An online movement is emerging to avoid store-bought toothpaste over a conspiracy theory that small colored marks on the end of the tubes indicate whether the product was made with natural or chemical ingredients.
The markings in question are small squares on the rigid strip of flat plastic at the bottom of the tube, and TikTok users are warning people against toothpaste with red or black markings and encouraging them to choose toothpastes with markings. green or blue.
The unfounded claim is that only the “elites” know that green markings mean the toothpaste is made of only natural ingredients, blue markings mean the paste contains a mixture of natural ingredients and medications, red markings mean it contains natural ingredients and chemical ingredients, and Black marks mean it contains only chemical ingredients.
Dentists and toothpaste manufacturers insist that this theory is false. The markings actually tell light sensors in toothpaste factories where the end of the tube is so it can be cut and sealed properly.
The colored squares at the bottom of the toothpaste tube have nothing to do with the contents of the product. They are used in the manufacturing process so that a sensor can accurately read where to cut and seal the end of a tube.
Still, the theory has led many people to reconsider popular brands of toothpaste found in grocery stores, pointing out certain ingredients like fluoride and foaming agents.
Videos espousing the false conspiracy theory on TikTok have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and comments from people concerned about the color of the brand square they buy.
In one video, one young man explains to another: ‘The theory goes that elites, or people who know the code, stay away from certain colors of toothpaste. So it’s like you know, you know.’
Dr. Nate Coughlin, an orthodontist practicing in Texas, saying: ‘There are some claims that the red dots, blue dots and white dots relate to what is actually inside this toothpaste.
“When in reality, Colgate and Crest and all these people tell us that these little dots on the ends are dyes, and they let them know when the cut is going to be made so they can actually make the right size tubes of toothpaste.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed Adel Habib Taslimi, a dentist practicing in Iraq, said his 6,000 followers: “The reality is that the ingredients in toothpaste don’t mean anything.”
They are just a few of the chorus of dentists and dental offices working to correct conspiracy theorists.
Silverhill Dental, based in Ontario, Canada saying: ‘The toothpaste color coding system simply doesn’t exist. The color in the background of your toothpaste means absolutely nothing about the ingredients, and should not be used to help you decide which toothpaste.’
Toothpaste giant Colgate has also weighed in, calling it ‘joke,’ and adds: “As much as we like to crack secret codes, this one actually has nothing to crack because it’s completely fake.”
The conspiracy has led many to turn to products that are advertised as all-natural and fluoride-free.
Few ingredients have received as much bad press as fluoride, which is added to toothpaste to prevent cavities by remineralizing enamel.
Some users have criticized it for being ‘really bad for you’ and claim that it “causes a whole host of neurological problems.”
The amount of fluoride in toothpaste, unless a person swallows it like whipped cream from an aerosol can, is not enough to cause neurological effects.
A person weighing 160 pounds would need to swallow 33 tubes of toothpaste at once to experience fluoride toxicity.
For a toothpaste to be accepted by the American Dental Association, the gold standard for oral health, the toothpaste must contain fluoride.
Another ingredient under the microscope is sodium lauryl sulfate. SLS is a surfactant, meaning it helps create foam and bubbles to remove dirt and grime from your teeth.
While there is a lot of misinformation from ‘health gurus’ and wellness influencers about toothpaste and videos exposing its harms, many people have had fun in the comments sections, writing ‘I use WD-40’ and ‘I use blue cheese’ and ‘I brush my teeth with beef liver and honey.’
Some DIYers have taken to making their own toothpaste at home, something dental experts have repeatedly advised against because it omits beneficial fluoride and often contains acidic lemon juice or overly abrasive baking soda.
Many people have also started mixing charcoal for whitening. But the American Dental Association has found no evidence that charcoal toothpaste is effective or even safe. In fact, it can damage your gums and teeth because it scratches away the protective enamel.