By Nadia Ramlagan
Public News Service
Kentucky lawmakers are considering a bill that would make water fluoridation optional by removing a statewide mandate that water systems serving more than 3,000 people be treated with the natural mineral.
Supporters said the bill would allow for more local control over fluoride exposure.
Jennifer Harrison, dental hygienist and steering committee member for the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition, countered that fluoride prevents cavities for people who cannot afford a trip to the dentist. She added that the issue is compounded by a lack of dental care practitioners in many parts of the state.
“We have several counties, I think the last check was maybe six in Kentucky, that have no dentists at all,” Harrison said.
House Bill 103, sponsored by Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, passed out of the House with a committee substitute on Feb. 5, 67-29. It now resides in the Senate, awaiting assignment to a committee.
Harrison added that in some Kentucky high schools, kids as young as 16 receive full-mouth extractions because of poor dental hygiene.
Lack of oral health access and knowledge, along with daily exposure to sugar-sweetened beverages and high starch diets, has led to an increase in tooth decay in rural populations. Harrison recommended reading peer-reviewed research articles for the facts on fluoride.
“We just had a new study, and it was a longitudinal study, which is over the same group of people for decades,” she said. “That group was released in November of 2025 that showed there’s absolutely no correlation between decreased IQ and fluoridated water.”
Communities of more than 1,000 people see an average return on investment of $20 for every $1 spent on water fluoridation, by avoided treatment for cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
