This week, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order that officially rescinded the state’s recommendation to add fluoride to drinking water. The decision immediately sparked strong opposition from the Oklahoma Dental Association and the Oklahoma Medical Association.
Stitt’s order was made in the context of the “Make Oklahoma Healthy Again” campaign. However, the campaign has previously been criticized for its lack of a specific public health strategy.
The order was officially released at a signing ceremony at the Capitol last Thursday, attended by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, and many people held signs calling for more effective health policies to improve the state’s health care standards, which are ranked low in the country.
Dr. Steven Crawford, president of the Oklahoma Alliance for Healthy Families, expressed concern: “Fluoride in drinking water will not make people healthier, but may pose health risks and increase medical costs.”
According to estimates by the Oklahoma Dental Association, the removal of fluoride additions could lead to at least a 25% increase in tooth decay rates across the state, especially for residents in rural and resource-poor areas, who often rely on public water supplies for daily oral hygiene.
Dental expert Dr. Nicole Nellis called the decision “a dangerous step backwards” and emphasized that drinking water fluoridation has been widely used for more than 70 years, and its safety and effectiveness have a solid foundation in public health.
At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also hold an important meeting on July 23, 2025 to discuss the clinical use and safety of unapproved ingestible fluoride tablets.
These tablets have been used to prevent tooth decay in children living in non-fluoridated areas since the 1940s, and although they still exist as prescription drugs, they have never been formally approved by the FDA.
The FDA meeting will be a combination of online and offline, gathering input from clinicians, researchers, patients and public health agencies to make an authoritative decision on the future of these fluoride tablets.
According to a statement published in the Federal Register, studies have shown that fluoride intake may affect thyroid hormone levels, the human microbiome, and may even be associated with decreased IQ in children. Although these studies are inconclusive, regulators believe that these potential risks are worth further exploration.
This debate over fluoride policy may have a long-term impact on US public health policy and children’s oral health.