By CBS (Health) | Created at 2024-11-18 21:54:01 | Updated at 2024-11-23 12:22:20
4 days ago
Communities question fluoride water safety
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s concerns about the health effects of fluoride may already be helping some Americans — investors in dental services companies.
Shares in Dentsply Sirona, Envista, Henry Schein Patterson Companies, and other providers of dental products are jumping, with Wall Street betting that a potential push by the incoming Trump administration to remove fluoride from the nation's drinking water could spur demand for the companies' services.
Kennedy, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said on social media just ahead of the November 5 presidential election that Trump would rid fluoride from the public water supply on his first day in office. Kennedy, a noted vaccine skeptic, has described fluoride as an "industrial waste" and linked it to arthritis, neurological deficiencies in children and other serious health problems.
"The thought here is RFK will bring to HHS a voice that is in favor of reducing, or eliminating, the amount of fluoridation that is added to drinking water," Don Bilson, Gordon Haskett's head of event-driven research, told investors in a report, according to NBC News. "This will, in turn, lead to an acceleration of tooth decay and more dental visits."
Dental experts have largely refuted such claims. Dr. Aaron Yancoskie, associate dean of academic affairs at Touro College of Dental Medicine, told "CBS Mornings Plus" on November 13 that there is "excellent, solid data going back 75 years showing that fluoride is both safe, and it's extremely effective at decreasing dental decay, that is, cavities, by strengthening the enamel of our teeth."
According to KFF Health News, some studies have linked fluoride exposure among pregnant women to a higher risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems and lower IQs, leading experts to call for further research.
Fluoride is a mineral that keeps teeth healthy and reduces cavities by protecting them against bacteria that produces potentially damaging acid, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To prevent tooth decay, the U.S. has been adding a small quantity of fluoride to water since the 1950s.
Stocks have surged since Trump won a second term in the White House, with investors buoyed by his pledges during the campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris to cut corporate taxes and eliminate red tape for businesses.
Sara Moniuszko contributed to this report.
Alain Sherter is a senior managing editor with CBS News. He covers business, economics, money and workplace issues for CBS MoneyWatch.
