DEFOREST, Wis. — Fluoride was added to water supplies decades ago to reduce cavities and improve oral health. A growing number of cities in Wisconsin are looking to remove fluoride from water, including the Village of DeForest.


What You Need To Know

  • Fluoride was added to water supplies decades ago to reduce cavities and improve oral health. A growing number of cities in Wisconsin are looking to remove fluoride from water, including the Village of DeForest

  • A growing number of Wisconsin communities have already removed fluoride from water systems, including the Cities of Amery, Schofield and Tomahawk, the Villages of Hartland and Marshall and the Town of Rome.
  • Those who support removing fluoride from water pointed to recent studies from the National Toxicology Program and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Those studies also found that pregnant women and children may be getting more fluoride than they need

  • Many dentists say both topical fluoride and fluoride in water are crucial in lowering rates of tooth decay, especially in underserved areas

Jennifer McFarlane is a DeForest resident and business owner. She first became aware of the debate about fluoride in water last year, after the village board began considering a proposal to remove it.

She said she decided to do some research on the topic herself.

“That’s when I became really passionate,” McFarlane said. “I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, we really need to remove this.’”

As a mom of two and a grandmother of four, McFarlane hopes the DeForest village board votes to remove it. She said families should have the choice about how much fluoride they are exposed to.

“We just need to be open to having the conversation,” McFarlane said. “[Just] because we did it one way for so long, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way or that the science hasn’t taken us to new places.”

A growing number of Wisconsin communities have already removed fluoride from water systems, including the Cities of Amery, Schofield and Tomahawk, the Villages of Hartland and Marshall and the Town of Rome.

“There’s no benefit for the developing fetus to be exposed to fluoride,” Dr. Beth Neary, a retired pediatrician and co-president of the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network, said. “There’s no benefit for a child 0 to 6 months to have fluoride before the teeth have erupted.”

Those who support removing fluoride from water pointed to recent studies from the National Toxicology Program and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Those studies also found that pregnant women and children may be getting more fluoride than they need. 

Studies found that high levels of fluoride exposed — including “drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter“ — correlate with lower IQs in children. A study did note that there was not enough data to determine if the recommended amount of fluoride in U.S. water supplies — 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter — was harmful to kids’ IQs. The study also said there was “no evidence that fluoride exposure had adverse effects on adult cognition.”

But others disagree. Dr. Eric teDuits is a pediatric dentist at Children’s Dental Center of Madison. He also works as a dentist in Fitchburg. He said topical fluoride and fluoride in drinking water are incredibly beneficial, especially in underserved communities that don’t have as much access to dental care.

“The systemic effect in the water allows the tooth that's developing in young children to have bond with the fluoride and make their tooth resistant to cavities later on in life,” teDuits said.

Dr. teDuits said having fluoride in drinking water is especially crucial in underserved areas, where people may not have as much access to dental care.

He said he sees it in his own practice.

“We work with a lot of rural communities, underserved areas and we see a higher decay rate in un-fluoridated areas,” Dr. teDuits said.

While removing fluoride may save the Village of DeForest some money in the short term, Dr. teDuits said keeping it benefits the community’s dental health in the long term.

“It’s kind of short-sighted because the benefit long term saves a lot of money and pain and agony for kids and people in general,” he said.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misspelled Dr. Beth Neary's last name. This has been corrected. (Jan. 30, 2025)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Additional information and quotes have been added to the original version of this story. (Jan. 31, 2025)