Miami Standard (Salt Lake City, UT) – Utah has become the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite strong opposition from dentists and national health organizations.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed the legislation on Thursday, barring cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.

The decision has sparked controversy, with health experts warning that removing fluoride could lead to increased dental problems, particularly among low-income communities. The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly criticized the move, calling it a “wanton disregard for the oral health and well-being” of Utah residents.

“Cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease,” the ADA stated, emphasizing that fluoride strengthens teeth and helps prevent decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long endorsed water fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure.

“As a father and a dentist, it is disheartening to see that a proven, public health policy, which exists for the greater good of an entire community’s oral health, has been dismantled based on distorted pseudoscience,” the association’s president, Denver dentist Brett Kessler, said in a statement.

National Debate Over Fluoride

Utah’s ban, which takes effect on May 7, is part of a broader national conversation about water fluoridation. Florida, Ohio, and South Carolina are considering similar measures, while lawmakers in New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Tennessee have rejected efforts to prohibit fluoride use. In Kentucky, a bill to make fluoridation optional stalled in the state Senate.

The ban aligns with growing skepticism about fluoride in some political circles. It comes weeks after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known critic of water fluoridation, was sworn in as U.S. health secretary. Kennedy has previously suggested that water systems nationwide should remove fluoride, citing concerns over its safety.

Lawmakers Cite Personal Choice and Costs

Gov. Cox defended the decision, arguing that fluoridation should be a matter of personal choice rather than government mandate. He compared adding fluoride to water to “being medicated by the government.” The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Stephanie Gricius, acknowledged fluoride’s benefits but maintained that individuals should have the right to opt out.

Utah lawmakers also pointed to cost concerns, arguing that maintaining fluoridation programs is too expensive for local governments. Similar arguments have been made in Florida, where the state’s surgeon general last year advised against community fluoridation, citing potential “neuropsychiatric risks.”

The debate over fluoride’s safety and efficacy is not new. While the majority of health organizations continue to support fluoridation, some critics argue that excessive exposure to fluoride may have negative health effects, particularly in children.

A federal judge recently ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate fluoride levels in drinking water, citing research that high concentrations could impact intellectual development in children.