At least one manufacturer planned to take action after a dental hygienist reported a potential problem with their toothpaste.
Trish Walraven, who is a dental hygienist, said she noticed little blue dots trapped in the spaces between patients’ teeth and gums. When she asked other hygienists, they said they had seen the same thing in some of their patients.
What they discovered were tiny particles of polyethylene plastic.
Walraven found Crest toothpaste, made by Proctor & Gamble, seemed to use polyethylene more of the plastic than any other toothpaste brand according to her blog about it. She said the ingredient is listed on the toothpaste box and not on the tube.
“It is used primarily for containers and packaging,” said a report by Walraven on dentalbuzz.com, “and has been a concern for the environment because the polyethylene lasts practically forever and isn’t biodegradable. It only breaks down into smaller and smaller particles until you can’t see it anymore.”
After controversy surrounded the use of similar plastic microbeads in bath and soap products, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation in June 2014 banning the sale of products that contained the synthetic microbeads. By the end of 2018 microbeads used in personal care products will need to be removed from manufacturing, and by the end of 2019 these products may no longer be sold, according to Senate Bill 2727.
In response to questions about the plastic particles, the Crest Facebook page included this statement from the company:
“We are excited to let you know that the majority of our toothpastes will be microbead-free within the next six months. All toothpastes will be 100% microbead-free by March of 2016. In the meantime, you can direct your patients to our products that are already microbead-free:
• Crest Cavity Protection Regular Paste
• Crest Cavity Protection Cool Mint Gel
• Crest Complete Extra White + Scope Outlast
• Crest Baking Soda and Peroxide Whitening
• Crest Complete Whitening + Scope Citrus Paste
• Crest Tarter Protection Whitening
• Crest Tarter Protection Regular Paste
• Crest Tarter Protection Fresh Mint Gel
• Crest Anti Cavity Paste
• Crest Complete or Advantage Plus Scope & Extra Whitening
• Crest Complete Whitening + Scope Liquid Gel
• Crest Complete + Scope Liquid Gel
• Kids Crest Paste; Hello Kitty, Disney Fairies, Sesame Street
• Crest Kids Cavity Protection – Sparkle Fun Gel
• Crest/Oral-B Stages”
Walraven also posted video to demonstrate her findings on YouTube.
