Written by Dr. Craig Mortensen, DC, IFMCP, QME, IFM-Certified | Aug 2020, Updated July 2026
Toothbrushers beware. If you are using a certain type of toothpaste, you may be ingesting this toxic ingredient that was just banned in hand sanitizers, hand soap, and body washes.
Triclosan is in antibacterial soap and other products that have been used in some “anti-bacterial” products for years, but was recently banned because the safety of these products was not clear. Translation - Oh shoot, this stuff is bad, we messed up, let’s get rid of it quick. But not completely because then the chemical companies will be mad at us.
The FDA banned 19 different antibacterial products, one of the most common being triclosan.
What they found is that these products, in a review of studies from the University of California San Diego, contributed to antibiotic resistance, disrupted hormones and immunity, and have also been linked to tumors in mice. Yeah, yeah, I know what some of you are going to say. We aren’t mice! Very astute observation. But do we have hormones, don’t we? Do we have an immune system? Do we like getting tumors?
That’s what I thought. I don’t care what kind of “link" it has. If there is a link, I’m staying away. It’s not about avoiding everything, living a perfect life, and worrying about every little thing, like some people think a “healthy” person lives their life. It’s about avoiding and minimizing what we can, so the stuff we can't avoid doesn’t affect us as much and our bodies can handle it better.
Triclosan is still permitted in toothpaste, cosmetics, athletic clothing, and cleaning products. I’m not sure how and why they allowed it to stay in toothpaste in particular. They must have thought, " Let's not put it on our skin or anything, but if we put it in our mouth and just make sure we try really hard not to swallow it, it will be OK, and we can’t get any in our system.
Silence…………
Yep, seems logical to me!
On to the study, Dr. Watson
The University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers found that people who used triclosan-containing toothpastes remained exposed to triclosan for a long time after stopping use, because it was absorbed into the toothbrushes themselves. They found that over a 2-week period, the level of exposure diminished but did not go away. So get a new toothbrush.
The main toothpaste that contained triclosan was Colgate Total — however, Colgate reformulated the product in 2019 and removed triclosan from the formula. The concern now is checking any older products you may still have, and being vigilant about other personal care products that may still contain it.
I have included some links to some good natural toothpastes at the bottom.
What does the American Dental Association ADA say about it?
And I quote, “make your choice based on price, the taste you prefer, and your mouth’s comfort”
Because we all know that the cheapest brand is always the best, right? Cars, clothes, food, vitamins, whatever. The cheaper the better. Uh, huh!
I’m just being silly. You know that’s not true. Check out my link on how to buy physician-only nutraceuticals directly.
Before we end this post, let’s touch real quickly on some other ingredients that can be an issue in your toothpaste.
Fluoride - Research suggests fluoride may interfere with thyroid hormone function (among other risks), particularly at higher doses. Worth being aware of, especially if you have thyroid issues.
Detergents - give toothpaste the foaming action, can cause canker sores and peeling of mouth tissue?!
Whiteners - can cause canker sores and other “mouth lesions”
Xylitol - Can of worms warning. I’ll cover this in a later blog. Sometimes this one is hard to avoid, even in some supplements I use in my office; some companies like the benefits but overlook the risks. But just know that in high amounts there are issues. I’m working to completely eliminate xylitol from all the products I carry in my office, and this is a tall order. This one is “To be continued”
Ok. And done.
Take care of those pearly whites.
I’m Dr. Craig Mortensen
Be Healthy, Be happy.
And of course, here are some natural alternatives. Full disclosure. We don’t use any of these. My wife makes our toothpaste.
Written by Dr. Craig Mortensen, DC, IFMCP, QME, IFM-Certified Functional Medicine Physician and founder of Premier IFM in Placentia, CA, serving patients throughout Orange County and Southern California.
