The topic of fluoride in drinking water has come up in the upcoming election after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said former President Donald Trump would push to eliminate the chemical on his first day in office if elected president.

Kennedy, a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims, has been promised Trump’s leadership of health initiatives.

Kennedy made the statement on social media platform X on Saturday, alongside a variety of claims about the health effects of fluoride.

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to make America healthy again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and refers to Kennedy.

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Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he had not yet spoken to Kennedy about fluoride, “but it’s OK with me.” You know it’s possible.”

What is fluoride?

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the past century.

Close-up of a fluoride pipeline at the Davis Water Treatment Plant, Austin, Texas, November 18, 2009. Visible in the background are fluosilicic acid tanks. (Photo by John Anderson/The Austin Chronicle/Getty Images)

The history of fluoride in drinking water

In 1950, federal officials approved water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market a few years later.

Although fluoride can come from many sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.

How fluoride levels are regulated

Officials lowered their recommendation for fluoride levels in drinking water in 2015 to address a dental condition called fluorosis, which can stain teeth and had become more common in U.S. children.

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Since 1962, the government has recommended a range of 0.7 milligrams per liter for warmer climates, where people drink more water, down to 1.2 milligrams in colder areas. The new standard is 0.7 everywhere.

Health risks of fluoride

In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.

A federal judge later cited that study to order the US Environmental Protection Agency to continue regulating fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that he was not certain that the amount of fluoride commonly added to water was causing lower IQs in children, but concluded that growing research indicated an unreasonable risk that it might be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to reduce that risk, but did not say what those steps should be.

To limit fluoride for young children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this advice: Do not use fluoride toothpaste for children under 2 unless recommended by a dentist; use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for children ages 2 to 6, and avoid fluoride mouthwash.