The Iran war is secretly sabotaging your tap water and dentists are sounding the alarm

Your tap water might not be doing your teeth any favors right now. A growing fluoride shortage, triggered by the Middle East conflict, is forcing some U.S. water utilities to cut back on the mineral that helps prevent cavities, as reported by Associated Press. If you live in certain areas, your water could already be weaker than it should be—and dentists say the consequences could show up in your next checkup.

The problem started with a supply chain crunch. Israel is one of the world’s biggest exporters of fluorosilicic acid, the compound most water systems use to add fluoride to drinking water. But with many workers called into active military service, production has slowed to a crawl.

Dan Hartnett, chief policy officer for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, confirmed that at least one major Israeli supplier is struggling to keep up. “That has led to decreased production, and supply shortages for the U.S. market,” he said. The U.S. is one of the top five importers of the product, so the disruption is hitting home.

So far, only a handful of water utilities have reported shortages, but those systems serve hundreds of thousands of people

The conflict shows no signs of ending soon, which means more communities could face the same issue. Hartnett warned that “there will likely be additional stressors placed on the supply chain, leading to shortages in additional communities” as the war drags on.

One of the hardest-hit areas is Maryland, where WSSC Water, the country’s eighth-largest water and wastewater utility, serves 1.9 million customers. On April 7, officials announced they were lowering fluoride levels to 0.4 milligrams per liter—well below the recommended 0.7 milligrams. Chuck Brown, a spokesperson for the utility, said they weren’t sure how long the shortage would last but were confident they could stretch their current supply for “a couple more months.” In Pennsylvania, the borough of Lititz had to halt fluoridation entirely for a few weeks last month due to the same supply issues.

Dentists say the drop in fluoride levels isn’t an immediate health risk, but it could have long-term effects. Dr. Scott Tomar, an American Dental Association expert on community water fluoridation, explained that most people won’t notice a difference after just a few months. However, research from cities like Calgary, Juneau, and even Israel, where fluoridation was stopped, shows that lower levels can lead to more cavities over time. “Based on the best available information we have, below about 0.5 milligrams per liter, you’re probably not going to see effective preventive exposure,” Tomar said.

Kids are the most vulnerable. Fluoride strengthens enamel as teeth develop, so children who aren’t getting enough could see more decay as they grow. Tomar’s advice is to keep brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and not to skip dental appointments. If you’re worried, talk to your dentist before considering supplements or other treatments. “A few months’ drop in fluoride levels is probably not a cause for concern for most people,” he said, “but it’s something to keep an eye on.”

Fluoride in water has been a public health success story for decades. The American Dental Association credits it with reducing tooth decay by more than 25% in both children and adults. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population gets fluoridated drinking water, and the CDC has long called it one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

But misinformation has muddied the waters. Last year, Utah became the first state to ban public water fluoridation, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned its safety, even restricting its use in dental programs.

Kennedy announced plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoridation nationwide. He’s also assembling a task force of health experts to study the issue and make new recommendations. Meanwhile, the EPA is reviewing new scientific data on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. The agency sets the maximum allowed level, currently capped at 4 milligrams per liter, but the CDC’s recommended level is much lower at 0.7 milligrams.