The National Toxicology Program of the NIH on Aug. 21 released a systematic review of fluoride exposure and developmental and cognitive health effects. The findings of the report reaffirm that optimal fluoride exposure from drinking water is still safe and effective. The report’s findings are limited to fluoride exposures that are more than double (≥1.5 mg/L) what the CDC recommends for community water fluoridation (0.7 mg/L). The publication found an effect with “moderate confidence” between fluoride exposure above 1.5ppm and lower IQ in children.
As with all vitamins and minerals, there is an appropriate level of consumption for health benefits and a threshold effect where too much exposure could be harmful. While the systematic review does not include findings that should impact the public health practice of community water fluoridation, media coverage of this report can be misleading to the public. Even with significant deficiencies in the data, The NTP report’s discussion section explicitly states that it did not find an association between lower fluoride exposure and lower IQ across the lifespan. Additional research on total fluoride exposure should be investigated.