GOP Dentists: RFK Will Rot America’s Teeth
“It would be good for the dental profession. A lot more cavities to fill.”
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X just days before Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. “Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”
Kennedy’s claim sent shockwaves, not just because it flew in the face of extensive scientific research but because it indicated that he expects to have a tremendous amount of influence over the American health agenda in the new year. Trump had promised to let him “go wild on health.” The tweet made it look like that promise was quite real.
Now, Hill Republicans have been largely deferential to Trump as he assembles his team of advisers. But among the GOP lawmakers in Congress are several dentists.
I wanted to see how they were receiving Kennedy’s plan to sundown fluoride. Among the dentist-lawmakers I spoke to, there was a considerable amount of skepticism about Kennedy’s claims, and some openly condemned his plan.
When I asked Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) about Kennedy’s anti-fluoride proposal, he said, “I’m tempted to give you a smart-ass answer.”
“I’m all ears,” I replied.