Another Case Of Overreaction: Crest Micro-bead Toothpaste
Procter & Gamble has been manufacturing Crest brand fluoride toothpaste since 1952. In these 63 years, backed by scientific evidence, Crest has proven itself an effective and safe product in the prevention of tooth decay. Of course, there is always someone on the Internet to disagree with the facts, and argue based on nothing more than personal opinion. That is not science.
Crest used micro-beads in some of its toothpaste. These micro-beads were an added ingredient to help remove such substances as plague that are harmful to the health of teeth. Toothpaste already has abrasive ingredients to remove plague because physical action is needed to remove plague from teeth. Plague is not easily removed from teeth, and around the gums. One must essentially scrub to remove plague from teeth. This is why it is important to see a a dentist for professional cleaning of one's teeth on a regular basis. Crest adding the micro-beads was to improve the effectiveness of the toothpaste, and to increase the benefit of the product to consumers. That was until the fools on the Internet once again proclaimed to have all the answers, and decided we must all be saved.
Trish Walraven, and dental hygienist in the U.S.,appears to have helped in succeeding to get Procter & Gamble to cave in and discontinue the micro-bead toothpaste not only in the U.S., but also here in Canada where the U.S. made toothpaste is also sold. Her evidence against Crest micro-bead toothpaste? It contains plastic. Nothing more. She arbitrarily decided plastic was bad.
After allegedly seeing specks of beads still in her patient's mouth, Trish Walraven decided to sound the alarm. Instead of asking her patients if they were experiencing any discomfort, or continuing monitoring the oral health of her patients to see if there were any negative changes, or consulting with the dentist she worked for, or others in her profession, or doing any kind of research, she has caused the gradual removal of the product from store shelves without presenting a shred of evidence to support her claim.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada both found the product to be safe. The Canadian Dental Association has not received a single complaint regarding the product. Even Trish Walraven admits she has proven nothing. But logic and reason has no place here it seems.
Maybe the reason Trish Walraven was finding the micro-beads in her patient's mouths was because, like many other dental patients, they had simply brushed their teeth shortly before arriving for their dental appointment.
Companies offer products for sale. If one does not like a product, one has the right to choose not to buy a product. One does not have the right to remove freedom of choice of other consumers from the marketplace.
© Trevor Dailey