House committee hears contested testimony on bill to ban adding fluoride to public water

The Montana House committee heard House Bill 498, which would prohibit introducing fluoride into public water systems. Representative Lucas Schubert, who presented the measure, said recent scientific papers raise concerns about neurodevelopmental effects and urged the committee to consider removing fluoride from public drinking supplies.

Representative Schubert told the committee that studies — including a systematic review and a JAMA Pediatrics meta-analysis cited by proponents — have reported associations between higher fluoride exposure and lower childhood IQ in some international studies. He argued fluoride added to water is not equivalent to topical fluoride and said local governments that fluoridate pay for that service (he cited a figure for the city of Bozeman) and that alternative, topical measures exist.

Proponents who testified included Rebecca Schwartz (Montana for Health and Family Rights), Lauren Golifon (college student, Bozeman), Lisa Bennett (resident of Carbon County) and others. Their testimony raised several concerns: that some studies show neurodevelopmental effects at higher concentrations, that the fluoride added to water is an industrial byproduct in some cases, and that topical fluoride (toothpaste, dental application) is the primary way to prevent cavities.

Opponents included representatives of dental and public-health organizations: the Montana Dental Association, Montana Dental Hygienists Association, Delta Dental, the Montana Medical Association, the Montana Hospital Association and individual dentists and hygienists. Michael Bowman, president of the Montana Dental Association, said the association “unreservedly endorse[s] the fluoridation of community water supplies as safe, effective, and necessary in preventing tooth decay,” and cited the CDC’s designation of water fluoridation as a major public health achievement. The Montana Dental Hygienists Association and Delta Dental emphasized fluoridation’s cost-effectiveness and its role in preventing cavities among underserved populations.

Witnesses on both sides offered numeric claims that committee members asked to substantiate. Opponents said community fluoridation at the optimal level (0.7 parts per million) reduces cavities and is cost efficient (testimony cited savings per dollar invested). Proponents cited the National Toxicology Program’s review and a JAMA Pediatrics meta-analysis; testimony referenced meta-analysis results (an estimated 1.63 IQ-point decrease per 1 mg/L increase in urinary fluoride in some studies) and flagged that many cited studies come from countries with higher natural fluoride levels than typical U.S. community fluoridation.

Kurt Bray, an informational witness and practicing orthodontist, summarized the evidence and noted the National Toxicology Program review raised concerns at higher drinking-water concentrations (about 1.5–4 parts per million). Bray told the committee that those higher levels — and private wells with naturally elevated fluoride — are the primary concern in the literature; he recommended local regulation to address areas with naturally high fluoride such as West Yellowstone (testimony cited measured levels between about 2.5 and 3.7 parts per million).

Committee members asked for citations and clarification; several witnesses said they would provide studies and source material to the committee. No final vote on House Bill 498 was recorded in the hearing; the matter remained under consideration at the committee stage.

Background and local context: witnesses noted that community fluoridation coverage differs across the U.S. (testimony cited about 72% of the U.S. population with access to optimally fluoridated water) and that only a minority of Montanans have optimally fluoridated water (testimony cited about 30%). Several speakers framed the issue as one of local control versus statewide prohibition. The committee’s discussion focused on interpreting scientific evidence, cost and access implications for underserved populations.