Scientists find toxic metals linked to autism in popular toothpaste
A startling new investigation has uncovered toxic heavy metals lurking in some of America's most trusted toothpaste brands, including those made for children.
Lead Safe Mama, a small business focused on lead-poisoning prevention, sent 51 toothpaste products to an independent lab for testing.
The lineup included household names like Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, Orajel, Burt’s Bees, Tom’s of Maine, and Hello.
A staggering 90 percent tested positive for lead, 65 percent contained arsenic, 47 percent had mercury and 35 percent were found to have cadmium. Many products were found to have more than one of these toxins.
All four of these substances are known neurotoxins, capable of damaging brain cells and affecting cognitive development at certain levels.
Some research has linked prolonged exposure to these metals with learning disabilities and even autism. Beyond neurological effects, exposure to heavy metals has also been associated with cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, and cardiovascular dysfunction.
None of the tested products exceeded the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) limits for exposure to these toxins, though two did exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) limit, which is based on wastewater levels.
Still, the concern is especially troubling because these metals can easily enter the body not only through ingestion, but also through skin absorption or by being inhaled during brushing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no known safe level of lead or mercury exposure, raising serious concerns about the long-term safety of everyday oral care products.
Only five of the tested toothpastes did not contain any heavy metals, including one Orajel product made for kids: Orajel Training Toothpaste.
But Lead Safe Mama founder Tamara Rubin called the widespread presence of these toxins in toothpaste 'unconscionable, especially in 2025.'
'What's really interesting to me is that no one thought this was a concern,' she told The Guardian.
Rubin said the contamination appears to stem from certain ingredients commonly used in toothpaste, such as hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate and bentonite clay.
Hydroxyapatite, a mineral often derived from animal bones, is added to toothpaste for its potential to help teeth absorb calcium.
WTF! I specifically buy hydroxyapatite toothpaste because it doesn't contain fluoride. It's supposed to help rebuild your teeth and be more effective than the usual crap they put in there. It costs like 2x what the regular crap costs.
I guess we can add toothpaste to the list of products that RFK needs to scrutinize
I don't want to gross anyone out but I haven't brushed my teeth in 20 years. Still have them all, no cavities that I know of and they're still white
How do you clean them? I've heard of a man who uses only hydrogen peroxide and says the same, not cavities, great health.
I use floss and toothpicks to get in between them fairly regularly, sometimes chew gum. Idk i don't notice any buildup of stuff to clean off so I don't really clean them. Maybe I'll regret it later but so far so good.
I did have a procedure done when I was younger to get caps over all my molars. Some have definitely fallen out maybe all of them by now. I'll give some credit to that for my lack of cavities
What is your diet like? Do you eat processed food or drink sodas?
Mostly I drink water, not a big soda or alcohol guy although a lot of energy drinks the past few years. Fairly crappy diet, lots of pizza and stuff.
But growing up on a dairy farm I had a lot of milk and beef every day which may have set me up with good teeth. Steak every day or burger or roast, now it was from old dairy cows so it wasn't tender and nice steak
Ah, I see. Thanks. It's hard to imagine not feeling anything yucky on your teeth after sleeping, but everyone is different, so maybe that's just you. (lucky.) After reading this, I'm going to have to look for an alternative as well. Thanks for the info. Glad it's working for you.
Was your water fluoridated as a child, or were you given fluoride supplements as a child while your adult teeth were developing? Don't downvote for this, just wondering as the claim is that fluoride incorporated into teeth during their development prior to eruption prevents cavities. Since you state you had caps on your primary teeth as a young child (see later post) it seems like they may have put you on fluoride to prevent such rampant decay as your adult teeth developed and erupted. Also, do you avoid sugar?
No I don't think so, Im not positive about our small towns water treatment plant but I don't think they do. And also lots of well water on the farm
As a kid in the 60's we used baking soda only. I went back to that 5 years ago.
I've started using a few drops of Clove oil in a dixie cup 1/2 full of water as a mouth wash. Less pain, whiter teeth, and good for gums. But yeah. I'm disappointed that my supposed healthy choice of cutting out flouride is still quite bad for me.
I make clove tea and use it the same way
...Spry which incorporates xylitol
So let me get this straight, they're saying hydroxyapatite, bentonite clay and calcium carbonate are bad?
Or they're typically included with the toxic substances such as lead and cadmium (which is also found in Hershey's chocolate, btw)?
I'm wondering the reason why they used bentonite clay with the toxic substances is because bentonite clay is known to pull toxic stuff out of your body if ingested, but if it begins at the mouth and the bentonite clay is an agent that would help pull the harmful chemicals through the body but isn't enough to flush it out of your system, therefore leaving the toxic chemicals in your body?
I find it hard to believe hydroxyapatite and bentonite clay are harmful and I don't know much about calcium carbonate as I'm sure that's also another natural mineral?
Calcium carbonate is natural, from limestone as well as other things, probably oyster shells - both chalk and oyster shells can be used as a ph buffer for water when brewing dark beers.
Crap. Tom's of Maine too? I import their toothpaste because there is no fluoride-free toothpaste in my country. 25 years ago they had blocked the use of fluoride in toothpaste, but at some point they caved and now it's unavoidable.
I think I recently saw them on a list of previously “safe/good” [which is debatable] companies that have been bought out by known industry conglomerates.
Source:
https://tamararubin.com/2024/05/food-articles/
Damnit. That list is a nightmare!
Those you trust the most ....
u/#q1746
Just a certain group of people trying to wipe everybody else out... Other lives mean nothing to them. We are like bugs and cockroaches to them.
Well surprise surprise, Jesus is King. They can do all the evil they want in this world.
Doesn't matter. We all carry our crosses. We aim for eternity with God, not this shithole that Satan rules.
All toothpaste with fluoride has a poison warning on the back
Yes they do....
I wonder how many read it ... and to call the poison control center if you swallow more than a pea sized amount...
Remember that ahole growing up that would swallow/eat his toothpaste? Mmm yeah...
And they made it so tasty for 5-year-olds especially hungry ones. I have an excellent memory going back to 2 years old
Holy WTF! I hate these people!!! We must be incredibly hard to kill because they’re hitting us everywhere. Remove the poisons and we’re all living to 200. Unbelievable
Dammit, I bought HELLO because it doesn't have flouride.
Everything is poison. I've been poisoned by the medical system so many times, but this last one with the MRI contrast is the worst. I'm not the same man I used to be. Depressing asf and I don't know what to do anymore.
Just want Jesus to come soon. This place sucks.
So... What are the toothpastes we should use?
I cant even read this without my blood boiling.
Add 'Boils Blood' to the list of side affects.
Spry with xylitol Amazon
Tetracycline class antibiotics caused a ton of tooth decay problems back in the day when they used it a lot. I don't think it's so common for people anymore but very common on farms. I wonder if it still can cause problems from eating the chicken and stuff