Florida city begins formal process to remove fluoride from water supply after state ban
A city in Florida began the formal process of removing fluoride from its water supply on Tuesday to be in compliance with a new state law.
Ocala -- 75 miles northwest of Orlando -- currently has a city ordinance requiring fluoride to be added to the water supply. Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning local governments from adding fluoride to public water systems.
Gregory Davis, public information officer for the city of Ocala, told ABC News the city's council will be voting on Tuesday to amend the ordinance.
Ocala had been adding fluoride to the water supply since 1961 and had spent about $50,000 a year doing so, according to Davis.
Davis said it's unclear how long it will take Ocala to remove fluoride from its water supply but added that the city's water resource team said it will be in compliance by July 1, which is when the state law goes into effect.
Local communities in Florida had moved to stop adding fluoride to the public water supply prior to the statewide bill, with Miami-Dade County commissioners voting in favor 8-2 last month to ban fluoride.
Additionally, the city of Stuart -- about 80 miles north of Fort Lauderdale -- removed fluoride from its water supply in November 2024 after state surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced guidance recommending against water fluoridation.
Fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in water sources such as lakes and rivers and is even naturally present in some foods and beverages, according to the American Dental Association.
It is added to some dental products, such as toothpaste, to help prevent cavities.
High-quality studies show fluoride prevents cavities and repairs damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Fluoride makes tooth enamel stronger and rebuilds weakened tooth enamel, the ADA says.
Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influential skeptics such as Ladapo and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, have long raised doubts about the benefits of fluoride.
In an interview with NPR in November 2024, Kennedy doubled down on his promise of persuading local governments to remove fluoride from their water supplies.
Earlier this year, Kennedy said he planned to assemble a task force and ultimately change the CDC's guidance to stop recommending fluoride. The comments came during a press conference in Utah after the state became the first in the nation to ban fluoride from water drinking systems.
A large review paperpublished in January 2025 suggested a link between fluoride and lower IQ in children, but the study only pointed to a possible link -- not proven cause and effect. Meanwhile, much of the underlying data was pulled from other countries, where fluoride exposure is far higher than levels used in drinking water in the U.S.
Some health professionals have also expressed concerns about excessive fluoride intake and potential toxicity.
Many doctors and dental associations, however, argue that fluoride in water is still a crucial, low-risk/high-reward public health tool, especially for disadvantaged children and adults who may not be able to practice regular dental hygiene.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report.
