Meryl Horn (Senior Producer, PhD)

Yeah. Yeah, it had really high fluoride in that water. They weren't adding it, but these places just happened to naturally have a lot of fluoride seeping into the water from the Earth's crust.

Yeah. Yeah, it had really high fluoride in that water. They weren't adding it, but these places just happened to naturally have a lot of fluoride seeping into the water from the Earth's crust.

And now we know that when you drink water with high levels of fluoride, it can mess with the crystal structure of your teeth and that can lead to staining.

And now we know that when you drink water with high levels of fluoride, it can mess with the crystal structure of your teeth and that can lead to staining.

But then McKay also noticed something else that was weird about these people with the stained teeth. they basically weren't getting cavities. So like, even though the fluoride was turning teeth brown, it was also like protecting them.

But then McKay also noticed something else that was weird about these people with the stained teeth. they basically weren't getting cavities. So like, even though the fluoride was turning teeth brown, it was also like protecting them.

Yeah, and so they figured like, okay, what if we could... like add fluoride to the water in places that don't already have it, like just a little bit so that we can get this like protection from cavities, but not so much that it turns the teeth brown. So this was the beginning. Yeah, this is like the birth story of water fluoridation.

Yeah, and so they figured like, okay, what if we could... like add fluoride to the water in places that don't already have it, like just a little bit so that we can get this like protection from cavities, but not so much that it turns the teeth brown. So this was the beginning. Yeah, this is like the birth story of water fluoridation.

So in 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city in the U.S. to add fluoride to the water. And people were really excited. The government released a PSA about it.

So in 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city in the U.S. to add fluoride to the water. And people were really excited. The government released a PSA about it.

It's working. Yeah, they found that it slashed rates of tooth decay by as much as 70%. Wow.

It's working. Yeah, they found that it slashed rates of tooth decay by as much as 70%. Wow.

And after that, we started fluoridating water in most of the US, Australia, Ireland, and a lot of places in Brazil and Canada. And the CDC lists this as one of our greatest public health achievements of the past century, along with vaccines and figuring out that tobacco is bad.

And after that, we started fluoridating water in most of the US, Australia, Ireland, and a lot of places in Brazil and Canada. And the CDC lists this as one of our greatest public health achievements of the past century, along with vaccines and figuring out that tobacco is bad.

Well, there's actually been some opposition to this from the start, but recently things are really heating up, even at the highest levels. So Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the Department of Health and Human Services, he thinks that fluoride is dangerous.

Well, there's actually been some opposition to this from the start, but recently things are really heating up, even at the highest levels. So Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads the Department of Health and Human Services, he thinks that fluoride is dangerous.

But he's not alone. There's a whole kind of chorus of people saying that adding fluoride to the water has been a huge mistake because fluoride is actually really bad for us.

But he's not alone. There's a whole kind of chorus of people saying that adding fluoride to the water has been a huge mistake because fluoride is actually really bad for us.

And on top of all the dangers of fluoride, people are also saying now that it doesn't even work to prevent cavities anymore. Now that we have better dental care.

And on top of all the dangers of fluoride, people are also saying now that it doesn't even work to prevent cavities anymore. Now that we have better dental care.