Have you ever read the label of your toothpaste to see its ingredients?
If you are a Dr. Brite customer, you’ve more than likely at some point looked at your toothpaste label you used before Dr. Brite and were alarmed to see the phrase: “Call poison control immediately if swallowed.”
I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t want to ingest something daily that has a poison control warning on the label.
As a dentist of over 20 years, and the CEO of Dr. Brite, my mission is to educate others on what makes a safe toothpaste, and which ingredients in toothpastes are most harmful to the body and should be avoided.
Fluoride - The first one, fluoride, is very controversial.
As a dentist I was taught that you need to have fluoride in toothpaste for it to be effective. After several years of research, I realized that fluoride is a neurotoxin and should be avoided (see which other ingredient is safer).
Fluoride also accumulates in the body as lead.
Remineralization of teeth with fluoride happens when fluoride is in contact with the enamel of teeth for 5 minutes or more.
The amount of fluoride in daily toothpaste is not enough to remineralize the tooth enamel because no one brushes their teeth for over 5 minutes at a time.
Powerful plant-based ingredients found in Dr. Brite toothpaste such as neem oil, tea tree oil, and organic extra virgin coconut oil with their anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties help fight cavities by effectively removing bad bacteria from the mouth
SLS - The second ingredient that should not be in your daily toothpaste are sulfates (SLS and its depravities). SLS is the ingredient that is responsible for the foaminess of the toothpaste.
Without SLS, toothpastes do not foam much and are considered “low foaming.”
SLS also causes mouth sores, dryness of the mouth, and irritation to the gums and should be avoided.
Other mild, plant-based ingredients found in Dr. Brite toothpaste such as coconut derived potassium cocoate have the benefits of soap without the bad side effects.
Potassium cocoate also has a rating of 1 (lowest hazard rating) by the Environmental Working Group.
Triclosan - The third ingredient to avoid is triclosan.
It is in some conventional toothpaste as an anti-plaque ingredient, but it has been labeled by the FDA as a pesticide and was banned by the FDA from hand soap and therefore should be avoided.
Triclosan is a harsh chemical and studies have shown that triclosan can lead to cancer.
There are other powerful plant-based ingredients found in Dr. Brite toothpaste such as organic extra virgin coconut oil and non-acidic vitamin C that help with gum health without the harsh side effects.
Propylene Glycol - The fourth ingredient that should be avoided is PG or PEG. Propylene Glycol is a very harsh chemical preservative that has been associated with contact dermatitis and is considered an irritant.
Of course, in the mouth, the oral mucosa is even more sensitive than the skin, therefore PG causes irritation to the gums and could cause mouth sores.
There are other natural super ingredients that could preserve toothpaste such as vitamin C which are found in Dr. Brite toothpastes.
Plus, Dr. Brite toothpastes are completely safe if swallowed!
In conclusion, make sure you read labels and always choose natural, nourishing, plant-based ingredients over chemicals and lab-made ingredients that most people can’t pronounce.
FAQs
1. What ingredient should not be in toothpaste?
A bad taste in toothpaste is not tolerable. Hence, artificial sweeteners are used by the majority of traditional toothpaste manufacturers. These include sucrose, sorbitol, xylitol, and saccharin, among others. As for sorbitol and saccharin, these are questionable substances (but not for humans).
2. What ingredient in toothpaste is actually dangerous to your health?
In almost 16,000 studies, SLS's toxicity has been documented, despite the fact that it is still used in hundreds of cosmetic products and the majority of traditional toothpastes. Chemicals such as this one, which are also used as insecticides, can cause irritation and organ toxicity, according to the Environmental Working Group.
3. What ingredient in toothpaste causes cancer?
Most toothpaste-cancer stories revolve around the ingredient triclosan. There are numerous products containing this chemical.
4. What component of toothpaste might lead to ulcers in the mouth?
For those who are prone to canker sores, it is best to avoid toothpaste foaming chemicals such sodium lauryl sulfate because they can aggravate existing lesions. There are toothpastes on the market that don't include sodium lauryl sulfate.
5. Is brushing without toothpaste preferable?
According to the study, "dry brushing," or cleaning the teeth without toothpaste, is more efficient at eradicating plaque than traditional tooth brushing. In fact, a 67% decrease in plaque accumulation was observed in 128 participants who attempted dry brushing for six months.
6. Why do I get ulcers after using particular toothpaste?
Scab sores can also be brought on by Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a common ingredient in toothpaste. Shampoo, soaps, and home cleaning supplies all contain SLS, a soft tissue irritant.
7. Which toothpaste ingredient contributes to dry mouth?
SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is an ingredient that should be avoided by xerostomia patients since it exacerbates dryness and mucosal irritation. Many toothpastes contain SLS because of its foaming properties, which have come to be linked to a more efficient cleansing process.
8. Does the price of toothpaste matter?
The quick response is: not really. A evaluation of 17 of the most popular toothpastes in Australia revealed that, although having different pricing, the majority of them were equally effective at whitening teeth. In actuality, the majority of the brands had essentially the same contents.
