Procter & Gamble, the company that manufactures Crest toothpastes, is making major ingredient changes to several of its toothpaste products after a dentist discovered the presence of a hazardous substance known as polyethylene.
The Crest toothpaste caught attention as a Texan dental hygienist found many of Procter & Gamble's toothpaste products contain polyethylene, a hazardous substance used in making plastics, garbage containers, grocery bags and bulletproof vests.
The dental hygienist, Trish Walraven had noticed little blue specks in the gum lines of her patients several years ago. For a time, she had thought that it was a cleaning product or something people were munching, however she had no idea what she was dealing with and began to ask around. She soon found out that other dentists have been noticing too.
The substance that Walraven noticed that are found in Crest toothpastes is polyethylene, a substance primarily used for containers and packaging. The use of polyethylene had raised environmental concerns and issues because the substance is not biodegradable. And their presences on Crest toothpastes are deemed hazardous.
Earlier this year, New York and California, respectively presented bills to veto the use of plastic microbeads from body scrubs and dental products. Walraven said that Crest toothpastes, which are manufactured by Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, appeared to use the hazardous substance in its products above any other toothpaste brand on the market.
Another dentist from Florence, Kentucky, Brian Moore also stated that the polyethylene microbeads get trapped in the gums, causing more bacteria to enter and thrive. Walraven said using toothpastes with microbeads can lead to serious dental problems like periodontal disease. She said she wanted the ingredient gone thus writing a blog about the matter.
After spreading nationally via an article in the Dental Buzz website, it caught the attention of Procter & Gamble. The company officials said in a statement to ABC15 that the ingredient is safe and approved by the FDA but they understand Walraven's concerns.
As per Procter & Gamble's statement, the ingredient in question is part of a pleasant brushing experience for millions of users with no issues, but the company understands that there is a growing penchant for them to remove the ingredient, so they will.
A Procter & Gamble spokesperson said that the company currently sells Crest products with no polyethylene microbeads for those who would choose brushing without it. The company has also started removing the substance from the rest of its toothpastes.
The Procter & Gamble official said that the preponderance of their products volume will be polyethylene microbead-free within six months. The company also added that completion of the removal process will be until March 2015.
Here is the list of Crest toothpastes that contain polyethylene: Crest 3D White Radiant Mint, Crest Pro-Health For Me, Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh, Crest 3D White Enamel Renewal, Crest 3D White Luxe Glamorous White, Crest Sensitivity Treatment and Protection, Crest Complete Multi-Benefit Whitening Plus Deep Clean, Crest 3D White Luxe Lustrous Shine, Crest Extra White Plus Scope Outlast, Crest SensiRelief Maximum Strength Whitening Plus Scope, Crest Pro-Health Sensitive + Enamel Shield, Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection, Crest Pro-Health For Life for ages 50+, Crest Complete Multi-Benefit Extra White+ Crystal Clean Anti-Bac, Crest Be Adventurous Mint Chocolate Trek, Crest Be Dynamic Lime Spearmint Zest, Crest Be Inspired Vanilla Mint Spark, Crest Pro-Health Healthy Fresh and Crest Pro-Health Smooth Mint.
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