Emphasis on brushing our teeth has always been a central concern for those in dental healthcare, and both dentists and dental hygienists have demonstrated how to brush and what to use. But as far back as 1974, concerns about the dentifrices that we use were expressed in dental research publications.

The lead content of surface enamel at that time was determined to be high. A number of widely used dentifrices were tested for lead since it was suspected that they could be a source of this element. Every single sample tested positive for lead.

Toothpaste samples taken from certain brands showed high levels of lead in the areas immediately surrounding the product container’s walls. When squeezed from nearly empty tubes, the paste contained substantial levels of lead in these tests. These findings left little doubt that these products contained a neurotoxin that could cause harm if ingested. How many years ago was that? Yes, that was 45 years ago, and we have continued to use products that may not be as safe as they should be. But what’s the specific problem, and shouldn’t we have been protected by the agencies given that charge?

Children and Lead Exposure

There are several well-documented negative impacts of lead exposure on children’s health, including:

Brain and neurological system injury
Decreased development
Issues with learning and conduct disorders
Speech and hearing impairments

Resulting in:

Reduced intelligence of a lifelong nature
Minimal capacity for sustained attention
Academic underachievement

In children, we need to be especially concerned, as this is where the most damage can occur, and the consequences can be lifelong. Lead is harmful to children because it enters the bloodstream rapidly. Once in the bloodstream, lead is transported to the brain, bones, and every part of a child’s body. It is insidious and may not be detected immediately except when specific blood tests are performed. The question here, of course, is whether or not lead is suspected to be the culprit, and testing is ordered.

A child’s blood lead level will increase if they ingest lead. However, blood lead levels decline over time when a child’s exposure to lead ends. However, despite decreasing levels of lead, not all lead will be eliminated, and this is where the damage lies.

Kidney, perspiration, and feces are excreted by the body as a portion of the lead. Bones are another repository for lead. Lead levels in bones can decline over decades. But there’s more here than we would suspect, and we would be lulled into a false sense of security that the body has a natural ability to read itself of lead. The story is more complex than that.

Due to its ability to penetrate and remain in the body, lead is extremely harmful to children’s health. Lead can enter the blood circulation and even reach the brain when a kid breathes lead dust or consumes lead particles. Remember the toothpaste that we mentioned earlier? Lead, alarmingly, can lodge in bones and soft tissues, where it can stay for decades, unlike many poisons that the body removes.

One reason lead is so harmful is that it resembles calcium and iron, two essential minerals necessary for a growing body. Lead, when ingested, mimics these essential nutrients and fools cells into utilizing them instead. This change disrupts the brain’s normal development and functioning.

Like insulation, the protective myelin layer around nerve cells is likewise damaged by lead. Damage to this coating prevents the normal transmission of nerve signals throughout the brain. Physical and mental development, as well as learning and processing information, are all impacted by this harm. It is crucial to limit lead exposure in youngsters because the consequences can be long-lasting and happen at very low exposure levels.

Toothpaste Current Research

After all these years, researchers decided to revisit the exploration of currently available toothpastes and other potential sources of metal contamination. The results are anything but heartening and have raised new concerns for even the most well-known brands of toothpaste.

Many of the popular brands were included in a 2025 research project, and a chart is available here. In fact, you can find information on multiple products and their safety regarding contamination by lead or other materials here. It’s not only toothpaste that we need to be concerned about because we’ve recently been made aware of contaminants, such as metals, in baby food.

In the area of toothpaste, especially for children, 51 Brands were tested and, unfortunately, even those that were supposed to be “green” had issues with contamination. Lead was present in approximately 90% of toothpastes, arsenic in 65%, mercury in slightly less than half, and cadmium in one-third. Many brands have some harmful substances. Many popular brands were found to contain harmful substances, including Crest, Sensodyne, Tom’s of Maine, Dr. Bronner’s, and others.

In their defense, several corporations have pointed out that lead is ubiquitous in nature and thus impossible to eliminate. Currently, the federal Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 is stuck in Congress, which would limit lead levels in children’s food to 10 parts per billion. The lead limit in infant food in California is six parts per billion; however, this does not apply to toothpaste. The majority of toothpastes surpassed those levels.

You can find arsenic in nature just about everywhere: rocks, dirt, water, air, and even some living things. Organic chemicals, including those found in seafood (such as fish and shellfish), are one possible form they can take. However, when we detect unacceptable levels of any heavy metal, such as lead, in a product intended for oral use or ingestion, it is mandatory that we take every possible step to eliminate it. To do less is unconscionable and damaging to children and adults.

As always, it is wise to inform yourself about all the foods and materials that you will either ingest or apply to your body. This research would not have seemed necessary, except that almost 50 years ago, lead was found in toothpaste. Now that we have the information, we can act intelligently with it and protect ourselves and our children.