The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has warned the Environmental Protection Agency that its current fluoride assessment plan could have negative repercussions on children’s oral health.
Seven notes:
1. EPA announced in January that it plans to review new information on the potential health risks of fluoride and create an updated assessment.
2. The agency said it would accept public comment on its review plans for 30 days.
3. The AAPD submitted its comments to the agency Feb. 20, warning that its current plans rely on discredited reports and inapplicable information that could lead to a public health crisis for children.
4. The AAPD also said EPA’s plan fails to meet its own “Gold Standard Science” requirements.
5. The organization raised several concerns with EPA’s plan, including the classification of mild fluorosis as a toxicity indicator, reliance on the National Toxicology Program’s heavily contested 2024 fluoride report, and other methodological “red flags.”
6. The AAPD also disagreed with EPA’s decision to ignore the health benefits of fluoride in its assessment, calling the move “irresponsible.”
7. The AAPD urged EPA to pause its current process and to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to ensure a proper assessment is conducted.
