Toothpaste

Owain_Moneysaver

I purchased some Asda toothpaste when it was reduced (stock clearance) a while back. It doesn't have an expiry date.

Opened it (foil seal on the tube intact), squeezed it, and it appears to have separated into constituent parts. If you've seen the Yorkshire Vet squeezing an abscess on a bull you'll know what I mean.

Do you think it'll be all right to use? I could massage the tube gently to mix it all together again. Tastes a bit funny, but that might be it's natural flavour.

I do have some other unused toothpastes which are also a few years old.

donnac2558

It might have lost its effective ingredients by now?


The use by date might on on the tube at the bottom end bit and hard to read? That is where I have found it on other toothpastes

Owain_Moneysaver

donnac2558 wrote: »

It might have lost its effective ingredients by now?


The use by date might on on the tube at the bottom end bit and hard to read? That is where I have found it on other toothpastes

More concerned about whether it will do me any harm.

No use by date, just a batch code. There's a "use within 12 months of opening" icon.

Spoonie_Turtle

Not sure I'd risk it. I'm not one for religiously following use-by dates but I tend to think that if it's separated then the emulsifiers have stopped working, so maybe the preservatives have too - and in a water-based product, that can potentially be Not Good. I would be interested to see what the dentists on here say.

However if you open another similarly old one and it comes out fine, I'd be of the mind to use it (the hypothetically fine one, not the one you've already opened).

Toothsmith

It's highly unlikely to harm you. I'd be more put off by the 'funny taste' you mention though.

To me - this would be the risk of buying things from the bargain bucket. Once in a while you will have to chuck the bargain in the bin.

If you have several tubes that are quite old - why not just ditch the lot and start again? Then only by tubes at about the rate you use them, and don't stockpile vast amounts when they're cheap.

I am a bit guilty of doing the same! When I'm at dental events I pick up loads of freebies - but I get far more than I need, and end up with a drawer full of expired toothpaste.

Owain_Moneysaver

The thing is, to me all toothpaste tastes "funny".

The best toothpaste I've ever had was Logic Oral Hygiene Gel which I picked up reduced in Tesco.

(Only read the packet closely after I got home ...)

My dentist was really complimentary about the results too :-)

10Wbulb

Sensodyne ProNamel significantly reduced the amout of scaling required by my dentist/ hygienist.

Owain_Moneysaver

10Wbulb wrote: »

Sensodyne ProNamel significantly reduced the amout of scaling required by my dentist/ hygienist.

I've got a tube of that as well. Exp. 24/8/2015.