Ladapo on Friday also appeared in Winter Haven, where city commissioners earlier this month voted 3-2 to remove fluoride from its drinking water by the end of the year. Community water fluoridation has been used for seven decades as a method of preventing tooth decay.

Florida's surgeon general issued guidance on Friday recommending communities in the state stop adding fluoride to their water. Why it matters: There is ample evidence fluoride in water improves dental health and is safe at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo has officially issued guidance recommending against fluoride statewide, citing the “neuropsychiatric risk associated