Download Toothpastes Facts Controversies and Concerns

Toothpastes
Definition
tooth·paste
/ˈto͞oTHˌpāst/
Noun
a thick, soft, moist substance used on a toothbrush for cleaning the teeth.
Synonyms
dentifrice
Regulation (in Australia)
•
considered by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) as a cosmetic
•
2005 discussion paper released to reconsider this classification (yet still not
acted on)
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is part of the Australian Government Department of
Health and Ageing, and is responsible for regulating therapeutic goods including medicines, medical
devices, blood and blood products.
This includes goods that we rely on every day, such as sunscreens, through to goods used to treat
serious conditions, for example prescription medicines, vaccines, blood products and implants.
Ingredients
Principle Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
Water (20-42%)
Abrasives
Fluoride
Detergents.
2. Abrasives (50%)
• insoluble particles to assist in plaque removal
act as “polish” to remove extrinsic stains from teeth by mild abrasion of the
enamel surface
no proven dental health benefit (in the removal of plaque and/or tartar)
Examples:
- aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3)
- calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
- various calcium hydrogen phosphates
- various silicas and zeolites (microporous, aluminosilicate minerals)
- hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3OH).
- powdered white mica (silicate (phyllosilicate) miner
3.
•
•
•
•
Fluorides
most critical/essential ingredient (indeed only ingredient that really matters)
anti-cariogenic
limits/inhibits caries formation and development
strengthens tooth surface against caries
Form/Source
• sodium fluoride (NaF)
- most common source of fluoride
• stannous fluoride (SnF2)
- SnF2 is more effective than NaF in reducing the incidence of dental caries &
controlling gingivitis
• olaflur (an organic salt of fluoride)
• sodium monofluorophosphate (Na2PO3F)
Strength
• Australia: 1000 - 1100 parts per million fluoride.
• Europe (E.g.: UK; Greece), the fluoride content is often higher - NaF 0.312% w/w
(1,450 ppm fluoride)
4. Surfactants
• many toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)(and/or related surfactants
(detergents))
• acts as a foaming agent
- enables uniform distribution of toothpaste
- improving its cleansing power
(SLS is found in many other personal care products such as shampoo)
5.
•
•
-
Antibacterial Agents
Zinc Chloride (ZnCl)
Triclosan
a phenol (or phenolics) polychloro phenoxy phenol
antibacterial and antifungal agent.
6.
•
•
•
-
Flavouring Agents
intended to encourage use of the toothpaste
“masking” agent for halitosis
3 most common flavorants are peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen.
flavours are provided by the respective oils, e.g. peppermint oil
• Unusual Flavours: peppermint-anise oil is popular in the Mediterranean region..
• Exotic flavours: anise, apricot, bubblegum, cinnamon, fennel, lavender, neem,
ginger, vanilla, lemon, orange, and pine.
• More unusual flavours: e.g. peanut butter, iced tea, and even whisky.
• Unflavoured Fluoride-Containing Toothpastes
- recommended for patients with chronic ulcerating conditions of the oral cavity who
find the flavouring agents astringent or intolerably uncomfortable
7. Miscellaneous Components (Excipients)
• Stabilisier/Moisture Preserving Agents: agents are added to suppress the
tendency of toothpaste to dry into a powder.
- various sugar alcohols, such as glycerol, sorbitol, or xylitol, or related
derivatives, such as 1,2-propylene glycol and polyethyleneglycol.
• Strontium chloride or potassium nitrate is included in some toothpastes to reduce
sensitivity.
• Sodium polyphosphate is added to minimize the formation of tartar.
• Whitening Toothpastes: contain polishing abrasives such as silica or calcium
carbonate that reduce or remove surface stains
- also tripolyphosphate or carbamide peroxide, which aid in dissolving or breaking
down surface stains.
• While all toothpastes remove surface stains from teeth, teeth whitening
toothpastes are said to be more abrasive, and there is a risk of increased tooth
surface wear with prolonged use
History
• The Greeks, and then the Romans, used toothpaste recipes containing abrasives
such as crushed bones and oyster shells.[21]
• In the 9th century, the Persian musician and fashion designer Ziryab invented a
type of toothpaste, which he popularized throughout Islamic Spain.
