Good reasons to avoid toothpaste

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Toothpaste is a familiar product across the world which is used for keeping the teeth clean and maintaining general oral hygiene. There are many different types of toothpaste including children’s toothpaste with less fluoride, teeth whitening toothpaste designed for individuals that like to whiten their teeth, and teeth sensitive toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth. The vast majority of us use one type of this toothpaste or another on daily basis to derive the health benefits. Whilst using the toothpaste we tend not to think about the possible dangers associated with the substance. There are a number of dangers relating to the use of toothpaste but I will only explore three of the most serious ones among them below.

There are dangers of using fluoridated toothpaste. Some types of toothpaste contain fluoride which is an active ingredient for fighting tooth decay. Although a low dosage of it might not cause any immediate harm, fluoride is a toxic substance that can kill a person. The package of toothpaste containing fluoride in United States, for example, carries this warning stating “There is enough fluoride in a typical tube of toothpaste to kill two small children if they consumed the entire tube at once.” If an overdose of fluoride can easily have a lethal effect on children surely the accumulation of low dosages of the same substance after a long period of time could also be fatal to adults.

Some toothpaste also is laden with Triclosan which is considered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be a pesticide and preservative. The purpose of adding triclosan to toothpaste is to provide users of toothpaste with antibiotic/ antimicrobial protection. One of the popular toothpaste with Triclosan is Colgate Total. It has been found however that regular use of toothpaste with Triclosan can result in the growth of super-bugs which are resistant to antibiotics.

Another ingredient found in some toothpaste which can pose some health risks to consumers is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS is a surfactant (detergent) that produces the foam when brushing with toothpaste. It is added to toothpaste to help fight canker sores (aphthous ulcers). Although other factors such as regular consumption of hot food, consumption of sweetie or sugary substances, or regular drinking of very cold water can cause teeth abrasion (teeth sensitivity), teeth whitening or tartar control toothpaste have also been found to be the cause of teeth abrasion. The recognition of this problem in Canada has led to the development of Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) Rating test, which is designed to determine the abrasiveness of toothpaste to dentin, the middle section of the teeth. However, it is not mandatory for every toothpaste manufacturer to comply with the testing. Therefore a large number of toothpaste in circulation is likely to have strong abrasive ingredients in them.

 Knowing about these possible dangers associated with toothpaste should not put you off from using the substance. After all you will be better off using toothpaste than not using it all. Instead, having the awareness of the potential dangers relating to the use of toothpaste could lead you to become more careful when using the substance to avoid the possible side effects..

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