The City of Montreal wants to stop adding fluoride to the West Island’s tap water. While such programs cost money, they prevent disease in the long term.
The opposition to water fluoridation generally follows three main tracks.
Another argument is we can get fluoride from other sources, like toothpaste. But we add fluoride to drinking water for the same reason we add iodine to salt and folic acid to grains: It is the most effective way to ensure all members of society have equal access to necessary medical care. It is easy to say “go buy toothpaste” when you have a comfortable income, but access to dental care is a luxury some cannot afford. Fluoride supplementation is not only the most cost-effective way of distributing fluoride to the population, it’s also the most equitable.
Even so, the studies suggesting an association with lower IQ often compare the average IQ of children in regions with water fluoridation programs against those in other regions, without adjusting for the many other factors that can affect test performance. Also, IQ tests are unreliable predictors of cognitive performance, subject to a number of biases, and are generally poorly regarded these days.