Medicine’s Response to the Changing Science on Fluoride Safety

Ironically, the anti-fluoridationists had historically been accused of their "anti-scientific attitudes," but now it’s many of the pro-fluoridationists. How did the medical and dental community react to U.S. regulators’ total 180 over water fluoridation, going from presumptively safe to presumptively dangerous?

We can get the best of both worlds with topical application of fluoride, so I continue to advocate for the use of fluoride toothpaste, but pregnant and breastfeeding women may want to consider non-fluoridated water sources to reduce the apparent risk to the developing brain.

This is the final video in my series on water fluoridation. If you missed any of the others, see:
• Why Is There Fluoride in Water? Is It Effective? ( )
• Side Effects of Water Fluoridation: Dental Fluorosis ( )
• Is Water Fluoridation Safe? ( )
• Why I Changed My Mind on Water Fluoridation ( )

You can also watch the recording of the webinar that I did on this topic, which includes a Q&A at the end:

I mentioned the example of lead exposure. If you want to know more, I have an entire series on that topic, starting with How the Lead Paint Industry Got Away with It ( ).

I have a lot more videos on dental health ( ), including a series on oil pulling ( ) and tongue scraping ( ).

New subscribers to our e-newsletter always receive a free gift. Get yours here: .

Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
UPDATE: We are currently testing the removal of the comment section across all video pages until October, and it will either be reinstated thereafter or removed permanently based on the results. Please feel free to continue your discussions by commenting on our YouTube channel and social media accounts, where we will have Health Support volunteers available to address questions.

Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources:

• Subscribe:
• Donate:
• Podcast :
• Books:
• Shop:
• Facebook:
• Twitter:
• Instagram:

Leroy Johnson
 

  • @NikkiStixx7 says:

    Well I’m early. Hi Dr!

  • @NutritionFactsOrg says:

    Dr. Greger’s next webinar is on osteoarthritis on May 10. Visit the webinar page for more: https://nutritionfacts.org/webinar/the-risks-and-benefits-of-glucosamine-and-chondroitin-for-osteoarthritis/

  • @americoveloz says:

    Do water filters remove flouride from water?

    • @anderslvolljohansen1556 says:

      Some types do, like some that use ion exchange resin.

      Reverse osmosis removes dissolved salts in general including iodine, but they produce a reject water stream with an elevated salt concentration.

    • @arefrigerator396 says:

      Most don’t unless stating otherwise

    • @thomaschrist1368 says:

      A good ceramic filter removes a good amount.

    • @crunchchrissy says:

      You have to get a special one the specifies fluoride removal. Berkey makes an additional filter for this and I’m sure there are others out there.

    • @terseandtiny1746 says:

      The Berkey does but the others don’t

  • @williamcooper8559 says:

    I wish Ireland would follow our European neighbours and remove Fluoride from water. If a country stopped adding fluoride, how long would it take for it be be completely flushed from the network?

  • @qow2427 says:

    IT. IS. TOXIC.

    • @anderslvolljohansen1556 says:

      In high amounts it is toxic for everybody, but the developing brain of a fetus is sensitive to tiny amounts of mercury, lead and fluorine.

    • @goldenstryker6707 says:

      @@anderslvolljohansen1556 Still as an adult though even traces of such toxins can accumulate and become problematic.

    • @damianalejandro6959 says:

      It is not in toothpaste. Did you see the video?

    • @TT-zl7ir says:

      @@damianalejandro6959 We need to start using critical thinking skills more.

    • @SamuelNoaGreen says:

      That’s not exactly what the science says my friend. Calm down.

  • @mulik2005 says:

    What about the safeness of fluoridated toothpaste?

    • @anderslvolljohansen1556 says:

      If you spit it out then that’s probably safe for you.

      It’s the developing brain of the fetus that is sensitive to tiny amounts of mercury, lead and, as recently discovered, fluorine.

      That means those who are pregant or could become pregant in the near future should be extra careful.

      Tea may be another source of fluorine, but that can vary.

    • @nicolcacola says:

      Directions say dont swallow. Since ingestion is the issue, should be fine.

    • @TT-zl7ir says:

      B12 is absorbed sublingually. How would fluoride avoid that same type of absorption?

  • @frumpd63 says:

    Will likely take a decade or more to see Fluoride removed from municipal water here in the States.

