Fluoride is a common exposure in our environment that comes from a variety of sources and is widely promoted for its dental and overall oral health benefits. Contributions to an individual’s total exposure come primarily from fluoride in drinking water, food, beverages and dental products. A 2006 evaluation by the National Research Council (NRC) found support for an association between consumption of high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water and adverse neurological effects in humans and recommended further investigation. The evidence reviewed at that time was from dental and skeletal fluorosis-endemic regions of China. Since the NRC evaluation, the number and location of studies examining cognitive and neurobehavioral effects of fluoride in humans have grown considerably, including several recent North American prospective cohort studies evaluating prenatal fluoride exposure.
