The Great Toothpaste Debate

It’s probably safe to say that the majority of Americans have been taught the importance of good oral care. We see commercials everyday for the latest and greatest in Dental hygiene. Whether to whiten, straighten, blast away or tellaport the plague from our gum lines, toothpaste companies today take these claims of healthy teeth and gums all the way to the bank! But, what exactly is in these products that are essential to our everyday health? I wanted to find out.


Here is a list of common toothpaste ingredients from greenfootsteps.com:


1. Detergent.
(Most toothpastes contain Sodium Laureth Sulphate (same thing as Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate, or SLS) which has creates foam and does play some role in cleaning. It's a major ingredient in washing up liquid.?
It isn't strictly needed, though, in toothpastes and some studies have tended to show that it makes human tissues (skin, scalp, mouth surfaces) more easily penetrated by other chemicals. Many alternative toothpastes do not use it.
Detergents such as SLS help the cleaning process. Ammonium lauryl ether sulfate is now often used in preference to SLS because its larger molecules don't penetrate our skin and mouth membranes so easily. Detergents are anti-bacterial and have a role in breaking up plaque.

2. Abrasives
A variety of abrasives are found in commercial toothpastes (see individual chemicals below).
Silica is a natural component of sand which is extremely hard and it helps the cleaning process by being abrasive. It has been used in toothpastes for a long time. It is generally considered safe in some forms. Hydrated silica is the particular type of silica used in gel toothpastes. It is a bio-accumulator i.e. it can persist and build up in wildlife and humans.
Calcium (chalk) Many toothpastes include calcium salts as abrasives. It is considered safe.
3. Plaque prevention and control
Tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) is sometimes used as a water softening agent which removes calcium and magnesium from the saliva so that less plaque is formed. It is unpleasant tasting and alkaline and needs other ingredients (detergents) present to make it work. It is rated as moderately toxic by Toxnet.
Some toothpastes may contain Triclosan which helps kill plaque-forming microbes. Triclosan is one of those bio-persistent chemicals which turn up in fish, breast milk and wastewater.

4. Bleaches and whiteners
Tooth whitening pastes may contain hydrogen peroxide. There are some health queries about the safety of this, especially in more concentrated amounts found in some products. One study (by Europa) concluded that most people suffered no problems from a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution used twice a day. However, hydrogen peroxide is also classed as a weak carcinogen and they also concluded that it should be sold in a 0.1% concentration only. Stronger solutions would need to be obtained by prescription.

* Some tooth-whitening products may contain sodium hydroxide (caustic soda). It is considered a moderate hazard.
Most over-the-counter tooth whitening pastes include carbamide peroxide, which is generally produced from perhydrol urea, an animal product rated as moderately toxic by EWG. It is banned in Canada.
Sodium carbonate peroxide is added to some whitening toothpastes. It breaks down into sodium carbonate (washing soda) and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide then bleaches the teeth and kills germs around the gums.
Titanium dioxide (also found in sunscreens) is used to make the toothpaste opaque and bright white. It is found in Aquafresh, among others. Low hazard.

5. Stabilisers and bulking agents
Polyethylenes such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other polymers are found in many toothpastes where they are used to bind and stabilise. Health concerns include cancer, allergies/immunotoxicity and organ system toxicity.

6. Other toothpaste ingredients
Fluorides are used to harden the teeth against decay. They work best when combined with surfactants (detergents) such as SLS and ALS. There are many health queries over the use of fluoride. Sodium fluoride is commonly used and is thought to be a cancer-causing agent (carcinogenic) in prolonged use. Sodium monofluorophosphate has similar properties.
Colours such as Yellow 10 Aluminium Lake also carry similar health concerns.
Many ingredients are fairly irritating. Allantoin (thought to be harmless) is sometimes added to counter the irritation caused by detergents, alkalies, and acids.
7. Flavourings are used to mask the unpleasant taste of some of the ingredients such as the detergents and phophates. In addition, sweeteners such as sodium saccharin are added to improve the taste. Other flavours are usually based on mint essential oils.
Fragrances can cover a multitude of things, from innocuous natural ingredients such as aniseed or mint to quite potent chemicals which persist in the environment.


****Here’s my take on toothpaste. While many of today’s brands offer superior cleaning and cavity prevention, they also are being made with harsh chemicals that probably shouldn’t be put in your mouth! Now I know what you are thinking, as consumers today, if not toothpaste then what should we use to clean our teeth? There are alot of alternatives to common over the counter brands of toothpaste such as Crest and Colgate. One of my personal favorites is Tom’s of Maine. Although the company has been bought out by one the bigger brands, it still holds true to its original values for the consumers. Tom’s offers many products including one type that does not include SLS, which has been linked to Oral Cancer in many recent health studies.

One of my personal picks is for the Tom’s of Maine SLS plus fluoride toothpaste in Peppermint.

I would also like to include information about tooth powder. If you are going to go the extremist route and swear off all toothpastes altogether, that I suggest making your own toothpowder at home! In the long run, it’s much more fun to make it yourself!


Basic Tooth powder Recipe from http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/homemade-toothpowder.html
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt (I used Himalayan salt, but any sea salt is fine as long as it is finely ground so that it does not damage your enamel)
Peppermint extract (optional)