Utah dentists fight back against FDA’s proposed fluoride restrictions

SALT LAKE CITY — Last spring, the Food and Drug Administration announced it wants to remove ingestible fluoride from the market. The agency claims that ingestible fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome.

The agency also claims there is a possible connection between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and decreased IQ.

However, Utah dentists think ingestible fluoride should be an option for parents, saying it’s a different issue than having fluoride in the water supply.

“If people don’t want to go to the pharmacy and get fluoride, they don’t have to,” said Darren Chamberlain, Pediatric Dentist and Utah Dental Association Board Member.

Utah dentists ask public to reach out about fluoride

Now, the Utah Dental Association is asking the public to submit comments to the FDA in favor of allowing fluoride to be available in pharmacies. Chamberlain wants people to have the option to use it and is worried about the repercussions of having no access to fluoride.

“Without fluoride in the water or any supplemental fluoride, we’ve seen a minimum of 25% increase in dental decay,” said Chamberlain.

Additionally, he said children are especially at risk of tooth decay without the help of fluoride.

“That’s because the enamel is thinner, they’re more susceptible to getting cavities, and their hygiene is not as good as the adult population,” he said.

Since Utah is the state with the highest percentage of children, this ban could affect Utahns more than others.

“The reason we really need take care of these baby teeth is because if the cavity gets big enough it will create pain, it will create an abscess, it will create lost days of school.  And nobody wants to see any child suffer, right? And it could impact the development of the permanent teeth,” said Chamberlain.

The FDA aims to complete the safety review and public comment period by October 31.