Q & A: Does Your Toothpaste Contain Chlorine?

With scores of toothpaste in the market, the customer is spoilt for choice. Some are bubble-gum flavoured, some mint - it gets difficult to choose on the basis of real benefits or just the taste of it. However, the basic job of toothpaste is to clean teeth. The harsh reality is that one of the ingredients they use in the paste is chlorine, which is a disinfectant. So, what does it do? Is it harmful?

Feel like taking a dip in the neighbourhood pool? Well, think twice before you actually do, as it may be a cause of concern for your teeth. The chlorine content in the water, which is used as chemical disinfectant proves to be harsh for our enamel. Over the years, it has been found out that there is a positive relation between the level of chlorine and tooth decay.

Chlorine, a chemical element which is reactive and a strong oxidising agent is also an ingredient in many of the toothpaste available in the market. Yes, the very same toothpaste your children use to brush their teeth every day. The reason for adding chlorine in toothpaste is because of its disinfectant properties - which fights gum diseases. 

What does chlorine in toothpaste do?

The presence of chlorine in day-to-day basic activities like brushing of teeth can lead to loss of enamel, whose symptoms are –

1.Tooth Sensitivity – You become extremely sensitive to hot or cold food

2.Dark staining of teeth – There is a development of dark brownish build-up on teeth.

3.Transparency – The edges of your front teeth may look transparent.

Once the enamel is eroded, chipped or even cracked, the body cannot regrow it. Not only that, there’s some amount of paste that does get consumed internally, which might be hazardous. Harvard University and The Medical College of Wisconsin in the early 1990s documented that chlorinated water accounts for 15% of all cases of rectal cancer, because of toxic and carcinogenic compounds that are formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter.

To market their chlorine fluoride, most brands camouflage it with colourful dyes and candy flavours in an attempt to make it kid-friendly. But if a young kid who isn’t proficient with brushing and spitting out the toothpaste, swallows the bright coloured bubble-gum flavoured toothpaste, it can be fatal for regular consumption.

So, how do to ditch chlorine in toothpaste?

Meswak toothpaste from Dabur is free from Chlorine Fluoride. Apart from this, there are some vegan options available by Vicco and Sharan India, which are cruelty-free. The same be ordered online or from the Sharan India’s website.
 

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