We’re entering an unprecedented era for oral health care. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not only one of the world’s leading anti-vaccine advocates but has advocated for the removal of fluoride from water supplies, despite over 70 years of data and scientific evidence pointing to the safety and efficacy of community water fluoridation.

As a dentist in Medford, I see the impact of not adding fluoride to most of our water in southern Oregon. I’ve seen one-year-old patients with cavities and regularly see patients with severe dental decay that affects their ability to learn, work, eat, and talk.

Fluoridation reduces tooth decay by more than 25% and in 2015 was recognized by the CDC as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Community water fluoridation has outsized benefits for patients with low incomes, like many I serve at La Clinica. They may not be able to access or afford preventive dental care, but if their water was fluoridated, they would still get a dose of prevention with every glass they drink. Fluoride plays a key role in improving oral health in these communities, which improves overall health.

Community water fluoridation is safe, effective and a key part of our dental public health infrastructure. I hope Oregon will show leadership in this public health fight — as we have in so many other science-driven public health initiatives in recent decades — and support community water fluoridation in the Rogue Valley in the future.

Alayna Schoblaske / Medford