Toothpaste overdose (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you have too much toothpaste? ›

Most toothpastes contain an abrasive element to assist in scrubbing teeth clean. When using too much toothpaste there is an excess of abrasives in your mouth which can lead to tooth structure loss and gum recession.

If you swallow a small amount, it's generally safe. But if you've consumed too much, it may increase fluoride levels in your blood supply and result in an upset stomach, vomiting, and nausea. For children ages 8 and below, too much fluoride can also cause white lines or spots to appear on their teeth.

Accidental ingestion of large amounts of fluoride may result in acute burning in the mouth and sore tongue. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur soon after ingestion (within 30 minutes) and are accompanied by salivation, hematemesis, and epigastric cramping abdominal pain. These symptoms may persist for 24 hours.

[12] Only 50% of the daily ingested fluoride is excreted through the kidneys. The remainder accumulates in bones, the pineal gland, and other tissues. Initial studies on animals showed that fluoride accumulation in the pineal gland led to reduced melatonin production and an earlier onset of puberty.

Swallowing a large amount of regular toothpaste may cause stomach pain and possible intestinal blockage. These additional symptoms may occur when swallowing a large amount of toothpaste containing fluoride: Convulsions. Diarrhea.

While adults shoud use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, it doesn't hurt to use more. Children ages 3 and under should use even less, and there is a good reason not to use too much fluoride toothpaste. Young kids have a harder time controlling their swallowing reflex and can swallow toothpaste by accident.

When fluoride is in the stomach, it can cause irritation, leading to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The detergent component of toothpaste can have a similar effect. That's why people who eat toothpaste might develop minor gastrointestinal symptoms.

Is fluoride-free toothpaste safe to swallow? Yes! Since fluoride-free toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride, there is no risk of overdose. However, you should still be diligent at checking the tubes ingredients to ensure it's a healthy choice for child.

Conventional wisdom around rinsing your mouth out with water after brushing does have some basis in fact. In general, you're not supposed to swallow high concentrations of fluoride. Some dental products contain concentrations of fluoride higher than what's recommended for you to ingest each day.

The typical toxic dose for fluoride ingestion has been estimated at 5-10 mg/kg, but symptoms may appear with 3-5 mg/kg. The estimated lethal dose is 5-10 g (32-64 mg/kg) in adults and 500 mg in small children, but death may result from ingestion of as little as 2 g of fluoride in an adult and 16 mg/kg in children.

How likely is a fluoride overdose? ›

Acute exposure to dangerous amounts of fluoride is rare, and usually occurs in small children.

It has been stated that 5 grams of sodium fluoride is the probable lethal oral dose [Largent 1961]. [Note: An oral dose of 5 grams is equivalent to a worker being exposed to about 1,500 mg F/m³ for 30 minutes, assuming a breathing rate of 50 liters per minute and 100% absorption.]

All other treatment chemicals are added to treat the water (i.e. to improve the water's quality and safety - which fluoride does not do). This is one of the reasons why much of Europe has rejected fluoridation.

Taken together, these findings indicate that there can be some alterations in liver enzyme activities at early stages of fluoride intoxication followed by renal damage.

Many European countries have rejected water fluoridation, including: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland, Iceland, and Italy.

Abrasives: These chemicals fight against plaque buildup. However, if a toothpaste's RDA value is above 250, it can cause damage to your dental health.

Unfortunately, when you rinse immediately after brushing, you're washing away a lot of the fluoride in toothpaste before it can strengthen your tooth enamel. To maximize the beneficial cavity-fighting effect of fluoride, spit out excess toothpaste but do not rinse your mouth.

While low levels of fluoride help strengthen and protect tooth enamel, too much fluoride can cause dental fluorosis—a discoloration of teeth, usually with opaque white marks, lines, or mottled enamel and poor mineralization.

A Pea Sized Amount for Adults

For adults or anyone that's old enough to brush their teeth independently (including children that can rinse well and floss on their own,) only a pea sized amount of toothpaste is necessary. Anything more than this is unnecessary.