We urge Governor Cox to veto Utah HB81, which would ban fluoridation of tap water throughout the state. This bill defies the wishes of Salt Lake and Davis Counties, Helper, and Brigham City residents who voted for fluoride, some as recently as 2023.
Those Utah citizens made their choice for good reason: overwhelming evidence shows that fluoridation reduces decay by at least 25%, saves families money on dental costs and keeps children from missing school and adults from missing work due to dental issues. 70 years of research and the experiences of 210 million Americans affirm that fluoridation works and is safe.
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many sources of drinking water. Fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride levels in water for optimal dental health. Although some have questioned the effectiveness of fluoridation in Utah, there is no county-by-county data on tooth decay during a time when Utah children have grown up with fluoride. Decisions affecting the health of millions deserve to be based on solid data.
Other municipalities that discontinued fluoride saw significant increases in cavities and then reversed their decisions. Let’s not let our communities similarly suffer unnecessary abscesses, toothaches, dental disease and excess costs.
James H. Bekker, DMD (delegate to the American Dental Association); Brenda Heaton, MPH, PhD; Julie Valentine PhD, RN, FAAN; Mark Valentine, MD; Utah Stand Up for Science: Nathan Burns, PhD; Amy Hawkins, PhD; Gabrielle Kardon, PhD; Julie Kiefer, PhD; Anne Kirchhoff, PhD; Justice Morath, MA; Gillian Stanfield, PhD
All authors are speaking on their own behalf and not on behalf of their employers.