Fluoride is added to water to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, but communities are abandoning the practice because of health concerns.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for an end to the public health practice of putting fluoride in water. Why it matters: If he's confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in the new Trump administration,

Research has generally shown that drinking fluoridated water at the recommended levels is safe and beneficial for oral health, especially in children. However, many people feel that more research is needed to better understand whether and when health risks kick in.

Days before the election, Kennedy posted on social media that a Trump White House would advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from the public water supply, which goes against public health recommendations yet jibes with a large number of people who question the safety of fluoridating water.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department is raising concerns in the dental community over his push to rid the country’s public water supply of fluoride.

Winter Haven, Florida, voted last week to remove fluoride from its drinking water, citing concerns from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Trump tapped to serve as secretary of health and human services.

Before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed to be President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services secretary, he floated the idea of removing fluoride used in drinking water across the country.