Dentist warns Toothpaste is this dangerous
Brushing your teeth is as much a part of everyday life as doing your annual taxes. Toothpaste contains questionable ingredients and has a poor eco-balance. A dentist gives tips.
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- Toothpaste can contain harmful chemicals such as titanium dioxide, lead, sodium lauryl sulphate and parabens, which are potentially harmful to health and the body.
- Microplastics in toothpaste pose an environmental problem as they end up in wastewater and are not fully filtered, while toothpaste tubes are often not recyclable.
- Toothpaste tablets offer an environmentally friendly alternative with less water consumption and a high cellulose content, which additionally polishes the teeth and prevents tooth decay.
Not all toothpaste is the same. Certain products contain harmful chemicals, reports "bild.de". You should watch out for these ingredients:
- Titanium dioxide and lead are classified as potentially carcinogenic and are banned in food.
- Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is a foaming agent that can irritate and dry out the oral mucosa. Swallowing, speaking and smelling are impaired. Food cannot be pre-digested due to a lack of saliva, the tooth enamel is attacked and the immune system is stressed.
- Parabens disrupt the hormone balance and are suspected of causing breast cancer. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) makes the mucous membranes more permeable and can increase the absorption of harmful substances.
- Artificial sweeteners promote the development of diabetes.
Microplastics as an environmental problem
Toothpaste consists largely of water, which makes up around 20 to 50 percent of the contents. The exact amount varies depending on the product and often remains a trade secret of the manufacturer, which is why it is rarely stated on the packaging.
Toothpaste foam gives many people the feeling of clean teeth: "But it unnecessarily distributes all the ingredients in the mouth and throat, including the important abrasives and fluorides," says Dr. Judith Grieger to the German newspaper Deutsche Zeitung. The dentist practices in her practice in Berlin.
In addition to the high water content, which is already causing criticism, 87 percent of the toothpastes examined contain microplastics. This was revealed in a recent study by the Plastic Soup Foundation. The tiny plastic particles are flushed into the wastewater when brushing teeth and from there end up in rivers, lakes and oceans, as sewage treatment plants cannot filter them out completely. This pollution of water bodies is a major environmental problem. And toothpaste tubes cannot usually be recycled.
There is a good alternative
Toothbrush tablets offer an environmentally friendly alternative to toothpaste and only require a small change in brushing habits.
Unlike toothpaste, almost no water is needed to produce them, and no water is required for the application itself: you chew the tablet in your mouth, where it combines with your saliva to form a creamy mass.
Another advantage of toothpaste tablets is their high cellulose content, which is significantly higher than that of toothpaste. This means that teeth are not only cleaned but also polished when brushing. This smooth surface makes it difficult for plaque and deposits to adhere - an effective protection against tooth decay.