- unknown is whether these early toothpastes were used alone, were to be rubbed
onto the teeth with rags, or were to be used with early toothbrushes, such as
neem-tree twigs and miswak.
Tooth Powders
• tooth powders for use with toothbrushes came into general use in the 19th century
in Britain
- most were homemade, with chalk, pulverized brick, or salt as ingredients.
1892 Toothpaste Tube
In 1892, Doctor Washington Sheffield, an American Dentist of New London
manufactured toothpaste into a collapsible tube, Dr. Sheffield's Creme Dentifrice. He
had the idea after his son travelled to Paris and saw painters using paint from tubes.
In York in 1896, Colgate & Company Dental Cream was packaged in collapsible
tubes imitating Sheffield. The original collapsible toothpaste tubes were made of
lead.
Fluoride was first added to toothpastes in the 1890s. "Tanagra", containing calcium
fluoride as the active ingredient, was sold by Karl F. Toellner Company, of Bremen,
Germany, based upon the early work of chemist Albert Deninger.
Fluoride toothpastes developed in the 1950s received the American Dental
Association's approval.
In 1955, Procter & Gamble's Crest launched its first clinically proven fluoridecontaining toothpaste.
Interesting Facts/Controversies
The toothpaste tube was not invented, but reuse of the previously invented Paint
Tube that had revolutionalized painting and allowed for the development of the
Impressionist Movement in Paris, France.
Dr. Sheffield’s Creme Dentifrice, The American Magazine, ca. 1908
http://connecticuthistory.org/aristocratic-dental-cream-getssqueezed/#sthash.HEi0Vfao.dpuf
The paint tube was invented in 1841, superseding pig bladders and glass syringes[4]
as the primary tool of paint transport. Artists, or their assistants, previously ground
each pigment by hand, carefully mixing the binding oil in the proper proportions.
Paints could now be produced in bulk and sold in tin tubes with a cap. The cap could
be screwed back on and the paints preserved for future use, providing flexibility and
efficiency to painting outdoors. The manufactured paints had a balanced consistency
that the artist could thin with oil, turpentine, or other mediums.
The artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir said, “Without tubes of paint, there would have been
no Impressionism.” For the Impressionists, tubed paints offered an easily accessible
variety of colors for their plein air palettes, motivating them to make spontaneous
color choices. With greater quantities of preserved paint, they were able to apply
paint more thickly.
The Darkie Toothpaste Controversy
Darlie (Chinese: 黑人; literally "black person"), formerly known as
Darkie, is a toothpaste brand of Hawley & Hazel Chemical Company.
First manufactured in Shanghai in 1933 and later based in Hong
Kong and Taiwan, Hawley & Hazel was acquired in 1985 by the US
corporation Colgate-Palmolive, although the product is not marketed
by Colgate-Palmolive.[1]
Darky, or darkie, is a term used primarily in the United States and
Britain to refer to black people, and is now generally considered a
racial slur. The package featured an image of a wide-eyed, smiling
dark-skinned black male wearing a top hat, monocle and bow-tie,
very similar to the Golliwogg in England.
In 1985, after Colgate-Palmolive acquired Hawley & Hazel, the
English name of the toothpaste was changed to "Darlie", and the
image on the packaging was altered to show a racially ambiguous
face in a top hat. The Chinese name of the brand, "黑人牙膏" (in
English, "Black Person Toothpaste"), remains the same, and a
Chinese-language advertising campaign reassured customers that
"Black Person Toothpaste is still Black Person Toothpaste".[2]
The toothpaste remains popular in some Asian countries such as
The People's Republic of China, Malaysia, and Thailand.
SLS and Oral Aphthous Ulceration
SLS is a surfactant found in most toothpastes. In high concentrations it can be an
irritant to skin, so it was concluded it may have a role in recurrent aphthous
ulceration (RAU). RAU is an immune-mediated condition which results in the
development of painful criops of three-dour ulcers that last 2-3 weeks before healing,
unlike common, traumatic induced ulcers. Two studies demonstrated conflicting
results regarding the role of SLS in aphthae, with one demonstrating no role, and
later one 2012 showing it increased the apin and discomfort associated with the
ulcers, but did not actually increase the number, frequency and/or duration of the
ulcers. (Healy CM, Paterson M, Joyston-Bechal S, Williams DM, Thornhill MH. The
effect of a sodium lauryl sulfate-free dentifrice on patients with recurrent oral
ulceration. Oral Diseases 1999; 5: 39–43.)
