Health of Connecticut Residents is Strengthened by Fluoridated Water

by Kathlene Gerrity

The Connecticut State Dental Association strongly supports the Connecticut legislature’s Senate Bill 1326, which enables Connecticut residents to continue to benefit from fluoridated community water systems, as they have since 1965, by enabling our state to control the fluoridation levels.

The U.S. Public Health Service currently recommends 0.7 ppm, which this bill mirrors so there is no impact on the water system other than to, by statute, articulate that level. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that drinking water have a maximum of 1.5 ppm, so the legislative recommendation is less than half of that criteria.

There are 75 years of scientific data to prove that not only is fluoride safe for humans, but it is in fact beneficial. There are thousands of studies that prove that fluoride significantly reduces the prevalence and severity of dental caries, and it benefits the whole spectrum of life – infants to seniors. The amount of fluoride naturally occurring in water sources in Connecticut is negligible and supplementation to achieve the optimal level is a critical health benefit for our communities.

Community water fluoridation is recommended by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and the CDC, which named community water fluoridation one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.

“The simple act of drinking water can vastly improve oral health, keeping teeth strong and reducing tooth decay by 25% in children and adults. The result is better oral health, fewer cavities and less dental pain; it also saves money for both the patients and the health care system.”

Almost 90% of all CT residents receive fluoridated water, from 32 public water systems. It is a valuable tool especially for our vulnerable populations, including those that are Medicaid eligible and people with disabilities. The simple act of drinking water can vastly improve oral health, keeping teeth strong and reducing tooth decay by 25% in children and adults. The result is better oral health, fewer cavities and less dental pain; it also saves money for both the patients and the health care system.

Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting the benefits of fluoride at the 0.7 ppm level, there continues to be outliers who raise concerns, citing negative health outcomes from excessive fluoride exposure. There are well‐known risks associated with extreme amounts of fluoride, including dental fluorosis from exposure during tooth formation and acute toxicity; as with many elements, exposure to extreme levels is harmful to human beings.

In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program published a report connecting fluoride and neurodevelopment and cognition. That report took eight years and multiple rounds of edits due to concerns around the research methodology, quality of the supporting evidence and conclusions reached. A majority of the studies conducted for this report were done in locations such as Mexico, Iran, China and India, where populations are exposed to high levels of naturally occurring fluoride (not the situation in Connecticut).

It is also highlighted in the report that there could have been other contaminants in the water systems there that could have impacted IQ levels. The report found no evidence that a 0.7ppm level of fluoride in water adversely impacted adult cognition, nor children ’s IQ levels nor development; nothing in that report suggests that the standard 0.7 ppm ratio in fluoridated community water supplies poses any health risks.

In conclusion, CSDA applauds the introduction of this legislation and hopes for swift enactment. Fluoride is safe and beneficial; oral health of our citizens relies on fluoridated water.

Kathlene Gerrity is Executive Director of the Connecticut State Dental Association. This testimony was provided to the legislature’s Public Health Committee in February 2025.