Why Does The US Government Require Warning Labels on Toothpaste?

Have you ever looked at your toothpaste container for warnings? Or have you simply trusted that as toothpaste is readily available on the shelf of every grocery and convenience store without restrictions, and is sold with the intended and sole purpose of placing the product in your mouth, that it was in fact safe for its intended use?  Check the back of your toothpaste container for a warning such as the following:

"WARNINGS: If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately. KEEP THIS AND ALL DRUGS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN."  ~Sensodyne with the seal of Dentist Recommended Brand

Why the warning?  Here are some of the ingredients commonly found in commercial toothpaste brands in the United States (note that many manufacturers must formulate a different brand in order to export to Europe so certain of these ingredients may not be common place in Europe). 

• Hydrated Silica - Made from a crystallized compound found in quartz, sand, and flint and is primarily used as an abrasive in toothpaste.
• Sorbitol - Used as carriers and sweeteners in toothpaste.
• Sodium Saccharin - Used as carriers and sweeteners in toothpaste.
• Glycerin - Syrupy, sweet, colorless or yellowish liquid obtained from fats and oils and used as a solvent, antifreeze, plasticizer, and sweetener in the manufacture of dynamite, cosmetics, liquid soaps, inks, and lubricants. Glycerin prevents toothpaste from drying out and helps maintain product consistency.
• Sodium Lauryl / Laureth Sulfate - SLS is a powerful surfactant (wetting agent) and detergent. It has industrial and cosmetic uses and is used around the world.  Many clinical studies have shown SLS to be a major skin irritant and it's widely recommended to avoid it in skin care products, particularly for those seeking natural chemical-free skin care products. The molecules are small enough to penetrate the skin and enter the blood stream being carried to every organ of the body. SLS is used in toothpaste (and most soaps) as a foaming and cleansing agent.
• Sodium Fluoride - Colorless crystalline salt used in fluoridation of water, in treatment of tooth decay, and as an insecticide and disinfectant.  Sodium fluoride is used in toothpaste to harden the enamel of the teeth to prevent tooth decay, although this theory is widely challenged today.

While many natural health professionals recommend avoiding many of the above ingredients, sodium fluoride is the ingredient that triggered the FDA to require warning labels on toothpaste.

Here are some of the concerns about fluoride:

• The FDA lists fluoride as an “unapproved new drug” and the EPA lists fluoride as a “contaminant."  Fluoride has not received “FDA Approval” and is considered to be a toxic waste industrial by-product from the phosphate fertilizer industry.
• The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry stated in a July '98 report that at least 22% of all children in the United States now have dental fluorosis as a result of ingesting too much fluoride.  Fluorosis causes light spots and discoloration on developing teeth of children. In advanced cases pitting of teeth can occur.
• Fluoride has been linked to many harmful health effects including Alzheimer’s, kidney damage, gastrointestinal problems, cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment, bone and tooth decay, arthritis, and osteoporosis. For more information on these potential links visit http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/
• Battelle Columbus Laboratories, who was engaged by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), released the results of its study of the links of fluoride to cancer l 1988. The study showed a dose-dependent relationship between the incidence of oral cancerous tumors and fluorides. After learning this, the National Cancer Institute did a study and found that as exposure to fluoridation increases, so does the incidence of oral cancer; sometimes by as much as 50%. http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/cancer/ntp/battelle.html
• In 1990 forty US dentists brought a case against the American Dental Association contending that the Association purposefully shielded the public from data that linked fluoride to genetic defects, cancer and other health problems (Columbus Dispatch, Oct 21, 1990). Since 1990 over 45 US cities have rejected fluoridation. Europe has largely rejected fluoridation with approximately 98% Europe’s drinking water fluoride free.
• In 1986-1987, a study involving 39,207 children aged 5-17 showed no statistical difference in decay of teeth from using non-fluoridated or fluoridated water (Dr J. Yiamouyiannus Water Fluoridation & Tooth Decay Study, Fluoride 23 : pp 55-67, 1990.).

If you feel as though you may have been exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride its recommended that you take steps to reduce fluoride intake and work to maintain good nutrition (a diet rich in antioxidants.  Unfortunately, there are few well-established ways of detoxifying from chronic fluoride poisoning.

It is always good to keep a close eye on all providers of natural products as ownership, focus, and therefore products can change overtime.  While there is nothing to suggest a change in formula, it is worth noting that Tom’s of Maine, a leader in the market for natural oral care, was bought out by the world’s largest mass producer of oral care products which contain many of these poor ingredients, Colgate-Palmolive, in May 2006.  http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Formulation-Science/Toothpaste-ingredients-go-the-natural-route

Sources:

• http://www.giveittomeraw.com/forum/topics/why-the-us-government-requires?page=1&commentId=1407416%3AComment%3A766769&x=1#1407416Comment766769
• http://www.fluoridealert.org/faqs.htm
• http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Fluoride.htm

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