What's in your Toothpaste

[Tiffany Bare]

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

We all know about the harsh chemicals in our cleaners, our make up, our foods, but what about our toothpaste. That's right toothpaste. We all have our favorite brand, we use it religiously every morning and night. What are we putting in our mouth? As I write this I go to my bathroom and grab the toothpaste my teenager uses. Guess what the only ingredient listed is "Active Ingredient Sodium Fluoride 0.243%(0.16 w/v fluoride ion), so what else is in it? Obviously there is more to it than just Fluoride. As I research this very popular brand I am having a hard time finding the ingredients anywhere. I went to the manufacturers websites, no luck, so let's talk about what we know is in it.

Fluoride (aka Sodium Fluoride)is found in most toothpaste on your stores shelves. It is suppose to help your teeth right? But could it actually do more harm than good? In 1997 the Food and Drug Administration required that all toothpastes sold in the U.S. carry a label that read "Poison Warning" the warning reads as follows:"WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately."Excuse me? Have deaths actually occurred because of fluoride? The answer is yes, most deaths associated with fluoride are young children under the age of 6. These young children only have to swallow approximately 70% or less of the tube depending on age, to have serious complications and even death to occur. Why children? They love the taste, watermelon, strawberry, and bubble gum. It is irresistible to a young child taste buds, after all that is why we buys these toothpastes so our kids will learn good dental hygiene, right?

What are the alternatives? Natural Toothpastes are becoming very popular, but some have a horrible taste and others just have a horrible texture to them. I recently found one I love it, it is Dr. Sharp. The texture and taste is just like regular toothpaste and the natural flavors of mint and green tea leave you mouth feeling very refreshed. It is completely non toxic, so swallowing it is not a problem. It is great toothpaste to take camping with you. They also have a mouthwash which I love. Same great taste, and gently enough to swallow. What makes Dr Sharp great is it is concentrated so a little goes a long ways. So just remember there are safer products out there for you and your family. You just have to experiment to find the one that is right for you.

Written By

Tiffany Bare
Karmafarm Online