Iran war has some US water utilities facing a fluoride shortage

It’s not just the price of gas: Some U.S. water utilities are reporting that the war in the Middle East is disrupting their ability to maintain recommended levels of fluoride in drinking water.

In recent weeks, a few water utilities have reported that their supplies have been interrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. Fluoride is used in water systems as a public health measure to prevent tooth decay.

Here’s what you need to know.

Israel is one of the world’s leading exporters of fluorosilicic acid, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA data also shows that the United States is among the top five global importers of the product.

At least one Israeli supplier is facing labor problems because many employees have been called to active military duty, said Dan Hartnett, policy director for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.

“This has led to lower production and supply shortages for the U.S. market,” he said.

The number of water services affected so far is small, but the shortage affects hundreds of thousands of people. As the conflict continues, “there will likely be additional stressors on the supply chain, leading to shortages in other communities,” Hartnett said.

The nation’s eighth-largest water and wastewater utility, WSSC Water in Maryland, is among those facing a shortage. On April 7, utility officials announced they were reducing the level of fluoride in water to 0.4 milligrams per liter, down from the recommended 0.7 milligrams per liter.

Chuck Brown, a spokesman for the utility that serves 1.9 million customers, said officials don’t know how long the shortage will last, “but we are confident that we will be able to extend this situation for a few more months.”

In Pennsylvania, Lititz Borough told its water customers last month that it had to halt fluoridation for a few weeks because of supply problems.

Water utilities voluntarily add fluoride to improve the oral health of communities, so lower levels have no effect on drinking water safety.

A drop in fluoride levels by a few months is probably not a cause for concern for most people, said Dr. Scott Tomar, an expert on community water fluoridation with the American Dental Association.

Searching places that have stopped fluoridating their water — Calgary, Canada; Juneau, Alaska; and Israel – found that lower levels can have an impact over several years.

“Based on the best available information we have, below about 0.5 milligrams per liter, you probably won’t see effective preventative exposure,” he said.

Tomar said young children would be the first to suffer from tooth decay because fluoride strengthens enamel as their teeth develop and once they have grown.

It recommends that people living in shortage areas brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and keep their routine dental appointments. If people are concerned that they are not getting enough fluoride, they should talk to their dentist before taking a fluoride supplement or other treatment.

Research shows that water fluoridation is beneficial even when it is also available in toothpaste and other means. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population receives fluoridated drinking water, according to CDC data.

Adding low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. The American Dental Association credits it with reducing tooth decay by more than 25% in children and adults.

However, misinformation about the safety of fluoride has increased. Last year, Utah became the first state to ban public water fluoridation. And Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly sowed doubt about its safety and restricted the use of fluoride for dental health.

“The levels we use in the United States are perfectly safe,” Tomar said. “Despite much misinformation, there are no adverse health effects associated with the levels we use in our drinking water.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.