Social engineering is sadly going on non-stop around us.

They didn't have to invent issues, they just used the existing societal conflicts.

Although I heard a recent spin on it.

A lot of fluoride comes by ways other than drinking water (which is a good thing since a lot of drinking water my kids use comes from plastic bottles and "fluoride" isn't one of the ingredients listed -- assuming it as to be and 'water' doesn't automatically include fluoride and choramine.)

Anyway, the upshot is that if you get adequate fluoride from other sources *and* on top of it get what's in drinking water, that may be excessive consumption of fluoride, whatever the local water supply contains. Of course, what about the people that don't get all the added fluoride from their toothpaste or dentist or whatever.

I have no way to set policy to accommodate all the variation or even how to adequately quantify it. Perhaps others have.

It is just an old issue they dredged up to get votes.
The pros and cons of the issue are of no interest to them whatsoever.

where the people bristle and push back at the stereotype of toothless hillbillies, and the regions that oppose fluoridation. I wonder what the overlap would be.

yes indeed

It's worked for dictators & demagogues throughout the ages. The McFelon is no exception.