If you've been drinking Palm Beach County tap water for years without thinking about it, something changed quietly in the summer of 2025: it stopped containing added fluoride.
More than a year on, most patients we see still don't know. It's not a crisis, and it isn't a reason to panic about your family's teeth. But it does mean one of the background protections that had been working automatically, for everyone, without anyone having to remember anything, is no longer there — and a few small habits now carry more weight than they used to.
What changed, and when
Florida Senate Bill 700 was signed on May 15, 2025 and took effect on July 1, 2025. The law prohibits certain additives in public drinking water systems, and fluoride falls under it. Florida became the second state, after Utah, to end community water fluoridation statewide.
According to the Florida Department of Health, 97 water providers across 27 counties stopped fluoridating. Utilities used up their remaining supplies before the deadline, so in practice most systems stopped during June 2025.
Locally, the Village of Wellington confirmed it discontinued adding fluoride in compliance with the law. Wellington also notes something worth understanding: its raw water supply naturally contains 0.15 to 0.2 mg/L of fluoride, which isn't removed during treatment and remains in the water today.
Why that number matters. US health authorities recommend 0.7 mg/L as the level that reduces tooth decay. Naturally occurring fluoride at 0.15 to 0.2 mg/L is roughly a quarter of that. It isn't zero — but it isn't a meaningful cavity-prevention dose either. If you've been counting on your tap water, it's fair to say that protection is effectively gone.
How to find out what's actually in your water
The prohibition is statewide, so no Florida utility is adding fluoride. Naturally occurring levels, though, vary from one water source to the next — and if you're on a well or use a filtration system, your number is different again. Two ways to find yours:
- Your utility's annual water quality report, sometimes called a Consumer Confidence Report. It's published yearly, usually available on your utility's website, and lists fluoride in mg/L.
- Call and ask. Request the current fluoride concentration in mg/L. It's a routine question and they'll have the figure.
Worth knowing that most home water filters — standard carbon pitcher and faucet filters — don't remove much fluoride, while reverse osmosis and distillation remove most of it. And most bottled water contains little or none unless the label specifically says fluoride has been added.
What replaces it — in order of how much it matters
The good news is that fluoridated water was never the strongest tool available. It was the most effortless one, which is a different thing. Here's what does the work now, roughly in order of impact:
- Fluoride toothpaste, twice a day. This is the big one, and it's free if you're already brushing. Use a smear the size of a grain of rice for children under three, a pea-sized amount from age three, and supervise young children so they use the right amount and spit it out. One easy upgrade: spit, don't rinse. Rinsing with water washes away the fluoride that would otherwise keep working on the enamel for another half hour.
- Professional fluoride varnish at checkups. A concentrated fluoride coating painted onto the teeth in under a minute. For children and for adults with a history of cavities, this is the most direct replacement for what the water was doing.
- Dental sealants on the back molars. The deep grooves in molars are narrower than a toothbrush bristle, which is why most childhood cavities begin there. A sealant fills those grooves with a thin protective coating — no drilling, no numbing, a few minutes per tooth. Typically $35 to $60 per tooth here, and usually covered in full for children.
- Change snacking frequency, not just quantity. This one is underrated. Every time sugar hits your teeth, the enamel spends the next 20 to 30 minutes in an acid environment. One dessert after dinner is far less damaging than a soda sipped across an afternoon. If you change one dietary habit, make it the grazing.
- Keep the six-month checkups. A cavity caught as a small spot is a filling. The same cavity found a year later can be a root canal and a crown. Nothing about the fluoride change alters that arithmetic, but it does make the intervals matter more.
Who should pay closer attention
The change doesn't affect everyone equally. Some people were relying on fluoridated water more than they realized:
- Children between roughly 6 and 14, whose permanent molars are erupting. This is the window when sealants and varnish do the most good.
- Anyone with a history of cavities. Past decay is the single best predictor of future decay.
- People with dry mouth, whether from medication, medical treatment, or mouth breathing. Saliva is a natural defense against decay, and less of it means less protection.
