The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing on July 23 to collect feedback on the clinical use and safety concerns associated with prescription fluoride supplements for kids revealed supporters and opponents, but the writing may be on the wall for cavity-fighter.

“We’ve got to look at a risk-benefit analysis. And since this isn’t approved, it’s never been through the rigorous FDA process of saying there’s a benefit that outweighs the risk,” Tidmarsh told NOTUS about the fluoride supplements. “And if there’s not, then, you know, we should probably act.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it plans to ban fluoride tablets and drops, which have long been prescribed to children in areas where the mineral is not added to drinking water. On Wednesday, July 23, the agency will hold a public meeting featuring a panel of 18 experts, supporters and skeptics to weigh the decision.

Dr. James H. Bekker made it clear while standing at a podium in front of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Md. on July 23: there is no way to replace fluoride supplements if the government decides to take them off the market.

A meeting Wednesday at the Food and Drug Administration about fluoride supplements became, at one point, a contentious back-and-forth over whether the ingestible tablets harm children’s microbiomes or play a vital role in helping protect them from tooth decay.