Fluoride News and Research

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Fluoride is a form of the element fluorine that helps prevent tooth decay. Fluoride may be naturally present in drinking water or may be added to it. Fluoride may also be put directly on the teeth, as a gel, toothpaste, or a rinse.

Maple compound offers natural protection against cavities

A new study in the journal Microbiology Spectrum highlights the potential of using a natural compound from maple to combat the bacteria responsible for tooth decay: Streptococcus mutans.

7 Aug 2025

Even healthy eating can’t guarantee cavity-free kids, study reports

Researchers studying low-income children in upstate New York found three distinct snack and drink consumption patterns. However, none of these dietary patterns predicted early childhood caries, highlighting the complex, multifactorial origins of the condition.

20 Jul 2025

Cheese and milk in Italy show alarming levels of microplastic contamination

Researchers found microplastics in nearly all Italian supermarket milk, fresh cheese, and ripened cheese samples, with ripened cheese containing the highest levels. The study highlights how dairy processing and packaging steps increase microplastic contamination in common foods.

13 Jul 2025

Online support package empowers parents to improve dental health of young autistic children

A new, free, online support package aims to empower parents of young autistic children to look after their dental health – and reduce levels of tooth decay and surgery.

10 Jul 2025

Water fluoridation provides greater benefits for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds

Water fluoridation is effective in preventing tooth decay overall, but there are greater benefits for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, University of Queensland research has found.

1 Jul 2025

School-based cavity treatments help stop tooth decay in children

Two topical treatments applied to kids' cavities can stop the majority of them from progressing for years, according to a study led by NYU College of Dentistry and published in JAMA Network Open.

9 Jun 2025

Banning fluoride could cause widespread dental disease in children

Fluoride has been added to public water systems in the United States since 1945 to strengthen tooth enamel and fight off bacteria, ultimately reducing tooth decay.

30 May 2025

American doctors are moving to Canada to escape the Trump administration

Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was beginning to reshape the American government, Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and got out.

30 May 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': GOP poised to cut billions in health benefits

After all-night markups, two key House committees approved GOP budget legislation that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from federal health programs over the next decade, mostly from the Medicaid program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

15 May 2025

RFK Jr. struggles to navigate frustrated supporters and a demanding boss

After the Senate voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, supporters of his "Make America Healthy Again" movement cheered at having a champion in the federal government.

17 Apr 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The dismantling of HHS

A week into the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services announced by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the scope of the staff cuts and program cutbacks is starting to become clear.

10 Apr 2025

With few dentists and fluoride under siege, rural America risks new surge of tooth decay

In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state law by refusing to add fluoride to the drinking water.

27 Mar 2025

Oral Health Throughout Life campaign provides actionable guidance to maintain healthy smiles

Maintaining oral health throughout life is essential for health, overall well-being and an optimal quality of life.

19 Mar 2025

New dental treatment designed to combat tooth decay and acid erosion

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a new dental treatment to protect the teeth from decay and acid erosion, using cutting-edge civil engineering technology used to create the Forth Bridge paint.

13 Mar 2025

Is fluoride safe for your gut? New study investigates

Systematic review finds that while low-dose fluoride has little effect on gut microbiota, high doses disrupt microbial diversity and balance, especially in animal studies. The effects vary by species, fluoride form, and exposure level, raising concerns about high-dose fluoride impacts on gut health.

11 Mar 2025

Cheese vs. Diet Coke: An Aussie dentist weighs in on the viral TikTok hack

A bizarre TikTok trend has people pairing Diet Coke with cheese in the name of dental health—but does it actually work? Dr. Ben Hargreave from Dental Boutique breaks down the science and shares which foods actually protect your teeth.

11 Mar 2025

Fluoride's safety under scrutiny as study finds prenatal exposure may impair cognition

Exposure to fluoride during pregnancy and childhood may negatively impact children's cognitive abilities. Even low fluoride levels below international standards are associated with lower perceptual and verbal reasoning scores.

9 Mar 2025

Fluoride exposure during early childhood may harm cognitive abilities

Elevated concentrations of fluoride can occur in well water, and in some countries, it is added to drinking water to counteract caries in the population.

7 Mar 2025

Researchers identify unique enzyme that targets prebiotic glycans

Carbohydrate chains, or glycans, are complex sugar-like compounds that play important roles in various biological processes and structures in our bodies.

6 Mar 2025

With RFK Jr. in charge, supplement makers see chance to cash in

Last fall, before being named the senior U.S. health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration would liberate Americans from the FDA's "aggressive suppression" of vitamins, dietary supplements, and other substances — ending the federal agency's "war on public health," as he put it.

25 Feb 2025