Warning on toothpaste.. wow.
@enchantedleppard (1541)
United States
April 1, 2008 4:49pm CST
I was reading Self magazine a little bit ago and they have a column on medical mistruths this month. I came across something that I felt I had to share with you and get your opinion on.
They say it is a truth that dollar store toothpastes may be poisonous. Be wary of toothpaste sold at dollar stores and other super discount outlets. The FDA is warning that these may have brand name labels but many are chinese imports that may contain diethylene glycol, a chemical that can cause organ damage and kidney toxicity with prolonged exposure.
They are saying to stick to American made toothpaste that you can find at a normal drugstore.
2 people like this
7 responses
@gavsmomjamie (319)
• United States
1 Apr 08
Oh wow enchanted! Thats scarey, I buy from dollar stores all the time. Thanks for the warning!
1 person likes this
@enchantedleppard (1541)
• United States
1 Apr 08
The smartest thing to do is just watch the packaging and make sure it was made in America if you come across any.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
2 Apr 08
It definitely makes sense to stick to American made toothpaste. And American make toys and anything else you can find made in America. (Which is getting harder to find all the time)
Isn't it illegal to put a brand name label on a product that isn't manufactured by that company? And if the company is doing it themselves, shouldn't they be held accountable? We have safety laws for a reason.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
1 Apr 08
The problem is not that the toothpaste is from the dollar store. The problem is that it may be from china or even a knock off of American toothpaste. You can still buy dollar store toothpaste, you just have to be careful.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Apr 08
thanks for posting this as it will help a lot of people who did not know that.thatis just dreadful and people not knowing that will be usingit as it is inexpensive.how sad. I will stick to my good old american crest as it does what it is supposed to do and is safe too.
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
2 Apr 08
That's pretty scary. But presumably diethylene glycol can only damage you if you swallow it, and even then it would only be a danger in quantity over a long period? So those of us who brush carefully & spit our toothpaste out shouldn't need to worry too much, but perhaps those of us with small children ought to take more care & avoid these brands.
Thanks for flagging this one up EnchantedLeppard, I hadn't seen the article & I'll certainly be a bit more wary of cheap toothpaste now that I know that.
@getunaddicted (210)
• United States
2 Apr 08
my sister works at a dollar store, and she was frustrated with having to pull of of that off the shelves.
If you read any tooth paste it says if you swallow more than just enough to brush your teeth to call poison control... Sorry I stick to my soda/salt solution...
