"U.S. Government Recommends Lower Level of Fluoride in Water"

"For the first time in more than 50 years, the federal government has recommended lowering the level of fluoride in drinking water.

Since 1962, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) suggested that public tap water contain between 0.7 and 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter. But on Monday, the department said now it's recommending that the level not exceed 0.7 milligrams per liter (which is the same as 0.7 parts per million, or ppm). The announcement comes as no surprise; the DHHS first proposed making this change in 2011, and most large cities have already lowered their fluoride levels accordingly.

Water utilities add fluoride to the taps of two-thirds of Americans for the purpose of reducing cavities. Higher levels of fluoride have been shown to increase the risk of dental fluorosis, a staining of the teeth. Mild cases lead to white spots, while more severe ones can cause brown stains and mottling. The most recent data shows that 41 percent of American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 have some form of fluorosis, a number that continues to rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Douglas Main reports for Newsweek April 27, 2015.