The American Dental Association has rebuked comments made by Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, MD, about community water fluoridation.
Some recent studies have shown that sustained exposure to high levels of fluoride above 1.5 parts per million could have a negative effect on an individual’s health. The current recommendation for community water fluoridation in the U.S. is 0.7 ppm, less than half the levels of the studies, according to an April 26 news release from the ADA.
Dr. Abraham supports a bill banning fluoride in public water supplies that recently passed a Louisiana Senate committee. He has told lawmakers there are studies that demonstrated a link between fluoride consumption and lower IQ levels in children.
“As doctors, we pledge to do no harm. It is gravely irresponsible that a physician who has taken this oath would dismiss more than 80 years of evidence-based, proven research demonstrating that the amount of fluoride added to community water systems is safe and effective at helping to prevent cavities,” ADA President Brett Kessler, DDS, said in the release. “The data Dr. Abraham referenced is riddled with limitations, inapplicable to the United States and will do harm to Louisiana’s most vulnerable citizens.”
The ADA has joined the Louisiana Dental Association, the New Orleans Department of Health and other organizations that have opposed the potential fluoride ban, the release said.
