Open the app

Fluoride

Fluoride is a natural mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent cavities. It is in most toothpaste, added to many public water supplies, painted on teeth by dentists as varnish, and also sold as drops or tablets. The decision is how much of it you want your child to get and in what forms.

Should our child have fluoride?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Fluoridated water, toothpaste and varnish; Topical only (toothpaste and varnish, no supplements); Fluoride supplements only if the dentist judges high cavity risk; Fluoride-free. Evidence: guidance changing. Official guidance changed recently and is still moving — check current sources. Best settled: 6–12 months.

Evidence
Guidance changing
Best settled
6–12 months
Part of
Raising the child

Fluoride: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Fluoridated water, toothpaste and varnish

    Your child gets fluoride from tap water, toothpaste and the dentist's varnish.

  2. 2. Topical only (toothpaste and varnish, no supplements)

    Your child uses fluoride toothpaste and varnish but no drops or tablets.

  3. 3. Fluoride supplements only if the dentist judges high cavity risk

    Your child takes fluoride drops or tablets only if the dentist finds a high risk of cavities.

  4. 4. Fluoride-free

    You avoid fluoride in water, toothpaste and dental care.

Fluoride: what does the evidence say?

Guidance changing. Official guidance changed recently and is still moving — check current sources. (In flux)

Toothpaste, varnish and community water fluoridation are not affected by the FDA action: on October 31, 2025 it advised against ingestible fluoride drops and tablets for children under 3 and for any child at low or moderate cavity risk, using warning labels rather than a ban; the ADA says supplements remain safe and effective for high-risk children whose water is low in fluoride. Utah (May 2025) and Florida (July 2025) ended community water fluoridation, no further state bans passed in 2026, and the EPA began an expedited fluoride toxicity review in August 2026

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Fluoride has been used for decades to reduce tooth decay, and professional dental and pediatric bodies support it. Policy has shifted recently in parts of the US, where some states have stopped adding it to water. You can ask your dentist what your child is getting and whether it is enough.

Questions to ask each other

  • What do we know about fluoride, and where did we hear it?
  • Is our tap water fluoridated and what would we do about it?
  • What would we do if our dentist and our views disagreed?

More in Health, body and toileting

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.