Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent Civil Investigative Demands (“CIDs”) to Colgate-Palmolive Company (“Colgate”) and Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co. (“Proctor & Gamble”)—which advertises and sells “Crest” branded fluoride toothpaste—for marketing toothpaste products to parents and children in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.
The investigation was launched amid a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that excessive fluoride exposure is not safe for children. For example, in August 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program released a meta-analysis that found a statistically significant association between fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children.
The CDC states that parents should only put a rice-sized “smear” of toothpaste on the brush until the child turns three years old. The American Dental Association has also stated that parents should use “no more than a pea-sized amount” of fluoride toothpaste for children ages 3-6. This is because of the well-known acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose.
However, despite both these and additional guidelines, toothpaste manufacturers continue to flavor their products and deceptively market them in ways that encourage kids to ingest fluoride toothpaste and mislead their parents to use far more than the safe and recommended amount of fluoride toothpaste.
“I will use every tool available to protect our kids from dangerous levels of fluoride exposure and deceptive advertising,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure that they aren’t putting Texas families in peril through their false, misleading, and deceptive marketing, and these CIDs will help my office discover any potential wrongdoing. As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children’s health at risk.”