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Sodium Fluoride poisoning, own brand toothpaste

Hiya

wonder if anyone else has heard about this? I took the MSE challenge of dropping down a brand and rather than buying Sensodyne bought Tesco's own sensitive care toothpaste. However, for the past couple of weeks I've had a vile soapy taste in my mouth. Didn't connect it with the toothpaste but when I was chatting to a pharmacist, the first thing he asked me was had I changed toothpaste. He explained that cheaper toothpastes are higher in sodium fluoride than more expensive ones, and the SF can lead to this nasty soapy taste in some people. Sure enough, when I got home and compared the amount of SF and SF derivatives, the Tesco toothpaste was loaded with it! Since stopping using it, the soapy taste has gone. Just wondered if anyone else had heard about this or experienced it.

Comments

  • Pssst
    Pssst Posts: 4,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Most dental products have SF in them,even mouth washes. It IS outrageous that these products are contaminated with SF but it will be even worse when they contaminate our clean,pure drinking water supply with it against our will.
  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,654 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi Savannah,

    You should get more replies on the Health and Beauty Moneysaving board so I've moved your thread over there.

    Pink
  • Thanks, I actually don't mind the 'contamination' of fluoride as I've lived in a fluorinated water area all my life and have seen the benefits. I was just really really shocked to see how much SF and SF derivatives were in this particular toothpaste with no warning about the possible soapy taste side affect because of the build up.
  • Is having a nasty taste in your mouth really "poisoning"?
  • Pssst
    Pssst Posts: 4,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Thanks, I actually don't mind the 'contamination' of fluoride as I've lived in a fluorinated water area all my life and have seen the benefits. I was just really really shocked to see how much SF and SF derivatives were in this particular toothpaste with no warning about the possible soapy taste side affect because of the build up.
    What benefits did you see of water fluoridation?
  • Pssst wrote: »
    What benefits did you see of water fluoridation?



    I believe the merits of water fluoridation are being discussed in another thread in the "green moneysaving" forum. You are just being opportunistic by trying to further denigrate this public health measure in this thread.
  • Potentially it is if you've got young children and are, like me, already living in a fluorinated water area. It can cause severe mottling to milk teeth in particular. Don't get me wrong, I actually believe in the benefits of fluorinating water, it's just I was shocked at the amount of SF products in this particular brand of toothpaste.
  • I used to work as a rep who sold amongst other things, a toothpaste that did not contain fluoride. The company training said that the reason fluoride is used in toothpaste is because rats that died of SF poisoning had clean white teeth?! OK so that could well be an urban myth, but their position on it was that fluoride is a poision - and in the right quantities it can kill. I believe the right quantities is not really that much - i.e. much less than 1 tube, so I was taught that a child "eating" their toothpaste could get poisoning, and who knows what the long term effects of swallowing their toothpaste daily are, as you're supposed to spit it out.

    I have to say I used the product because I liked it, but for MSE reasons I am onto the regular products now, and am still currently kicking around!
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Someone here has got this twisted right round their neck!!

    Either the pharmacist gave you wrong informtion, or you heard it wrong.

    I'd be interested to know which type of Sensodyne you use. The reason I ask is that the Pronamel brand is actually SLS free.

    SLS is Sodium Laurel Sulphate, and is the foaming agent in most toothpastes, as well as most detergent products.

    Now, SLS has just as many scare stories around it as fluoride seems to attract, and the vast majority of them are nearly as inaccurate as fluoride ones. But - it often doesn't like the oral environment, and can cause a sore mouth, particularly in people with poor saliva flow.

    Another thng that SLSdoes is that it can stick to the tooth, and prevent fluoride in the toothpaste getting to the tooth surface and strengthening it.

    For this reason, good brands of toothpaste are lower in SLS than cheaper brands, and the brands that really want to hit the tooth with a decent dose of fluoride are SLS free - like Sensodyne Pronamel.

    I tend to use Sensodyne Pronamel (I get tons of it free!!!) and I really notice the coating on my teeth if I use anything different with SLS now.

    I think your pharmacist either said, or meant to say sodium laurel sulphate, not sodium fluoride.

    As to the bit about dead rats having white teeth - just use your brain for 10 seconds!! How can a dose of poison possibly be in the system long enough to make a difference to the teeth? It needs regular application to help the teeth. Rats don't tend to need several doses of poison over a period of months/years before they die!!!
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    naturally wrote: »
    I used to work as a rep who sold amongst other things, a toothpaste that did not contain fluoride. The company training said that the reason fluoride is used in toothpaste is because rats that died of SF poisoning had clean white teeth?! OK so that could well be an urban myth, but their position on it was that fluoride is a poision - and in the right quantities it can kill. I believe the right quantities is not really that much - i.e. much less than 1 tube, so I was taught that a child "eating" their toothpaste could get poisoning, and who knows what the long term effects of swallowing their toothpaste daily are, as you're supposed to spit it out.

    Confirms exactly what I belived of the 'natural' toothpaste manufacturers.

    They sell it to gullible people using blatent lies.

    Kids shouldn't eat toothpaste, and repeatedly eating tubes of toothpaste won't do them any good, but no real harm will come from just ingesting one tube.

    EDIT - Apart from prehaps a severe dose of the !!!!!!$
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
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