    • @Albopepper says:

      Not necessarily. It’s already occurring. A report from NBC news listed multiple boroughs where it’s already removed it. The clip literally posted 13 hours ago.

    • @joedirt1965 says:

      @@Albopepper It did mention it was from political movements like “Mom’s for Liberty” and not health authorities that are driving the removal.

  • @Higgins8 says:

    Put another quarter in the Alex Jones Was Right jar 🫙

    • @damianalejandro6959 says:

      😂😂😂😂😂 well years of promoting all kinds of fringe tales some had to be correct.

      People like you have no space here

    • @DougG3 says:

      Some?? 😂😂😂😂 So people who question things are not welcome? You are a 🤡

    • @chadillac2472 says:

      ‘People like you have no space here”. Lol! You probably poo poo anything not mainstream approved. Go get another booster and wash it down with some fluoride ya cud chewer.

    • @okaight7248 says:

      broken clock right twice a day etc

    • @Higgins8 says:

      @@damianalejandro6959 I’ll be here much MUCH more often now

  • @lorah3005 says:

    👍 🖖

  • @janerkenbrack3373 says:

    I had a very close friend for decades who warned me about fluoride back in the 1990s. It did influence me for awhile, but eventually the idea lost credibility, as it seemed all of the anti-fluoride proponents tried to convince laypeople instead of the scientific community. They also frequently peddled conspiracy theories, about fluoride as well as most everything else. It is hard to pluck out from so many conspiracies the one that contains actual risk to humans.

    The layperson is poorly equipped in time and training to read and understand scientific papers. Even the broadly trained generalist must rely on experts to dissect the data and review the findings.
    It would have been nice to have these studies done earlier and reexamined our water quality, but even though there were people raising concern about fluoride as a substance, they were also claiming it an intentional conspiracy, wide in its scope, but run by a cabal of globalists.

    Why would anyone take that seriously?
    These same people warned us about “chemtrails” and faking the moon landing.
    I’m glad to know that public health is trying to catch up, but I am living in a country that still has extensive lead piping in many municipalities. Along with PFAS and other dangers.
    But I’m not looking forward to the wackos never shutting about about being somewhat right this one time.

    • @dave007dog says:

      Conspiracy theorists really can poison the well when getting good science info out. They can make a topic so taboo that researchers don’t even want to study things like water fluoride. They still would have to answer for all the things that they said it was for, like mind control or whatever.

    • @SamuelNoaGreen says:

      They were not really right with their conspiracy theories. Because they had outlandish and unsubstantiated claims. It does seem that it is bad for some people in the long run and it should be removed.

    • @TT-zl7ir says:

      @@SamuelNoaGreen It’s a common tactic to muddy the waters of legitimate criticism with provably false information. Now that the legitimate criticism is finally getting accepted, think about how it was suppressed for decades.

  • @moheebsaad1918 says:

    Chlorine is more worse

  • @mchagawa1615 says:

    Thank you <3

  • @5t4n5 says:

    What’s the effect on microbes from fluoride?

    How does guzzling loads of fluoridated water affect our microbiomes?

  • @derbybOyzZ says:

    This same view of the medical establishment and people at large is the same as the attitude towards EMFs. The default response is to say “It isn’t ionizing!” and to brush it off. A more nuanced response is to worry about other effects it has on the body, such as calcium channels in cells.
    The EMF debate is a bell curve, it has people on the left that think “EMF SCARY”, the middle has “it’s not ionizing so it’s safe”, and the right of the bell curve has people that are interested in mechanisms that could potentially underpin the effect EMF has on the body.

  • @S-Lewis says:

    Thanks for the great video

  • @shellym79 says:

    Can you do silver fillings next please. I can’t find a dentist who will remove mine.

    • @pavolhorvath7850 says:

      Not even in exchange for money?

    • @shellym79 says:

      @@pavolhorvath7850 no they say it’s unnecessary because you can’t see them. When I tell them why I want them removed they laugh at me. Tell me “dont believe everything you read on the Internet”. We never even get to the money part so I have no idea how much it would cost.

  • @hrod9393 says:

    Imagine if they started fluoridating animal products 🤔

  • @johnmcewan879 says:

    Is floride mouthwash and toothpaste safe?

  • @MettleHurlant says:

    The irony is public health experts are fighting against lead exposure and fighting for fluoridation.

  • >