Toxic Toothpaste

Many brands of toothpaste contain the following warning. "WARNING: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately." If something is that dangerous where more than a tiny amount is considered poison, then I do not want to be putting it in my body every day.

Toothpaste is regulated as a cosmetic product, and not as a food. I suppose the rationale behind this is that toothpaste is not swallowed and that it does not get absorbed into your body. As a result the standards of safety for toothpaste are much lower than our already very low safety standards for food additives. Since toothpaste is not a food, almost anything goes as far as ingredients are concerned. Toothpastes usually contain ingredients like hydrated silica, sorbitol, sodium saccharin, titanium dioxide, glycerin, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, and sodium fluoride.

Hydrated silica is made from quartz and sand and it is an abrasive in toothpaste.

As I already mentioned, the sand in toothpaste can cause tooth wear with too much brushing.

Sorbitol and saccharin are both sweeteners and are used in toothpaste. They are on the list of substances we want to avoid.

Titanium dioxide is a pigment used for providing brightness and whiteness. It is used as a stain remover and a whitener. Titanium dioxide is potentially carcinogenic in humans. If the titanium dioxide in toothpaste contained nano-sized particles then it can be toxic to cells in your body and absorb through contact. Glycerin is added to toothpaste to give it its "pasty" consistency and helps prevent the toothpaste from drying out. Supposedly, glycerin requires 27 rinses to remove from the teeth. This glycerin film could create a barrier on the teeth that would prevent teeth from getting harder and stronger. Usually, small amounts of toothpaste get swallowed or absorbed directly into your bloodstream through your gums through a process called diffusion.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is used as a foaming agent and a degreaser. It is used also for washing cars and cleaning garage floors. It is absorbed by the body and can damage or affect cells. It has been correlated with canker sores.