Fluoride's Early Impact on Cognitive Neurodevelopment in Children: Study Finds - Video

A new study in Journal of Dental Research that examines how cognitive development among young children is affected by early exposure to fluoride. The study aimed to investigate potential effects of fluoride exposure on cognitive neurodevelopment assessed with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th edition (WAIS-IV) in an Australian population-based sample.

“The fluoridation of drinking water has been enormously beneficial to oral health over the decades, and to public health more generally,” said AADOCR President Effie Ioannidou. “It is crucial that a wealth of scientific evidence always be available should the public ever need reminding of this fact.”

The sample was selected from the National Child Oral Health Study (NCOHS) 2012-14. NCOHS collected data on socioeconomic factors, oral health behaviors, and residential history to estimate percent lifetime exposure to fluoridated water during the first five years of life. NCOHS children were also examined by trained and calibrated examiners to assess dental fluorosis. The sample was followed up in 2022-23 to collect data on cognitive neurodevelopment using the WAIS-IV, which was administered by trained and calibrated qualified psychologists.

Multivariable regression models were generated to investigate associations between the two exposure measurement with full-scale IQ scores, controlling for important confounding effects.

The study provided consistent evidence that early childhood exposure to fluoride does not have effects on cognitive neurodevelopment.

Reference: Do LG, Sawyer A, John Spencer A, et al. Early Childhood Exposures to Fluorides and Cognitive Neurodevelopment: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study. Journal of Dental Research. 2024;0(0). doi:10.1177/00220345241299352