[Pharmwaste] What hidden dangers lie in toothpastes?

[DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ)]

http://sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=8852&GroupID=2


What hidden dangers lie in toothpastes?

by Angela Mdlalani
19-09-2010

 

Although we don't swallow it, not intentionally at least, we do trust
toothpaste, don't we? We rely on it for dazzling smiles. 

But the paste we have come to trust as offering us better oral hygiene
and preventing tooth decay may be more dangerous than we care to notice.

The Internet is awash with claims that some of the dental hygiene
products widely used by families today contain toxins that have, among
others, been linked to cancer and blindness. 

It is accepted that toothpaste should not be swallowed, hence the need
to monitor youngsters when they are brushing their teeth.

Doctor Itumeleng Kalane, a General Dental Practitioner at the Dental
Clinic in Gaborone, says that children should not use toothpaste before
their second birthday.

Fluorosis, Dr Kalane said, is a researched and documented effect of
excessive toothpaste swallowing. 

"This is a discolouration of the tooth enamel from exposure to excessive
fluoride during enamel formation, particularly during the maturation
phase," said Dr Kalane. "Toothpaste swallowing is usually associated
with a mild form of this condition, which presents as white flecks or
spotting. In other cases the enamel assumes a diffuse cloudiness in
colour. This problem is a concern, especially in children below 2 years
of age as they tend to swallow significant amounts of toothpaste during
brushing." 

He said that it is around this time that the enamel matrix of the
permanent incisors in the tooth crypt matures, and any incorporation of
fluoride during this time leads to esthetic impairment when they
eventually erupt.

However, it is claimed that many of these toxins need not be swallowed
to cause harm to the human body because the potentially harmful
ingredients are made up of very small molecules that may penetrate
through the tissue of your mouth to enter the blood stream and build up
in the liver, kidneys, heart lungs and body tissues.

Makers of dental hygiene products, including mouthwash, pride themselves
in their products containing fluoride, which, according to experts, is
an active ingredient that prevents cavities. 
"The introduction of fluoride toothpaste dates back to 1955 and
different improved formulations have since followed over the years.
Fluoride is used for its topical anti-caries properties," Dr Kalane
says. 

Though offered as being protective against tooth cavities, fluoride is
not considered to be a dietary essential and has effects on the
formation of dental enamel and bones. 

There are claims that it also acts as an active ingredient in rat and
cockroach poison as well as in anaesthetic, hypnotic and psychiatric
drugs. 

In fact, in the US, fluoride was surprisingly shown not to be that
effective in reducing cavities.
On September 8th, 2010, USNEWS reported that dental sealants may be
exposing young children to Bisphenol A (BPA), which is a resin used in
many kinds of plastics. It said many studies suggest that BPA can have
harmful effects on human health, particularly on child development.

"Based on new research, dental sealants can expose children to BPA.
Exposure is believed to be "short-lived" but long-term risks are
unknown," said USNEWS, adding that dental products do not contain pure
BPA, "however saliva can cause them to leach, releasing BPA into the
mouth, degrading it into pure BPA".

The other potentially harmful ingredient in toothpaste is Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate (SLS), the ingredient mainly responsible for the foaming when
brushing your teeth. The chemical, which is also used clinically to
irritate skin during laboratory testing is reportedly also corrosive and
harmful to the skin.

"This is a surfactant and is used in toothpaste for its detergent and
foaming properties to help penetrate plaque deposits and facilitate
their removal and dispersion," said Dr Kalane. "Its effect as a skin
irritant at high concentrations is well documented, and some writers
would like to claim that it's also an irritant in the mouth even
suggesting it could worsen recurrent ulcers."

The same ingredient is found in shampoos, soaps, engine degreasers and
car wash soaps. 
Dr Kalane, however, says a double blind cross-over study involving
patients with recurrent ulcers found no significant difference in the
size, number, and duration of mouth ulcers when using toothpaste
containing 1.5% SLS or one that contained no SLS.

Another hazardous constituent in toothpaste is Triclosan, also found in
many detergents, and has antibacterial properties that make it also
useful as a pesticide.

Of this, Dr Kalane says Triclosan is an anti-microbial, i.e. it kills
bacteria. He says that it has been shown to reduce plaque and improve
gum health significantly.

Hydrated Silica, also found in many brands is a whitener, which,
unfortunately, damages enamel, used as an abrasive in toothpaste. The
compound is made from a crystallized compound found in quartz, sand, and
flint.

According to published reports, scratching the surface of the tooth with
an abrasive such as hydrated silica harms the enamel and prevents
re-mineralization. Tooth enamel re-mineralizes daily from the supply of
ionic calcium and phosphorus in the saliva.

Of this, Dr Kalane says the particle size in toothbrush formulations is
such that the abrasivity is only optimal to ensure no significant harm
could be done, that cannot be taken care of by the remineralization
process from fluoride and that which occurs naturally. 

Other toothpastes have been found to contain diglycol or labeled DEG. In
2007 the MNSBC reported that some Chinese toothpaste was found to
contain the fatal chemical and warned customers to "throw away Chinese
toothpaste". The chemical is used in antifreeze as a solvent.

"People should look out for Diethylene glycol, or diglycol," says Dr
Kalane. "This chemical is used as a solvent and anti-freeze agent. It
has been used in certain Chinese made toothpastes as a humuctant to
reduce loss of moisture and hardening, so as to prevent plug formation
on the tube nozzle. It is highly toxic and the Food and Drugs
Administration has reported that chronic exposure to it may lead to
toxic effects on the liver and kidneys and that it is a central nervous
system depressant."

Dr Kalane says that he is not aware of any scientific, evidence based
study which has specifically investigated and concluded the critical
doses of these constituents in toothpaste for them to be harmful. 

"Numerous claims have been made to question the safety of toothpaste.
However most of these claims, for the most part, are not products of any
scientific research. They are a matter of individual opinion,
professional or otherwise."

Dr Kalane says toothpaste remains a reliable, safe and relatively cheap
mode of topical fluoride application.

"Its benefits in prevention of caries since the 1950s is not in doubt as
confirmed by numerous studies. It is recommended by professional dental
associations the world over, and regulatory bodies, including the FDA.
It is not meant to be ingested but rather to be spat out following
brushing and its undesirable effect (fluorosis) can be minimised by
keeping ingestion minimal in children. In adults no real concerns arise
as the message is clear: DO NOT SWALLOW!"



Deborah L. DeBiasi 
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov (NEW!)
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 
Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs 
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program 
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html 
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219 
PH:         804-698-4028 
FAX:      804-698-4032