Dentist Response- FDA to Remove Ingestible Fluoride Prescription Drugs for Children From Market

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it will start removing prescription drug products for children that have concentrated ingestible fluoride from the market.

Statement from Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS, Holistic Dentist and author of Living Well with Dr. Michelle

“As a holistic health provider and biologic dentist, I fully support the FDA’s decision to remove ingestible fluoride prescription drugs for children from the market. This is a long-overdue move grounded in both common sense and scientific evidence.

For decades, we’ve known that fluoride works best when applied topically—not when swallowed. A landmark study published in The Lancet Neurology classified fluoride as a developmental neurotoxin, and even the CDC acknowledges that systemic fluoride’s primary benefit is from topical contact with teeth—not ingestion. Research consistently shows that fluoridated toothpaste or mouth rinses are more effective and safer than systemic forms for preventing cavities.”

More importantly, ingesting fluoride comes with real risks:

• Overexposure can lead to dental fluorosis (permanent staining and damage to tooth enamel).
• It may impair thyroid function, especially in children.
• It can disrupt the gut microbiome, an emerging area of concern as we better understand how the microbiome influences overall immunity and brain development.

There’s also the troubling issue of dose control—you cannot “un-ingest” fluoride once it’s in your body. This makes prescription-strength fluoride tablets especially risky for young children, whose developing bodies are more vulnerable to even low levels of toxicity.

This FDA move is a sign that health policy is catching up with what many integrative health professionals and global experts have been saying for years. We must protect our children from preventable toxic exposures—especially when there are safer, more effective alternatives readily available.

We don’t need more fluoride.

We need better oral health education, access to whole foods that support remineralization, and a clear understanding of what our bodies—and especially our cells—truly need to stay well.