Gov. Spencer Cox signed House Bill 81 into law on March 27, prohibiting the fluoridation of public water across Utah. That includes communities like Brigham City, which voted in 2023 to keep fluoride in their water.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, plants, and soil. It is also an essential component of tooth enamel as it re-mineralizes teeth, protecting them from acids, cavities, and decay.
Dr. Brent Larson, the former president of the Utah Dental Association and chair of the Oral Health Coalition has practiced dentistry in Salt Lake City for 43 years, half of which was prior to the 2003 advent of fluoride in the city's water supply.
“It's actually a very common mineral, probably one of the most one of the top 10 or 15 most common minerals found in the Earth's crust, and is rains fall down on the earth, and it washes through the dirt, the fluoride rinses down into the water systems and supplies," Larson said.
He said that after experiencing the benefits of fluoride firsthand he can't help but stand up for its continued use.
“We used to have kids come in with four, six, eight cavities, and after a few years of fluoride in the water, that virtually went away,” he said.
Larson added that he has also seen the benefits in his four grandchildren.
“Some of them have zero cavities. The worst child has had two fillings, and they're now in their 40s, so they're — they're late 30s and 40s, so they're adult children and they have excellent, excellent teeth, and I attribute that totally to fluoride in the water," he said.
Larson expressed disappointment in the state's decision to take away the ability for communities to make their own decisions, particularly about a public health issue. He noted that other communities have faced legal challenges for damages resulting from such decisions.
“I think it'll take three to five years before we start seeing a big difference, and maybe five to 10 years out, we'll see a dramatic change, and that's occurred in other cities who have taken fluoride out of the water like Calgary, Canada and Juneau, Alaska," he said. "Even in Buffalo, New York, where it was taken out of the water and the city was sued because they took it out without justification and they reinstated it once they found out they were gonna have to pay for damages done by people's teeth.”
This action by the legislature deeply concerns Larson. He sees it as a symptom of a deeper mistrust of science in American politics today.
Bill sponsors Sen. Kirk Cullimore and Rep. Stephanie Gricius did not reply to UPR's requests for comment.
The new law does allow pharmacists, dentists and doctors to prescribe fluoride. You can call your local public water system to get more information on how much natural fluoride is present in your water.
