The FDA and the RFK Jr. aim to eliminate fluorine supplements for children’s teeth

By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Health writer

Washington (AP) – American American health regulators announced on Tuesday the plans to eliminate supplements containing fluorine, sometimes used to strengthen the teeth of children, opening a new front in the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., against a pillar of dental care.

The Food and Drug Administration said that it would carry out a scientific examination of the products by the end of October in order to withdraw them from the market. It was not immediately clear if the agency planned to officially prohibit supplements or simply request companies withdrawing them.

Products targeted by the FDA are sometimes recommended for children and adolescents who run an increased risk of dental caries or cavities due to the low fluoride in their local drinking water. They generally need a prescription from a pediatrician or a dentist. Fluorine tablets and pastilles are designed to be chewed or swallowed. Companies also sell decreases for babies and infants.

FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, said the products have a risk when swallowed by children because they can interfere with healthy intestinal bacteria that are essential for digestion, immunity and other key corporal functions. He also referred to studies showing possible associations between excess of fluorine consumption and other problems, including a reduction in IQ.

Previous examinations of public health experts and dental professionals have not shown serious health risks with products.

While state and local governments are starting to eliminate fluoride from their water, the need for additional fluoride should grow.

UTAH officials – The first American state to prohibit fluoride of drinking water – fluorine supplements recently made available without prescription.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing the minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency established guidelines on the quantity of addition to water.

Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, described the fluorine as “dangerous neurotoxin” linked to a range of health dangers. Last month, he announced a working group to examine the use of fluoride, while saying at the same time that he would order the CDC to stop recommending it.

One report last year by the Federal Government National toxicology program concluded that drinking water with more than double the registered level of the CDC was associated with lower IQs in children. The study was based on research in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico.

“The end of the use of unmanageable fluoride has been expected for a long time,” Kennedy said in a statement on Tuesday. “This decision brings us one more step to get President Trump’s promise to make America again healthy.”

An influential government health panel recommends fluorine supplements for children aged six months and 5 years if they live in areas with low fluoridal level. The working groups of the United States preventive services have found the recommendation of having a “high certainty” of profit, based on the available evidence.

A 2010 article from the American Dental Association has recommended additional fluoride for children up to 16 years old who are at high risk of cavities. The recommendation was based on a review of studies between different age groups. The most common side effect associated with products is the identification or discoloration of teeth, caused by additional fluoride.

The FDA regulates most dental products, including toothpaste containing fluorine, supplements, mouth -wrinkles and rinsing.

In recent weeks, these products have been increasingly targeted with prosecution and legal actions.

Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the marketing of fluorine toothpaste by Colgate-Palmolive and Proctor and Gamble. A press release from his office described companies promotions as “deceptive, misleading and dangerous”.

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The Department of Health and Sciences of the Associated Press receives the support of the scientific and educational group of the media from the medical institute Howard Hughes and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Originally published: May 13, 2025 at 8:56 a.m.