Last fall, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a draft monograph with the conclusion that “fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans.” Before finalizing its monograph, NTP asked a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) to assess whether its conclusion is supported by the scientific evidence. […]

Fluoride in water is an important way to prevent tooth decay, which causes millions of lost hours of work and school each year. We know from seven decades of scientific research that an optimal level of fluoride in water is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay by at least 25% in both children and adults. Children […]

Fluoride is an important mineral, especially for children. Our mouths contain bacteria that use sugars in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink to produce an acid that harms our teeth. Fluoride protects our teeth. But too much fluoride can cause something called dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is a slight change in the […]

In these polarized times, it is all too easy to rush to defend our biases and to do so fiercely, leaving no room for reasoned discussion. That is one of the points made by Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta, in a recent blog post in […]