The Triclosan Controversy
Triclosan an antibacterial/antifungal phenololic agent is found in many toothpastes as
it has a proven role in lessening oral bacterial plaque-associated gingivitis. However,
concerns have been raised as triclosan’s role in bacterial resistance to antibiotics
and antibacterial agents and disinfectants, but no conclusive porrof regarding these
concerns has yet been found.
Bedoux G. Roig B. Thomas O. Dupont V. Le Bot B. Occurrence and toxicity of
antimicrobial triclosan and by-products in the environment. Environmental Science &
Pollution Research. 19(4):1044-65, 2012 May.
CONCLUSION: Furthermore, the excessive use of TCS is suspected to increase the
risk of emergence of TCS-resistant bacteria and the selection of resistant strains.
Kookana RS. Ying GG. Waller NJ. Triclosan: its occurrence, fate and effects in the Australian environment. Water
Science & Technology. 63(4):598-604, 2011.
“…studies on the effect of TCS on soil microbiological processes showed that triclosan can disrupt the nitrogen
cyclein sensitive soils at concentrations >=5 mg/kg. In view of the recent risk assessment by the Australian regulatory
agency NICNAS, there is an urgent need to assess exposure to TCS and its effect on ecosystem health.”
Rodricks JV. Swenberg JA. Borzelleca JF. Maronpot RR. Shipp AM.
Triclosan: a critical review of the experimental data and development of margins of safety for consumer products.
Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 40(5):422-84, 2010 May.
“…Based on these results, exposure to triclosan in consumer products is not expected to cause adverse health
effects in children or adults who use these products as intended.”
The Diethylene Glycol Controversy
Diethylene glycol (DEG) is an organic compound with the formula (HOCH2CH2)2O.
It is a colorless, practically odorless, poisonous, and hygroscopic liquid with a
sweetish taste useded commonly as a coolant in radiators. It is miscible in water,
alcohol, ether, acetone, and ethylene glycol.[1] DEG is a widely used solvent.[2] It
can be a contaminant in consumer products; this has resulted in numerous
epidemics of poisoning since the early 20th century.
On June 1, 2007, the FDA warned consumers to avoid toothpaste from China,
although there was no information if these toothpastes had already entered the US,
and started testing any imported Chinese toothpaste.[50][51] Days later, ColgatePalmolive found counterfeit toothpaste with its name, which was contaminated with
DEG and found at dollar-type discount stores in New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Australian Perspective
The World Today - TGA considers regulating toothpaste
[This is the print version of story
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1937822.htm]
The World Today - Wednesday, 30 May, 2007 12:33:00
Reporter: Tanya Nolan
ELEANOR HALL: “….Some retailers in northern New South Wales and an online
supplier have sold the toothpaste, which contains a chemical linked to the deaths of
300 people in Panama.
But in Australia toothpaste is not usually monitored by either Australia's Therapeutic
Goods Administration, or the Quarantine Inspection Service.
As Tanya Nolan reports, though, the Therapeutic Goods Administration is now
considering regulating the toxic chemical.
TANYA NOLAN: “…The article told of 300 people in Panama who consumed a
cough syrup produced by the same Chinese manufacturer that makes the Excel
toothpaste the manager stocked on his supermarket shelves.
A closer look revealed the industrial chemical di-ethylene-glycol, typically used as a
solvent and a coolant, was responsible for the deaths. It was then discovered that
that same chemical, albeit at much lower levels, was contained in the toothpaste.
It was at this point Australia's regulatory loophole became apparent. A call to the
Therapeutic Goods Administration revealed that because toothpaste isn't considered
a food or a drug, there are no checks done on its ingredients. ….”
Listing of Therapeutic Toothpastes (F of 5000 ppm) on the PBS
For patients at increased risk of dental caries, high potency fluoride toothpastes
demonstrably reduce the risk and extent of dental decay. Patients at increased risk
include any patient with decreased saliva production, such as after intensive
radiotherapy treatment for cancers in the head and neck region, patients on multiple
medications which are anti-saliva producing. Such toothpastes are expensive and
their listing on the PBS would seen their cost subsidised for the general public.