Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is looking into companies that possibly are marketing toothpaste with fluoride to children.
The AG’s office has sent Civil Investigative Demands to Colgate-Palmolive Company and Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co. for marketing toothpaste products to parents and children in ways it says are misleading, deceptive and dangerous.
“I will use every tool available to protect our kids from dangerous levels of fluoride exposure and deceptive advertising,” Paxton said. “Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure that they aren’t putting Texas families in peril through their false, misleading, and deceptive marketing, and these CIDs will help my office discover any potential wrongdoing.
Texas AG Ken Paxton
| File Photo
“As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children’s health at risk.”
The investigation was launched amid a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that excessive fluoride exposure is not safe for children.
In August 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program released a meta-analysis that found a statistically significant association between fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children.
The CDC states that parents should only put a rice-sized “smear” of toothpaste on the brush until the child turns three years old. The American Dental Association has also stated that parents should use “no more than a pea-sized amount” of fluoride toothpaste for children ages 3-6. This is because of the well-known acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose.
However, despite both these and additional guidelines, toothpaste manufacturers continue to flavor their products and deceptively market them in ways that encourage kids to ingest fluoride toothpaste and mislead their parents to use far more than the safe and recommended amount of fluoride toothpaste. Top of Form
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in soil, rocks and water. It also is a byproduct of fertilizer production. Many cities over the years have added fluoride to their treated drinking water for decades based on the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the World Health Organization.
But recent research has spurred debate about the health risks associated with exposure to high levels of fluoride, including its effect on children’s intellectual development.
In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administration announced they would study the issue. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water.
In March, Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, and Florida is expected to do so soon.