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The dentine sensitivity can impact the functional status and the activities occurring on a regular basis. These activities involve talking, eating, chewing, etc. Moreover, this study focused on assessing changes in the oral health conditions in individuals with dentine hypersensitivity for long-term uses of approx 24 weeks of the toothpaste tube available commercially in the market for dentine sensitivity relief.
Ecotoxicology
Many of us use the toothpaste tube twice a day while brushing our teeth. However, according to a research study, around 800 to 900 million kronor is spent on toothpaste per year in Sweden, about 4 to 5 tubes of toothpaste packaging per person.
The ingredients used in the manufacturing of toothpaste packaging include elements that are beneficial for teeth as well as make them strong, white, and healthy. The question that arises is how do these ingredients and elements react in the environment? While having a look at the environmental effects of chemicals, there are some major characteristics of the chemical to study. Are these elements toxic with respect to different organisms? Are these elements capable of being accumulated in organisms? Does it decompose in the environment?
Each and every organism present on this planet is made up of molecules as well as the interaction in the outer world of the body of an organism begins at the biochemical level. Various interactions are there from which some have good effects, whereas some have negative or harmful effects on the organisms. These can affect higher levels of the organisation; cellular, subcellular, organ, tissue, individual, community, ecosystem, population, biosphere, and landscape. Essentially, the properties of a chemical that is toxic in nature are detected prior to its release in the environment so that the damage can be minimised. In the process of assessing the chemical risk, one significant part is to estimate the compound’s ecotoxicity. Furthermore, organisms belonging to the different levels of the food chain are involved in order to be able to sense the harm at various levels of the organisation.
Ingredients in the Toothpaste Packaging
Currently, the different toothpaste brands use different and dissimilar ingredients while manufacturing the toothpaste. Some ingredients used in these pastes are sensible and useful, such as the cellulose gum, which makes it in the gummy form. Whereas some ingredients are senselessly added to the paste, such as the titanium oxides, copolymers, etc., which make no sense, and we don’t know why these are present in the paste and what is the use of these ingredients. Moreover, how can we figure out that toothpaste is beneficial to our teeth if we don’t know what ingredients are used in the process of manufacturing the toothpaste packaging?
A study from the Gothenburg University analysed the ingredients in various types of toothpaste in 2014 and defined their properties simultaneously. Many of them have names that we only hear in the films and videos, such as the ‘Brilliant Blue FCF’ and ‘Helidone Pink’. These elements are used for giving the toothpaste a specific colour and look. However, the names don’t relate or belong to any natural colourants.
Brilliant Blue FCF
The brilliant blue FCF is a colourant used for giving the toothpaste a particular colour in a blue shade. The well-known brand generally uses this ingredient, i.e., ‘Colgate’. Moreover, it is also used in various other pharmaceutical products, foods, as well as beverages. This product is not good for marine life, and it harms the aquatic animals in the water at the same time. It remains in the water even after passing through various sewage systems. As it is used by millions of people or even more than that, it can severely affect marine life.
Helidon Pink
The helidon pink is also a colouring substance used for giving the toothpaste a colour. It is similar to the brilliant blue FCF in many ways as it also severely harms marine life just like the held one pink does. Moreover, it remains in the soil for a whole year until it gets totally decomposed. This means it is always present in the soil because of toothpaste’s constant and regular use. Furthermore, it is used in the toothpaste made by Aquafresh as well as many other brands at the same time.
The most extreme and the last example is sodium pyrophosphate; it has phosphor, which makes algae grow in the water bodies and the sewage systems.
Conclusion
Notably, all the popular toothpaste is destructive to the environment in terms of both ingredients as well as the way it is packed. However, this does not mean we should not brush our teeth regularly. There are various alternatives available in the market each passing day. Moreover, if we wish to be extra zero-waste, we should go for the bamboo toothbrushes available for not so huge a price in the market. These are ecological, biodegradable as well as extra sustainable to produce at the same time. Notably, there are various kinds of toothpaste in the national and international markets that have lead in their ingredients, and this makes the toothpaste harmful to the consumers.
