Use herbal toothpaste for better health: Docs

Use herbal toothpaste for better health: Docs

PUNE: Doctors say that avoiding toxic chemicals in regular toothpaste and using herbal toothpaste is better for the overall health of the human body. Everybody uses toothpaste to maintain healthy gums and teeth but most people overlook harmful ingredients that it may contain. The conventional toothpaste of various brands are loaded with potentially harmful chemicals which not only affect the health of teeth and gums but also general health, said doctors. 

Dr Rohan Virani, Consultant at Global Hospital, said that even if the toothpaste isn’t swallowed, potentially toxic chemical ingredients present in it are likely to pass into the bloodstream. 

“About 90 per cent of these toxic substances are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and make their way into the bloodstream, posing serious health risks. Since more and more studies have shown an association between potentially toxic chemicals present in conventional toothpaste and their adverse effects on dental health and the rest of the body, switching to herbal extracts for prevention and control of dental problems is the need of the hour,” said Virani.

He further added that continuous application of herbal toothpaste is highly effective in preventing dental problems and improving oral hygiene levels. However, it is important to read the labels carefully while purchasing herbal toothpaste to make sure that they contain only natural ingredients.

Dietician Jigna Sheth at Hinduja and Nanavati Hospitals said that apart from dentifrices, exposure to fluoride occurs through dietary intake and fluoride supplements.

“Ingesting fluoride even for a short duration may lead to toxicity. According to another study, labels on these toothpaste show only information about total fluoride and not total soluble fluoride concentration. In addition to fluoride, other harmful ingredients like triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, carrageenan, propylene glycol, diethanolamine and microbeads are also present in conventional toothpaste,” said Sheth.

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