Toothpaste

                                                     Research by 
 Lakshmi Sreedharan
Reshma Krishnan

Introduction

The tooth paste brands in India offer high quality dental care where in majority of these brands are not safe to use. They contain hazardous ingredients that cause major health issues.

When we use toothpastes, do we wonder what goes into them? When we blindly believe advertisements…do we think whether they are true and healthy to use? Everyone from a two year old child uses toothpaste and however we claim it, a part of it is consumed by us.

Here in the mini report, we have analysed 9 toothpastes brands that are available and used in Coimbatore through a secondary internet based research. These products are compared on the basis of health friendliness, Environment Friendliness and Community Friendliness. 6 parameters are used to compare these products and they are :

·         Health friendliness

·         Environment friendliness

·         Community services

·         Veganism

·         Animal testing

·         Advertising

The products compared are :

·         Colgate Total

·         Pepsodent White

·         Anchor White

·         Sensodyne

·         Meswak

·         K.P.Namboodiri’s

·         Amar White

·         Vicco Vajradanthi

·         Himalaya

Health Friendliness:

Colgate contains:

·         Sodium fluoride is the active ingredient used in Colgate. It is an anti caries agent that prevents the formation of cavities in teeth and causes health hazards like dental fluorosis.

·         Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical that is used in Colgate Total Toothpaste.  Turns out triclosan are also an endocrine disruptor that interferes with "thyroid hormones, thereby impairing growth and brain development." It also interferes with the reproductive hormones estrogens and testosterone, leading to infertility.

·         Sodium  saccharin and Sorbitol are also ingredients that have a very negative impact on health.

"Colgate for Kids" toothpastes - with flavors ranging from bubble gum to watermelon - contain 143 milligrams (mg) of fluoride in each tube. This dose of fluoride is more than double the dose (60 mg) that could kill the average-weighing 2 year old child. It is also greater than the dose capable of killing all average weighing children under the age of 9.

Pepsodent Contains:

·         Fluoride and Sodium Saccharin, the effects of which are already mentioned above.

Anchor White:

·         Fluoride and Triclosan

Sensodyne:

Although sensodyne is a premium toothpaste brand that is used in healthcare as prescribed by doctors, many reviews about it show users complaining about wheezing and other breathing problems on usage more than the prescribed period time period. It is considered to be chemically very strong and hence is not advised to be used for continuous use for more than 2 weeks.

Meswak:

Meswak claims to be a completely ayurvedic product and yet it contains saccharine. Saccharine content in a pure herbal brand is not accepted and it is misleading its customers on a health perspective.

Amar white:

Amar white is an absolute herbal product that contains no harmful chemicals.

K.P.Namboodiris:

This brand is also identified to have purely herbal contents.                                                       

Vicco Vajradanthi:

Vicco is also a purely herbal brand with no harmful contents.

Himalaya:

Himalaya’s toothpaste is also totally herbal except for containing natural fluorine which is less harmful.

Environment Friendliness

Colgate

Sustainable packaging is now getting a voice on issues related to green packaging. Big companies have joined forces to help make the packaging industry more eco-friendly. Colgate is one of the brands that have formed AMERIPEN, The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment. This organization plans to lobby for science-driven packaging policies and reach out to others to find ways to work together. The key issues are to find ways to improve sustainability of packaging and how to reduce waste. It is also a member of Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain.

Pepsodent

Pepsodent is trying to reduce their environmental footprint. Since 1995 they have achieved a 41%* reduction in CO2 from energy per tonne of production. In 2009 they achieved a reduction of 3%* compared to 2008. Since 1995 they have reduced by 65%* the amount of water they use to make a tonne of product. During 2009 theye achieved a 5.6%* reduction in water use compared to 2008. Total waste sent from their factories for disposal has been cut

by 73%* per tonne of production since 1995.

Anchor White

Anchor white actively promotes go green campaigns and encourages planting of trees. They plant trees through employee involvement in the campaign.

Dabur Meswak

 Dabur has a sustainability report and they are involved in energy conservation practices. Dabur has also made continuous efforts towards technology absorption and innovation, which have contributed towards preserving natural resources. These efforts include minimum use of water in process by pre-concentration of herbal extract and reduction in concentration time. The Company is also continuously monitoring its waste in adherence with the pollution control norms. In pursuance of its commitment towards the society, efforts have also been initiated to conserve and maintain the ground water level. The efforts include implementation of rainwater harvesting, which has delivered encouraging results and has put the company on the path to becoming a Water-Positive Corporation.

Himalaya

Himalaya is a brand that is involved in a lot of environment friendly practices like rainwater harvesting, training farmers in global cultivation practices, and plantation and conservation of trees and plants.

Information about the environment friendly practices of other brands are not available.

Community Services

Colgate

Colgate reaches out to the community through services in healthcare, flood relief and education assistance.

Pepsodent

Pepsodent runs schooling programmes and conducts dental check up camps. They are also involved in night brushing campaigns and other awareness campaigns.

Anchor White

Anchor white is involved in conducting blood donation camps and awareness about the same. A Billion Smile-oral campaign is also a community assistance campaign conducted by Anchor White.

Dabur Meswak

Dabur engages in community services through several CSR activities for the encouragement of education and protection of farmer’s interests.

Himalaya

Himalaya works for the elimination of middlemen ahead of farmers who reap out their benefits. They protect the interest of the farmers. They engage in contract farming  for their herbs to provide a steady income for the farmers. Educational initiatives are also undertaken by Himalaya.

Animal Testing

All the brands except for amar white, K.P.Namboodiris and Vicco Vajradanthi are found to do animal testing. They are ranked by PETA as products that are vegan and not harming animals.

Himalaya does not test on animals but there are accusations of testing in view of certain research and hence is limited.

Veganism

ascertains that they are a 100 percent vegetarian brand. The three brands of amar white, K.P.Namboodiris and Vicco are rated to be Vegan by PETA and they are purely vegetarian. While Himalaya is also a Vegan brand, all the other product brands compared are not.

Advertisement

Colgate

Colgate advertisements mislead customers with their recommendation from IDA because Indian Dental association is only an association of dentists and dental surgeons who don’t research on the product and confirm its usability.

Pepsodent

Pepsodent advertises 99.9 percent killing of bacteria which are researched to be untrue. Researchers have discovered that it is impossible for any product to do this.

Anchor White

Anchor white is advertising accurately about vegetarianism but yet again they promote whitening of teeth which is achieved by harmful chemicals and is not as effective as mentioned in the advertisements.

Sensodyne

Sensodyne does not incorporate any misleading information in their advertisements. They don’t claim anything untrue.

Meswak

Meswak advertises accurately except for not being 100 percent herbal as it contains saccharine.

Amar white

Amar white has no misleading advertisements.

K.P.Namboodiri’s

The brand advertises true facts

Vicco Vajradanthi

Vicco promotes accurate information.

Himalaya

Himalaya also advocates the truth in their advertisements.

Conclusion

As per the comparison and rating on a scale of 10, the top ranked products on the basis of environment, health and community friendliness are :

·        Himalaya

·        Vicco Vajradanthi*

·        Amar white*

·        K.P.Namboodiri’s*

It is an overall rating on the basis of all the parameters but we cannot judge the brands vicco, amar and K.P Namboodiri’s as there have not been sufficient information about these brands regarding certain parameters. As far as health, veganism and advertising are concerned the brands ranked 2^nd 3^rd and 4^th are advised for a healthy lifestyle.