First, there’s the obvious: The water that comes out of your tap won’t have fluoride in it. And then come the questions: Will we see more cavities? If you’re a fluoride skeptic, will we see stronger bones down the line? And what about brain health? There’s fascinating history to talk about, too. The John Birch Society used to tell people that fluoride was part of a communist conspiracy. We’ll talk about how fluoride works, what’s behind the suspicion and where Utah’s ban fits in the so-called “MAHA” movement.
GUESTS —
Saige Miller | KUER politics reporter and co-host of KUER’s politics podcast “State Street.” You can read her reporting about fluoride here and here.
Meryl Horn | Producer for the podcast “Science Vs” from Gimlet Media and Spotify. You can hear their episode about the science of fluoride here.
Matthew Dalleck | Professor of Political Management at George Washington University. He’s the author of the book “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.” [Amazon|Bookshop]
Airdate: Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 9 a.m. Sat. April 19, 2025 at 11 a.m.