development.
According to the CDC, the optimal fluoride level in water is 0.7 parts per million, which the New Jersey Dental Association endorses. In the Harvard study, the fluoride concentration was much higher.
Jaber does provide fluoride treatments to patients who request, but she said other factors are more important when trying to decrease tooth decay. “It is more a matter of having a really healthy, good diet than just having fluoride to protect our teeth,” Jaber said.
