I tend to be skeptical of such efforts, though Journal of Health Economics it is a very serious situation:
Public water fluoridation has been named one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century for its role in improving dental health. Fluoride has significant side effects at high doses, clear benefits at low levels, and an unclear optimal dose level. I propose regional-level variation in the timing of fluoride exposure, combined with limited US Census data linking more than 29 million people to their birth region, to estimate the causal effects of childhood fluoride exposure. Children exposed to community water fluoridation from zero to five years of age have worse economic outcomes (−1.9% of SD) and physical and health (−1.2% of SD) than adults. They are also less likely to graduate from high school (−1.5 percentage points) or serve in the military (−1.0 percentage points). These findings challenge existing conclusions about safe levels of fluoride exposure.
That new article was written by Adam Roberts. By using the excellent Kevin Lewis.
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