Florida's latest ban is expected to impact drinking water as Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign a bill that bans cities from adding fluoride to drinking water.
In just the last few months, Naples, Immokalee, Unincorporated Collier County, and Unincorporated Lee County have already voted to remove extra fluoride from their water.
Currently, only the cities of Labelle and Fort Myers fluoridate their water.
Andrea Poulton has banned fluoride in her home.
“Actually, I don't allow the dentist to give them fluoride. And I don't use mouthwash or anything that has it in it,” Poulton said.
However, she admits her son has had cavities.
“He actually, yeah, has cavities here and there. I don't know, maybe fluoride would have made a difference. Maybe it wouldn't,” Poulton said.
The Republican-controlled House sent a bill to the governor that would ban fluoride from public drinking water despite warnings from the medical community.
“There is a huge concern from the public health community. From the dentist community,” warned Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani.
Dr. Billy Truax owns Downtown Dental and warns that removing fluoride is likely to make dentists like him busier.
“All the studies we've had, for 80 years of studies, are showing that fluoride is safe in the public water,” Dr. Truax stated.
Truax runs a nonprofit clinic and says he sees the underserved population weekly and said those are the people who will really suffer.
Currently, Cape Coral, Southwest Florida’s largest city, doesn't add fluoride to its water but records a small trace of natural fluoride.
Florida will become the second state, behind Utah, to outright ban fluoride.
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