The longstanding public health practice of adding fluoride to community drinking water is facing heavy scrutiny in the United States over questions about whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks. But new research challenges recent claims about the risks of fluoride in drinking water — and instead suggests that it may have additional positive effects. (CNN) 

The heightened federal debate was spurred by a recent government study from the National Toxicology Program that concluded that high levels of fluoride exposure are linked to lower IQ in children, but that study evaluated fluoride exposures that were at least twice the federally recommended limits with notably “insufficient data” to determine the effects of lower levels.

The new study looked at more typical, recommended levels of fluoride in drinking water and instead found “robust evidence” that young people exposed to fluoride at these lower levels actually performed better on ​cognitive tests than their peers who did not have fluoride in their drinking water.

Dr. Rob Warren, lead author of the study published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday, said he was “shocked” by the findings from the National Toxicology Program study and motivated to provide research that was more relevant to public policy decisions.

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