Mmm, the listeria builds a stronk immunity.

People would find a way to demonize vitamin B if the government had a program to supply it to people for free.

I think calling it a conspiracy theory is not entirely fair. It's a genuine scientific debate, hindered by the lack of proper evidence and studies that apply to the US.

Read https://www.statnews.com/2025/01/06/fluoride-iq-jama-pediatrics-critiques-meta-analysis/ for example, it highlights a recent meta-study that found a small, but non-negligible effect on neurodevelopment if people were ingesting fluoride. But a lot of studies it relies on have some asterisks attached. Those are properly accounted for in the meta-study, but ultimately the answer is "we don't really know".

Many western countries don't add fluoride to the drinking water; many used to do so in the past but stopped. There were the concerns about neurotoxicity (albeit minor) but also some ethical concerns regarding mass-medicating the population without any realistic opt-out. But the other major reason is that those countries have the population exercise good dental practices like brushing twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, which is spat out instead of swallowed. This avoids concerns of neurotoxicity but maintains the dental benefits: a best of both worlds basically (also endorsed by most scientists).

The US has systemic poverty issues, and a large part of the population do not observe these good dental practices, not necessarily through ill-will but rather because they lack the money to buy toothpaste. Because of that, removing fluoride will likely increase cavities in the US, unlike in other western countries.

Ideally the US keeps the fluoride around until these systemic poverty issues are largely resolved. But knowing the current shitstains in government...

I hate just how the fluoride conspiracy theory is still a thing when it’s been proven time and time again that fluoride is needed to maintain healthy dental hygine.

People who believe in disprovable conspiracy theories, literally don't care about the truth.

They don't think it might be true, they think they know it's true. They've convinced themselves that since they have "seen through the lies" and learned "secret knowledge", that makes them smarter than everyone who dismisses their theory. And the majority are so far gone that they're extremely afraid of admitting they were wrong. Since they've spent years rolling their eyes and joking about how dumb other people are. And if they admit they were wrong, they have to admit to themselves that all that time they were actually the dumb one. So usually they double down even in the face of evidence they produced themselves.

TL;DR: Most conspriacy theorists are stupid and think their theory proves them a genius. That's why the weird ones persist.

They know it's bullshit, they're just using it to sell the idea to morons.

The point is actually the increase in cavities. They want to make it even more expensive to be poor, with the ultimate goal of starving out anyone who isn't profitable.

But why put it in the water and drink it, better to have in in toothpaste and mouthwash if you can't brush

Poor people often can't afford toothbrushes and/or toothpaste, let alone the "recommended" (read: mandatory, or people will say you deserved to lose your teeth) floss, mouthwash, electric toothbrush, etc., all from "reputable brands".

Yeah, what that's saying is that US parents are dumb if not cruel to their children. Its pathetic

And we're only five months in.