Survey finds Americans more likely to trust ADA than RFK Jr. on fluoride information
A nationally representative survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found that Americans are more likely to view the ADA as a trustworthy source of information about the health effects of fluoride in drinking water than Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
According to the survey, which was conducted among 1,639 U.S. adults, 74% of adults said they are confident that the ADA is providing trustworthy information about the health effects of fluoride in drinking water, compared with 34% who expressed confidence in Kennedy.
The survey found that 65% of adults are not confident that Kennedy is providing trustworthy information on fluoride in drinking water, including 42% who are “not at all confident” and 23% who are “not too confident.” By comparison, 26% said they are not confident in the ADA, including 9% who are “not at all confident” and 17% who are “not too confident.”
“When it comes to fluoride, Americans place considerably more trust in the American Dental Association than in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” said Ken Winneg, the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s managing director of survey research. “These overall numbers obscure the finding that many Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, supporters express confidence in both sources, reflecting how differently Americans evaluate health information depending on their broader views.”
The survey also examined attitudes toward community water fluoridation. Overall, 43% of U.S. adults said they favor the use of fluoride in public drinking water, while 26% oppose it and 30% neither favor nor oppose it. When asked specifically whether they would favor fluoridation of the drinking water in their own community if the community was deciding whether or not to do so, 43% said they would favor it, 23% said they would oppose it and 34% said they neither favor nor oppose it.
Respondents who identified themselves as supporters of the MAHA, movement were more likely to oppose than favor adding fluoride to their community’s drinking water, 41% to 26%. Among respondents who do not support MAHA, 63% said they would favor fluoridation and 11% said they would oppose it.
The survey found that confidence in Mr. Kennedy was higher among MAHA supporters. Seventy-four percent of MAHA supporters said they were confident in Kennedy as a trustworthy source of information about fluoride’s health effects. At the same time, 68% of MAHA supporters also expressed confidence in the ADA. Among non-supporters of MAHA, 83% expressed confidence in the ADA.
Asked about the overall public health impact of fluoride in public water supplies, 42% said it has a positive effect, 17% said it has a negative effect and 35% said they are not sure. Among MAHA supporters, 30% said fluoridation has a positive effect on public health and 30% said it has a negative effect.
The ADA has long maintained that community water fluoridation is a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay and has been a cornerstone of public health for more than 80 years. For more information and resources on community water fluoridation, visit ADA.org/Fluoride.
