Dentists across the country are warning their patients about a dangerous new ingredient in Crest toothpaste.
Crest recently introduced its Pro-Health line that they claim cleans teeth at a deeper level than their competitors. The secret to their supposed success lies in tiny blue beads they refer to as micro-scrubbers.
Most people would not give these a second thought, assuming them to be some kind dissolvable substance produced by a trusted brand. However, the micro-scrubbing beads are actually made of the same plastic material as garbage bags and, while safe to consume, do not dissolve.
The beads are not poisonous to the body, and are approved for consumption by the FDA. However, the FDA has not yet approved the beads for usage in toothpastes.
Dentists are concerned enough that when patients arrive reporting gum pain, many will first ask if their patients have been using Crest Pro-Health. There have been repeated incidents, reported throughout news and social media outlets, of dentists finding the tiny blue beads stuck inside of patient’s gums.
“They’ll trap bacteria in the gums which leads to gingivitis, and over time that infection moves from the gum into the bone that holds your teeth, and that becomes periodontal disease,” said dentist Justin Phillip.
As a result of the backlash, the parent company of Crest, Procter & Gamble, has agreed to remove the micro-beads from their products. That statement was made in 2014, however, most of the product that was produced prior to that time was still sold and is currently available on the market. Procter & Gamble’s process for discontinuing the micro-beads entirely will not be complete until early 2016. Someone worried about the possible risks of using micro-bead toothpaste would do well to avoid the Crest Pro-Health line until early next year.