To the Editor:

It’s too bad that New York State Health Commissioner John McDonald still supports fluoridation because modern science shows it’s unnecessary at least and harmful at most [“‘You get what you pay for’: Health leaders say federal cuts will mean more illness, higher costs,” The Altamont Enterprise, Aug. 7, 2025].

It isn’t disputed that too much fluoride damages bones, brains (http://fluoridealert.org/articles/brain), and children’s developing teeth (dental fluorosis). In fact, former New York State Dental Director J. Kumar said total fluoride intake should be determined before prescribing more.

He wrote: “Because of the availability of fluoride from multiple sources, practitioners should prescribe other forms of fluoride therapy based on an understanding of patients’ total exposure to fluoride and the need for it,” (NYS Dental Journal February 1998 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9542393/).

Few dentists, if any, heed that advice.

Besides, it’s impossible to do because unlabeled fluoride is in virtually all foods and beverages. It’s in all infant formula, especially high in tea, seafood, soy and grape products. It’s absorbed from dental products, in 20 percent of medicines, inhaled from air pollution and more. References https://fluoridedangers.blogspot.com/2023/03/fluoride-abundant-in-foods-beverages.html.

Dr. McDonald’s opinion is based on outdated beliefs. Today’s science shows that ingested fluoride, neither a nutrient nor essential for healthy teeth, is a drug with side effects (http://FluorideAlert.Org/issues/health).

Three New York state counties — Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland — have stopped or rejected fluoridation. Many New York state cities and towns also rejected it or never considered it.

There is no evidence that the non-fluoridated areas of New York state have more tooth decay. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. See: https://fluoridedangers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_12.html

Carol Kopf

Levittown, New York