FDA Takes Action to Restrict Fluoride Supplements for Children - Jan 2026
Mercola
The agency has sent formal notices to four companies stating its intention to take enforcement action against unapproved fluoride-containing ingestible drugs marketed for young children and those at low or moderate cavity risk
The FDA’s scientific review found limited dental benefits from ingestible fluoride, no measurable advantage for primary teeth, and documented risks including fluorosis and microbiome disruption
- Mounting evidence now shows that fluoride offers little measurable benefit for dental health while introducing significant risks, particularly for children. Many countries, including Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, have already abandoned water fluoridation.3 In the U.S., Utah and Florida recently became the first states to ban the practice, and similar bills are emerging elsewhere.
- A Cochrane review released in October 2024 brought renewed national attention to water fluoridation by examining the strength and limitations of the evidence supporting its dental benefits.16 The researchers assessed measures commonly used in dental research, such as the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth and tooth surfaces in fluoridated versus non-fluoridated communities, to determine whether fluoride meaningfully improves dental health in real populations.17
IQ loss in children — A 2023 meta-analysis involving 12,263 children from seven countries found an average IQ reduction of 5.6 points in groups with higher fluoride exposure. The decline followed a dose-response pattern, meaning the IQ drop became more pronounced as fluoride levels increased.
Children with urinary fluoride concentrations of only 0.28 mg/L, which are levels consistent with fluoridated water intake, already showed measurable cognitive impairment.18 Learn more about fluoride's impact on children's neurodevelopment in "Fluoride's Hidden Danger — Lower IQ in Children Exposed."