Why does fluoridated toothpaste have a poison warning on the label?
Having been in the fight against water fluoridation for 4 years now, I find it mind-boggling that almost everyone sees a poison warning on their tube of fluoridated toothpaste which states "Poison - Do Not Swallow" however most people are still okay with a similar substance being pumped directly into their water supply which they then swallow on a daily basis. I say "similar substance" because the "fluoride" that is in toothpaste is different than the "fluoride" that is in our tap water. The fluoride in toothpaste is a substance called "sodium fluoride". This is a filtered, pharmaceutical grade fluoride that has had excess contaminants removed however it still requires a poison label... because sodium fluoride is poison. There is poison in your toothpaste. There is poison in your tap water.
Toronto Water is adding an unfiltered form of sodium fluoride to our water supply called hydrofluosilicic acid. This toxic waste by-product of the phosphate fertilizer and aluminum industries has been whitewashed with a generic label called “fluoride”. Since 2011, Toronto Water has added 0.6 ppm or 0.6 milligrams per liter of this chemical to our water supply, down from 1.2 ppm in 1999 and 0.8 in 2005, even though those levels were then considered “safe and effective” when being administered to a mostly unknowing, uncaring public.
The levels of fluoride in Toronto’s water have dropped continuously most likely due to the mountain of new scientific evidence showing harm, and as our government slowly distances themselves from association... but who is keeping an eye on toothpaste?
Pick up a tube at home, and read the fine print:
WARNING: DO NOT INGEST. IF MORE THAN USED FOR BRUSHING IS SWALLOWED CONTACT POISON CONTROL IMMEDIATELY.
Toothpastes contain a large range of fluoridation levels, however on average fluoridated toothpaste is made up of approximately 0.24% sodium fluoride. This is equivalent to 2.4 grams per liter or 2,400 mg per liter.
2,400 PPM.
This concentration is 4,000 times higher than Toronto's fluoridated tap water at 0.6 ppm. Instructions indicate to use "Only a pea sized amount." If you weigh out a pea sized amount of toothpaste, it is approximately 0.25 grams per brush application. If you lather fluoridated toothpaste on your toothbrush as they do in the commercials, you can easily put over 2 grams of toothpaste on your brush per application.
So now the big question: How does fluoridated toothpaste compare to Toronto's drinking water?
If you use the recommended pea sized amount of 0.25 grams of toothpaste containing 0.24% sodium fluoride per brush application, you are putting 0.0006 grams of sodium fluoride or 0.6 milligrams directly into your mouth (exactly the same as a liter of Toronto tap water and more than is contained in some prescription fluoride tablets).
However, if you lather on your toothpaste and use 2 grams containing 0.24% sodium fluoride, you are putting 4.8 milligrams of sodium fluoride directly into your mouth (the same as drinking 8 liters of water).
If you swallow that 2 grams of toothpaste containing fluoride you should contact poison control immediately. However it is okay to drink the equivalent 8 liters of water?
Most people drink around 2 liters of water per day, so every 4 days we are drinking an amount of fluoride that should result in us calling a poison control center.
Don't swallow fluoridated toothpaste, but swallow fluoridated tap water everyday, for the rest of your life.
If you are still using fluoridated toothpaste it is time to switch to an unfluoridated toothpaste as soon as you can. If you still insist on using fluoridated toothpaste, make sure you and your children spit out every last drop.