Miami-Dade mayor: I listened to dentists and medical experts. Fluoride is essential | Opinion
On April 1, the Miami-Dade County Commission passed a resolution to stop adding fluoride to our drinking water, a practice we’ve followed for nearly 70 years in keeping with national and international health standards.
We know this is an issue about which many residents feel passionately – and it’s one that impacts the health of our entire community.
That’s why I’ve spent the last two weeks listening to parents both for and against fluoride, community members and, most importantly, to dentists, doctors, medical experts and public health professionals. Through these conversations it became clear that I must veto the resolution to end fluoridation, following the guidance of dentists and medical professionals, to protect the health and well-being of our community.
As not just mayor, but a mother and grandmother, the health and safety of our residents is my top priority. This is not a decision I take lightly. Any change to this longstanding practice must be rooted in medical facts and an understanding of the long-term risks to our residents.
Major health and medical organizations, including the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, recognize fluoridating water at low levels as a safe and effective way to protect dental health — particularly in communities where access to dental care is limited.
Earlier this week, I hosted a roundtable with dentists and doctors from across Miami-Dade who re-affirmed the major positive impacts of fluoridation in preventing tooth decay in both children and adults and emphasized that adding fluoride to our water at the current, low level is considered safe.
Still, I understand why the issue has generated so much public interest and concern, as recent studies have raised questions about fluoride’s potential health effects. However, those studies looked at fluoride levels much higher than what is added to our drinking water. Experts also dispute the methodology and conclusions of those studies.
While it may be relatively simple to stop adding fluoride as the Board directed, the long-term effects of doing so are anything but simple. Ending fluoridation could have real and lasting harm, especially for children and families who can’t afford regular dental care.
We’ve seen it happen elsewhere: Cities that ended fluoridation saw cavities skyrocket, emergency dental visits increase and vulnerable communities bear the brunt. That means more children will miss days of school and have trouble concentrating due to dental pain, more parents will have to take time off from work and families who are already struggling will face additional financial strain.
Neighboring Pinellas County in Florida, Buffalo, New York, and Calgary — these are all places that ended water fluoridation, only to bring it back later when they saw the consequences, at a steep cost to both public health and taxpayer dollars.
It’s also important that we have the right process in making a decision this important.
This resolution passed with no committee hearing, no presentation on fluoride’s positive impacts and minimal public debate. That’s not how we should make decisions that affect every single person in our county, especially when the stakes are this high.
I urge the commission to reconsider its decision and sustain this veto. Let’s have a full, open conversation with our community and our medical experts. Let’s make choices rooted in facts, not fear. And let’s keep working together to build a safer, healthier Miami-Dade for everyone.
Daniella Levine Cava is mayor of Miami-Dade County.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 2:36 PM.