The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced it will begin the process of pulling prescription fluoride drops and tablets for children off the market. The supplements are usually given to
kids at high risk for cavities.
The federal government and some state legislatures are increasingly drawing attention to what they claim are the risks associated with fluoride, a mineral that’s been used for decades in community water systems, toothpastes and mouth rinses to prevent tooth decay.
Dentists fiercely contest the notion that the harms of fluoride outweigh the benefits.
“The only side effect that we know of from using fluoride is dental fluorosis,” a cosmetic issue that leads to white or, in extreme cases, brown marks on teeth, said Margherita Fontana, professor and chair of the department of cariology, restorative sciences and endodontics at the University of Michigan.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary
said in a news release that he's instructing the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research “to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area.”
The news release suggested that ingested fluoride can alter a child’s gut microbiome and cause weight gain, thyroid disorders and “possibly decreased IQ.”
“The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene,” Makary said.
Experts agree that the U.S. diet has far too much sugar, which is linked to chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
“Those are the same diets that will completely destroy our teeth. But the reason our teeth have been able to succeed in this modern diet is because of the fluoride products that we have,” Fontana said. “If we start removing them, we’re going to be where our grandparents or great-grandparents were, with dentures at young ages.”
The FDA said the evaluation should be completed by Oct. 31.
