Fluoride has been added to drinking water for decades to prevent tooth decay, a practice which is considered a public health success story. At the same time, recent studies show that the health effects are more complex than previously assumed, and that potential side effects such as fluorosis or individual risk factors need to be given greater consideration.
Too often, the balance between the benefits and harms of a measure is not sufficiently considered because the underlying scientific reasoning is one-sided. Health-related decisions must continuously be questioned and adapted to the current state of research.
Only through evidence-based and transparent decision-making processes can effective measures be implemented that both maximize benefits and minimize potential risks.
We therefore need a renewed scientific discourse, for which critical reflection is essential to strengthening trust in medical and health policy decisions. To this end, we have established a working group dedicated to fostering this discourse through regularly published findings and reports.
