Plastic beads in your toothpaste

You may have heard by now that President Obama has signed into law banning the use of environmentally damaging micro beads in our products.  But, did you also know that these micro beads are found in your toothpaste?  By using the recommended pea sized amount of toothpaste, you could still be putting thousands of micro beads in your mouth at any given time!  How do I know this?  I’m a dental hygienist who finds these on a daily basis in my patient’s mouths.

One of the most popular toothpastes that currently contains microbeads is the Crest 3D White and ProHealth products.  Proctor and Gamble is no longer manufacturing these products with microbeads, but they also aren’t recalling all of the products they have produced.  You can see from the image that these tiny beads get caught underneath the gums.  Although there is no scientific research to show that these microbeads can increase your risk of gingivitis, the fact that they are so tiny and not removed regularly can be terrifying to me.  Have you ever had a popcorn kernal caught in your mouth……exactly!

So what can you do if you use these toothpastes?  You can risk your oral health by continuing to use them, discontinue their use and return them back to the store for a refund (make sure you tell them why) or just ignore these tiny micro beads and continue on with your day.

For questions about this article or questions about your dental health, feel free to contact me, Jacque’ Spurlock at jacque@newalbanysmiles.com