A startling investigation reveals the presence of dangerous heavy metals in America's most trusted toothpaste brands, including those specifically marketed for children.
According to Daily Mail, Lead Safe Mama, a small business focused on lead-poisoning prevention, conducted laboratory testing on 51 toothpaste products and found that 90 percent contained lead, 65 percent had arsenic, 47 percent contained mercury, and 35 percent tested positive for cadmium.
The investigation included popular household brands such as Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, Orajel, Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, and Hello. These findings have raised serious concerns about the long-term safety of everyday oral care products, especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states there is no known safe level of lead or mercury exposure.
The contamination appears to stem from common toothpaste ingredients like hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate, and bentonite clay. These ingredients are particularly prevalent in natural or alternative toothpaste formulations. Tests conducted on samples of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate revealed concerning levels of lead and other contaminants.
Multiple children's toothpaste products from well-known brands tested positive for toxic metals. This includes products from Hello, Orajel, and Tom's of Maine. Research has shown that children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health effects of heavy metal exposure.
Lead Safe Mama founder Tamara Rubin expressed strong concerns about the findings. She called the widespread presence of these toxins "unconscionable" in 2025 and questioned why this issue hadn't been previously identified as a concern.
While none of the tested products exceeded the Food and Drug Administration's limits for toxin exposure, two products surpassed the Environmental Protection Agency's thresholds. The EPA's standards are based on wastewater levels and are generally stricter than FDA guidelines.
The FDA currently allows up to 10,000 parts per billion of lead in fluoride-free toothpaste and 20,000 ppb in fluoride toothpaste. In contrast, the EPA sets limits at 5,000 ppb for both lead and arsenic, 200 ppb for mercury, and 1,000 ppb for cadmium.
The federal Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, which is still being processed, aims to restrict lead in children's food to just 10 ppb. California maintains even stricter standards, limiting lead in baby food to six ppb.
Several companies whose products were named in the report have responded defensively. Some claimed the detected levels of heavy metal contamination are not concerning, while others argued that trace amounts of lead are unavoidable due to its presence throughout the environment.
Crest issued a statement defending their products' safety:
All our products are safe to use and comply with all regulatory requirements and standards including those set by US Pharmacopeia (USP) and the FDA. We will not market a product until we have thoroughly evaluated its safety. We are aware of the report/testing published on the website Lead Safe Mama and are interested to learn more about the testing methodology as well as the findings.
Other manufacturers have taken more aggressive approaches, with some sending cease and desist letters to Lead Safe Mama. However, none of the companies have announced plans to address the heavy metal content in their products.
The investigation into toothpaste safety has exposed significant gaps between different regulatory standards and raised questions about the long-term health impacts of daily exposure to these metals. Lead Safe Mama's testing revealed that Primal Life Dirty Mouth Kids Tooth Powder and VanMan's Miracle Tooth Powder contained particularly high levels of toxic metals, exceeding EPA safety thresholds. The presence of these neurotoxins in dental products has sparked concerns about their potential role in various health conditions, including learning disabilities and autism. The easy absorption of these metals through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation during brushing amplifies these worries.
