After weeks of often contentious debate, Union County commissioners voted 3-2 Monday night to stop adding fluoride to the county’s water supply.

Water fluoridation has been used by cities for decades to reduce tooth decay. Pediatric dentists told commissioners the practice was not only safe, but it was also essential for those who never or rarely see a dentist.

Dr. Meg Lochary, a Union County board-certified pediatric dentist, told commissioners fluoridation was a public health issue.

“I take care of a lot of people who have terrible, terrible dental health. If you had to sit in my office every day and see screaming 4-year-olds getting teeth extracted, it would be a very personal situation for you too,” said Lochary.

Another implored that fluoride was critical for underprivileged children, whose parents may not brush their teeth or help them get to a dentist.

The American Dental Association calls fluoridation of community water supplies “the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.”

Fluoridated water has been proven to reduce cavities by about 25% in children and adults. The CDC named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

But Abigail Prado, who leads the Union County Chapter of Moms for Liberty, told commissioners that government agencies deliberately adding fluoride to their drinking water can impair brain development of a gestating child.

“Millions of pregnant women are currently being exposed to levels of fluoride that have the potential to lower their children’s IQ by at least four to six points,” asserted Prado.

Prado told commissioners the loss of a single IQ point translates into a 2% reduction in lifetime economic productivity.

“Even if we take moral and philosophical questions about protecting children out of this discussion, how long can our society bear the cost of knowingly lowering our populations IQ?” Prado asked.

A 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics did show that elevated fluoride exposure during pregnancy might harm a child’s intellectual development, “indicating the possible need to reduce fluoride intake during pregnancy.” However, the researchers also noted the study had several limitations.

For example, the fluoride intake did not measure actual fluoride concentration in tap water in the participant’s home. And the data regarding fluoride intake data were limited by the mothers’ self-reported recall of beverage consumption per day.

When it came time for a vote, Union County Commissioner Richard Helms said he had to side with medical professionals in this debate, and the lived experience of his own children.

“I think the history in the United States of putting fluoride in at a minimum has made our young people’s life healthier and more pleasant. I can tell you that I grew up on a well and my dental problems kind of stopped once I got living on the water that was fluoride,” Helms said. “I will not be supporting a resolution to remove the fluoride and I’d ask my peers to do the same.”

Commissioner David Williams pushed back.

“There are a number of chemicals that get added to the water, but those chemicals are added to treat the water itself to make it safe to drink in some cases, to remove or address odor concerns or drinkability,” Williams told his colleagues. “You know none of those other chemicals are added to the water to treat us. Fluoride is the one exception. Fluoride is added to the water to treat us, and I think that should give us pause.”

Williams said the benefits of fluoride are topical, and residents in favor of using it still had the option of buying toothpaste or mouthwash at their local grocery store.

“The elegant solution here is to embrace freedom,” said Williams.

Vice Chairman Brian Helms said the issue was not a matter of whether fluoride was good or bad in preventing dental disease.

“The argument is if this board, the Union County Board of Commissioners, has the authority to put a medicine or a medical substance in our water without the consent of the residents,” said Helms. “Do we have the the authority to do so? My opinion is that we do not.”

The final vote was 3-2 against the use of fluoride in the county’s water system.

Read the full ordinance here.