Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is considering plans to remove fluoride from the US water supply, reigniting questions about whether the naturally occurring mineral is safe (and beneficial) to ingest.
The republican candidate has said he would be “ok” with reported proposals to take out the mineral from public water networks if he were to win the US election.
Mr Trump expressed tentative support for the proposed policy, which could come into force should he be granted a second term in office.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who Trump has suggested would oversee a health portfolio in a potential future administration, posted on social media to share his wish to remove fluoride.
He said on social media that Trump’s administration would “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water”, labelling the element an “industrial waste”.
And when asked about his opinion on it, Mr Trump said: “Well, I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but it sounds OK to me. You know, it’s possible.”
While the discussions across the pond are ongoing, the UK made its own decision on the compound’s presence in our waters earlier this year — opting for a plan vastly different to the one being considered by Republicans.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water in varying amounts, depending on where in the UK you live.
Why is it beneficial?
Fluoride strengthens teeth, reduces your risk of cavities, remineralises your tooth enamel and reverses early tooth decay.
As well as being added to the water supply in some areas through the process of fluoridation, it is also added to many brands of toothpaste.
Tooth decay is the destruction of tooth tissue caused by acids made by bacteria in dental plaque. Dental plaque is a sticky film that constantly forms on the teeth. Each time you have sugary food and drink, the bacteria in plaque produce acid that attacks teeth.
What is the controversy – is it toxic?
Some studies have linked excessive quantities of fluoride to babies being born with Down's syndrome as well as developing kidney stones.
But a 2007 Nuffield Council on Bioethics report also concluded that good evidence for or against water fluoridation was lacking and advised that it should be up to local communities to decide.
What is happening in the UK?
In February, it was announced fluoride would be added to drinking water for millions of people in the UK under new legal powers. It was called the biggest expansion of the health measure since the 1980s.
The proposals by the former Conservative-led government were part of the NHS Dental Recovery Plan, with the aim of improving the nation's teeth.
Sir Chris Witty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, claimed adding fluoride to water supplies could reduce cavities by 17 per cent among the richest and 28 per cent among the poorest.
Can you remove fluoride from tap water at home?
Reverse Osmosis filters can be used for filtering your tap water.
A reverse osmosis water filter is said to be able to remove at least 95 per cent of fluoride regardless of the quality of your water supply.
