Once hailed as a triumph of public health, water fluoridation is now under intense attack in the US.
Despite decades of data proving its efficacy at protecting teeth from decay—particularly children’s teeth—two states have now banned the use of fluoride in public water, and communities around the country have followed suit or are considering doing the same. The current US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is known for his anti-vaccine advocacy and for peddling conspiracy theories, has pledged to remove fluoride from US water.
So the wealthy are increasingly scrambling for ways to differentiate themselves from the plebs.
The Internet shot education disparities in the foot, along with equal access measures. Looks and fashion are meaningless, because the first point means that personally made, bespoke items can be very high quality. Health can be maintained very cheaply, with the right knowledge.
So they are frustrating access to education and preventative health measures like vaccines and fluoride.