We often talk about the pros and cons of water fluoridation through the lens of benefits versus the risk of harm. But it's also important to understand the broader public health ethical considerations.

Last month, Utah became the first state in the USA to ban fluoride in public drinking water and just last week a local mayor in Florida vetoed a county decision to remove fluoride, pushing back a little against a vote that seemed more about politics than health. In Australia we recently saw Cook Shire Council in far north Queensland also vote to cease water fluoridation.

What we are seeing is a distortion of public health ethics – allowing a small number of fellow citizens to impose a disadvantage on the community at large for the sake of protecting their individual autonomy.

In this episode of the Dental As Anything podcast we explore some of the ethical principles that underpin public health measures, moving beyond beneficence and non-maleficence to consider how we balance individual autonomy with the broader public good, and the role of justice.