Utah has become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite widespread opposition from dentists and national health organizations. Republican Gov.

Since 1945, this mineral has been widely added to U.S. drinking water to prevent cavities. While the safety of water fluoridation has been debated since the 1940s, recent years have seen heightened concerns.

Republican Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill into law Thursday banning fluoride from the state's drinking water becoming the first to do so.