- Patients in braces or aligners, where brackets and attachments create places plaque can hide.
- Families without regular dental access. Fluoridated water helped most the people who visit a dentist least. That's the group dentists across the state are watching, and it's why we'd rather see you for a checkup than not see you at all.
A word on fluoride supplements: don't start one on your own. Drops and tablets exist, but the dose depends on your child's age, their cavity risk, and the measured fluoride level in the water they actually drink. Too much fluoride while permanent teeth are forming causes dental fluorosis — permanent white or brown mottling of the enamel. Bring us your water report and we'll tell you whether a supplement is appropriate.
What we're watching
Dentists across Florida have said they expect to see measurably more tooth decay in the general population within two to three years of the change — and the effect, if it comes, will show up first in children and in people with the least access to regular care. We're a year into that window now.
We don't have county-level data yet, and we'd rather tell you that than guess. What we can say is that the habits above cost very little and work regardless of what's in the tap. If you have young children, the two worth acting on this month are supervised fluoride toothpaste twice a day and a conversation about sealants at their next visit.
Worried about cavities without fluoridated water?
A checkup and cleaning is the simplest way to find out where your family actually stands. We'll tell you if fluoride varnish or sealants make sense for your kids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Florida tap water still have fluoride in it?
Florida water systems no longer add it. Senate Bill 700 took effect July 1, 2025 and prohibits certain additives in public drinking water, including fluoride. The Florida Department of Health reported that 97 water providers across 27 counties ended fluoridation. Some water still contains a small amount of naturally occurring fluoride — Wellington reports 0.15 to 0.2 mg/L in its raw water supply, which stays after treatment. That's well below the 0.7 mg/L level US health authorities recommend for cavity prevention.
When did Florida stop adding fluoride to drinking water?
The bill was signed May 15, 2025 and took effect July 1, 2025, making Florida the second state after Utah to end community water fluoridation statewide. Utilities depleted their remaining fluoride supplies ahead of the deadline, so most stopped adding it during June 2025.
Does Royal Palm Beach or Wellington water have fluoride?
The Village of Wellington has confirmed it discontinued adding fluoride under the state law, and notes 0.15 to 0.2 mg/L remains naturally in its raw water. The statewide prohibition applies to all Florida public water systems, so no local utility is adding it. To confirm the current level in your own water, check your utility's annual water quality report — sometimes called a Consumer Confidence Report — or call and ask for the fluoride concentration in mg/L.
How do I protect my children's teeth without fluoridated water?
Fluoride toothpaste is the most important step and does most of the work: a rice-grain smear under age three, a pea-sized amount from three, twice a day, and spit rather than rinse so the fluoride stays on the teeth longer. Add professional fluoride varnish at checkups, sealants on the back molars, limiting how often sugary drinks and snacks appear rather than just how much, and keeping six-month checkups. Ask us whether your child's risk justifies prescription-strength toothpaste.
Are dental sealants worth it now that water isn't fluoridated?
For most children yes — and they matter more in a non-fluoridated environment. A sealant is a thin coating painted into the deep grooves of the back molars, where a toothbrush bristle physically can't reach and where most childhood cavities start. Application is quick and painless, with no drilling or numbing. Sealants typically run $35 to $60 per tooth here and are usually covered in full for children.
Should my child take a fluoride supplement?
Only if a dentist or physician prescribes one. Supplements are dosed on your child's age, their individual cavity risk, and the measured fluoride level in the water they actually drink — including bottled water and any filter you use. Too much fluoride while permanent teeth are forming can cause dental fluorosis, permanent white or brown mottling of the enamel. This isn't one to start on your own.
This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for a dental exam. Fluoride supplements and prescription-strength fluoride products should only be used when prescribed by a dentist or physician who knows your child's age, cavity risk, and the fluoride level in your actual water supply — too much fluoride during tooth development can cause permanent white or brown mottling of the enamel. Water fluoridation status can change; confirm current details with your own water utility.
Related: Dental Sealants · Family & Kids Dentistry · Composite Fillings · Nutrition & Gum Health · Book a Checkup