The village of DeForest, WI, plans to begin removing the fluoride from their water starting March 7, joining the growing list of 80 Wisconsin communities that have stopped fluoridation since 1995. The change was finalized in early Feb. 2025 after the DeForest Village Board voted 4-3 in favor of removing fluoride.
Fluoridation is the common national practice of adding minimal amounts of fluoride to public water supplies to help prevent tooth decay.
Health experts widely support the fluoridation of drinking water. The American Dental Association and American Academy of Paediatrics say adding fluoride at set levels is important to prevent tooth decay.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has claimed fluoridation is “one of ten great public health interventions of the 20th century because of the dramatic decline in cavities since community water fluoridation started in 1945.”
However, there are many people against fluoridation, one of them being Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who was sworn in as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13 and has discussed removing it from drinking water nationally.
In Wisconsin, one of the leading voices against water fluoridation is Brenda Staudenmaier. Since 2017, Staudenmaier has urged Wisconsin residents to eliminate fluoride from their water systems, citing concerns about its potential effects on child brain development.
A U.S. National Toxicology Program review published in 2024 found an association between high fluoride levels and lower IQ in children outside of the United States. However, the report’s authors emphasized that the correlation does not imply causation and additionally note that the United States consistently maintains far lower fluoride levels in community water.
Although she is not a resident of DeForest, Staudenmaier frequently attended local meetings on water fluoridation. She previously sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a California district court in 2016 and won a ruling requiring further regulation of fluoride. The EPA is currently appealing that decision.
Despite opposition from activists, state organizations such as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Dental Association continue to support fluoridation, particularly for individuals lacking regular dental care.
Madison dentist Tom Reid, president of the Wisconsin Dental Association, recently had a patient from DeForest inquire about fluoride alternatives, as the village plans to discontinue its use.
“We can prescribe fluoride tablets,” Reid said. “But community water fluoridation is crucial because it benefits people across all socioeconomic backgrounds.”
The U.S. has added fluoride to drinking water since 1945, and Wisconsin’s recommended concentration of 0.7 milligrams per liter is backed by decades of research. “I really don’t understand why we’re having this conversation,” Reid said. “And I don’t know what’s motivating communities or activists to push for fluoride removal.”
According to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources data, nearly 80 community water systems in the state have discontinued fluoridation—28 of them since 2020. Reid expects some of these communities will eventually reverse course.
“It might take two to five years, but we’ll likely see a significant increase in cavities,” Reid said. “It’s almost inevitable.”
In DeForest, some residents are already considering reinstating fluoridation, according to Village President Cahill Wolfgram.
“If the issue comes back before us, or if we decide to change our position, we can easily move forward again,” Wolfgram said. “The pumps are still there, the money is still in the budget, and the capacity to fluoridate remains.”
Before the DeForest board voted to remove fluoride on Feb. 4, people on both sides of the debate voiced their opinions. Now, Wolfgram hopes to hear more from residents.
“We’ve heard outside perspectives,” she said. “Now, let’s listen to the people who live here, drink our water, and pay our taxes.”
