New Jersey

New Jersey dentists call for fluoridated water as debate about the chemical continues

Published

1 year ago

February 1, 2025

New Jersey dentists call for fluoridated water as debate about the chemical continues

In the early 1900s, public health officials concluded discolored teeth among residents of Colorado Springs were caused by high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the spring water. However, the residents also had lower rates of tooth decay. Health experts determined that adding low levels of fluoride to drinking water could prevent cavities with little side effects.

Towns and cities across the U.S. began fluoridating their water, following Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1945. In a few years, health officials documented a 60% reduction in tooth decay.

Since then, numerous studies have shown fluoride can reduce cavities because it strengthens enamel during the formation of teeth, and it can remineralize adult teeth.

Conspiracy theories about fluoride have been around since the beginning. However, the anti-fluoride movement was amplified in recent months as President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for removing fluoride from public drinking water. Kennedy has alleged the chemical can cause health problems such as bone cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders.

During his confirmation hearing this week, he referenced a recent study that found an association between fluoride and lowered I.Q. Researchers have cautioned none of the study’s analyses were conducted in the United States, where recommended fluoridation levels in drinking water are very low.

Exposure to high levels of the chemical could impact a person’s health, said Dr. Mary Beth Giacona, a professor of pediatric dentistry at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. However, she said there are no health effects associated with the very low levels of fluoride found in drinking water in the U.S.

“I think the evidence is there to say that at the levels that we are fluoridating our water supplies, it does not cause harm,” Giacona said.

Last year, another study linked fluoridated water during pregnancy and increased neurobehavioral problems in children. One of the study’s authors, Howard Hu, has since advocated for some policy changes, such as limiting fluoride exposure during pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life.

“As a precaution, I think women during pregnancy should try to limit their known exposures to sources of fluoride,” said Hu, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California,

Some opponents of fluoridated water believe toothpaste, mouth rinses and professional treatments are a safer alternative. However, dentists argue fluoridated water ensures everyone has access.

“There are large segments of our population that cannot afford to and don’t have access to other interventions,” Giacona said. “Whereas, if you fluoridate a community’s water supply, everybody, no matter what the household income is, no matter what race or religion or ethnicity they are, has access to this effective preventive measure.”

Velazquez expressed concern that warnings about fluoride in drinking water might also reduce the use of fluoridated dental products in New Jersey.

“They hear … someone’s telling [them] fluoride is not good, then they stop everything,” she said.

Velazquez encourages people to discuss best dental practices with their providers.

“There’s so many factors, and that’s not something that should just be Googled,” she said. “That should be something that each parent talks to their dentist about for that individual child.”

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New Jersey

Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

Published

9 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Devils Out to Rattle the Leafs | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils

THE SCOOP

The Devils began their season-high seven-game homestand with a decisive victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The win was their second consecutive victory after picking up a win in St. Louis earlier in the week.

There’s not a lot of runway left in the season, and stringing together a run of victories is at the top of their minds. New Jersey is 11 points out of the final Wild Card spot, and 13 out of third in the Metropolitan Division. Tuesday will mark the Devils final game before the NHL Trade Deadline, which is on Friday at 3 p.m.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a down year, based on where the expectations were set heading into the season. The Leafs have struggled to gain any traction in their season and sit just two points ahead of New Jersey with 64. Toronto is 12 points out of third in the Atlantic Division, and nine points out of a Wild Card spot.

The Leafs have a tendency to give up an abundance of shots to their opponents, ranking first in the league in shots against, per game with 31.8, which bodes will for a Devils team that averages 29.4 shots per game, ranking sixth in the league. Despite their overall struggles, the Leafs do have the league’s fourth-best penalty kill, working at an 83.1 percent efficiency.

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New Jersey

Former Lumberton, New Jersey, mayor Gina LaPlaca pleads guilty to 2025 DUI, sentenced to treatment program

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Former Lumberton, New Jersey, mayor Gina LaPlaca pleads guilty to 2025 DUI, sentenced to treatment program

A former mayor in Burlington County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to DUI and child endangerment charges after a 2025 traffic stop, according to prosecutors.

Lumberton Township committee member Gina LaPlaca, 46, was indicted last spring on child abuse charges after county prosecutors said she was observed driving drunk with her young child in the car, while serving as the township mayor.

Police arrested her at her home after reviewing video from a witness showing her swerving out of her lane and nearly hitting a utility pole. Lumberton police discovered her blood alcohol concentration was .30%, over three times the legal limit of .08%.

On Monday, LaPlaca was sentenced to three years in a diversionary program for first-time offenders after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and a fourth-degree child abuse charge. As part of the plea deal, LaPlaca will avoid jail time as long as she abides by the terms of the program.

Under the terms of the Pretrial Intervention or PTI program, she must attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and comply with any requirements set by the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

Judge Craig A. Ambrose also ordered LaPlaca to have an ignition lock device on her car that will prevent it from starting up if the driver has consumed alcohol. She said in court she had already installed one in October 2025, the county prosecutor’s office said.

If LaPlaca violates the terms of the PTI program, she could be prosecuted for the child abuse charge.

LaPlaca completed an intensive treatment program in May 2025 and said in a statement that she is “fully committed to my recovery” and is doing the “daily, intentional work” that comes with it. She apologized to Lumberton residents while acknowledging a private struggle with alcohol addiction that was no longer private.

“The weight of my actions is something I carry deeply,” she said in a statement shared on social media. “What I did was wrong. It was dangerous. It was inexcusable. I drove while intoxicated with my child in the car — a choice that could have caused irreversible harm. That reality is something I will live with, and learn from, for the rest of my life.”

LaPlaca served as mayor through 2025 but remains on the township committee. Terrance Benson was sworn in as mayor of Lumberton this year.

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New Jersey

Newark-bound United flight returns to LA airport for evacuation after reported fire

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Newark-bound United flight returns to LA airport for evacuation after reported fire

NEWARK, New Jersey — A United Airlines flight headed to Newark, New Jersey returned to the Los Angeles airport Monday about 40 minutes after taking off for an emergency evacuation after a reported fire, authorities said.

All flights at the LAX International Airport were ordered to remain on the ground for about half an hour during the flight’s return and evacuation, according to advisories from the Federal Aviation Administration. No injuries were reported.

The flight, which was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport returned to LAX to address an issue with one of the engines, the airline said in a statement. There was no mention of a fire, but the LA Fire Department said it responded and there was a fire that was contained as of an hour after the plane’s landing.

The flight took off at 10:43 a.m., began to turn around at about 11 a.m. and landed again at 11:19 a.m., according to flight tracker FlightAware.

The LA Fire Department said they assisted with the evacuation of more than 250 passengers and crew. Passengers exited the plane on the taxiway using slides and stairs and were taken to the terminal, the airline said.

The airplane was a Boeing 787-9, a variant of the popular line of 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft.

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