New Study and Florida Ban Put Yorktown’s Fluoride Suspension Back in Focus

By Caroline Haviland

A new national study warning of a major spike in childhood tooth decay, combined with a headline-making fluoride ban in Florida, is putting fresh focus on Yorktown’s decision last year to suspend fluoridation of its public water supply.

Released on May 30 in JAMA Health Forum, the study projected that eliminating fluoride from U.S. drinking water could result in 25.4 million excess decayed teeth in children and adolescents over five years. The findings put renewed scrutiny on local decisions like Yorktown’s, which in September 2024 halted fluoridation amid claims of potential health risks.

“Researchers estimated that defluorination could increase rates of tooth decay by 7.5 percentage points within 5 years, translating to a loss of 2.9 million quality-adjusted life-years and a $9.8 billion increase in dental care costs,” the study asserts.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, signed legislation May 15 banning fluoridation of public water systems — making his state the second in the U.S., after Utah, to bar the addition of fluoride in drinking water. It’s a change DeSantis said protects against “forced medication.” Health officials, conversely, said the ban may undermine decades of progress in cavity prevention.

While public health officials emphasize fluoride’s safety at recommended levels, some residents and officials cite concerns about potential overexposure and advocate for personal choice in water treatment.

Yorktown is among a growing number of local governments—often in conservative communities in states such as Texas—suspending fluoridation and reversing generations of U.S. public health policy dating to its widespread adoption in the mid-20th century, and long regarded as a public health success.

Yorktown’s decision drew national media attention, with coverage on outlets such as CNN, spotlighting the growing divide over water fluoridation.

The suspension of fluoridation last fall also affected neighboring Somers, which shares the same water supply through the Northern Westchester Joint Water Works; Republican Town Supervisor Robert Scorrano publicly backed the move as a matter of personal choice.

In an interview with The Examiner earlier this week, Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman, a Republican, stood by the town’s decision.

“It’s a personal health issue versus a public health issue,” Lachterman said. “A lot of the people, as this argument goes on, are looking to have their choice. They don’t want it put into their water systems especially when there’s a danger, whether real or perceived.” 

‘What Does Science Say?’

But Democratic board member Susan Siegel, a town resident for more than five decades, remains a vocal opponent of the move supported by her Republican counterparts.

She was the only council member to vote against the ban at the Oct. 22, 2024, board meeting. Eight months later, Siegel remains dismayed by what she describes as the town’s disregard for the advice of scientists, dentists, and local health officials.

“The bottom line is, what does science say?” Siegel remarked in an interview with The Examiner. “Science says that the issue for the safety of fluoride is based on the dosage of the fluoride that is used. Yorktown used 0.7 milligram per liter. The studies that the judge cited used a dosage more than double that of at least 1.5 milligrams per liter. It’s the dosage that matters.” 

The town board suspended water fluoridation last fall, citing a federal court ruling by District Court Judge Edward Chen in September 2024 that ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to further study potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. 

Yet Siegel notes the judge did not find fluoride at U.S. levels unsafe, instead calling for more research before drawing conclusions — also emphasizing that the cited evidence primarily involved fluoride concentrations higher than those used domestically.

The ruling, appealed in January 2025 during the final days of the Biden administration’s Justice Department before Donald Trump returned to office, pointed to an August 2024 National Toxicology Program review linking fluoride levels higher than those used in the U.S. to possible IQ reductions in children.

“In light of this federal ruling and the long-standing concerns expressed by many Yorktown residents, I have decided to suspend water fluoridation as a precautionary measure,” Lachterman said in a statement on Sept. 26 of last year. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of our community, and we believe it is prudent to pause fluoridation to further assess its potential impacts.”

However, the American Dental Association pushed back on the NTP review, saying it offered no new or conclusive evidence to warrant changes in fluoridation policy. 

The ADA also noted that none of the IQ studies cited were conducted in the U.S., but rather in countries like Canada, China, Iran, Pakistan, and Mexico, where naturally high fluoride levels often exceed 1.5 milligrams per liter—more than double the 0.7 milligrams per liter recommended for U.S. drinking water by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The monograph does not provide any new or conclusive evidence that should necessitate any changes in current community water fluoridation practices for public health policy consideration,” the American Dental Association said in response to the NTP review. 

‘A Chance’

On Oct. 15 of last year, during a lengthy public hearing in Yorktown, residents and medical professionals debated fluoridation, as well as what led the board members to feel confident in overriding medical advice on a public health issue.

“The real science is [that] fluoride is safe,” Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler stressed to the board at the time. “I am not trying to tell you what to do. I’m asking you to read the science. I sincerely hope you will make the most appropriate decision for your population.”

Amler’s husband, Dr. Robert Amler, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice and professor of public health, pediatrics and environmental health science at New York Medical College, maintained that low levels of fluoride in drinking water are safe and effective in preventing tooth decay.

“There is no biological or medical evidence that fluoride affects brain development (in children),” he said to the elected officials. “Taking protective levels of fluoride out of Yorktown’s water is a mistake and is not justified by the evidence.”

But like many national debates in recent years, fluoridation has become entangled in America’s broader ideological divide, with Republicans emphasizing personal choice and independent research, while Democrats cite public health officials and express concern over the spread of misinformation.

Beth Bodemann, a Yorktown resident for 21 years, was pleased to hear of the board’s choice to suspend water fluoridation.

“The government should not decide how much of something we need to intake,” Bodemann said. “Sometimes, something is good but too much of it is not good. And we do have the fluoride in toothpaste and things like that. To force it on us through our water is just overkill at this point.” 

As for Lachterman, he stressed the importance of allowing the EPA—now under Republican President Donald Trump’s leadership—to complete its due diligence before making any changes, though he left open the possibility that fluoridation could be reinstated in the future, depending on the agency’s findings.

“For an Obama-appointee judge to say to the EPA that they need to do their homework, I think it’s important that we let them do that and I would be very hesitant to change anything until that’s done,” Lachterman said. “I do think this is becoming more of a personal choice matter for people. …There’s always a chance fluoride could come back, every law could be rewritten, and any decision like that could be looked at again.”