cavities

But by Wednesday morning, Kennedy was telling NPR that the administration would now recommend the removal of fluoride, the mineral that helps prevent cavities, from the drinking water supply.

By the early 1950s a consensus emerged that fluoride in very small amounts in drinking water could reduce cavities, especially in children, so putting fluoride in water systems began to spread.

More research was done in Great Britain establishing a statistical connection between the presence of fluoride and reduced cavities.

Within a decade, cavities in 6-year-olds’ permanent teeth had dropped by 84%.

This prolonged exposure increases the acidity of the mouth, erodes the teeth and causes cavities.