Colgate total is toothpaste, but unlike most toothpastes which only have fluoride in them, colgate total also has the antibiotic triclosan in it. Would this offer any legitimate benefits like leaving an antibiotic film on your teeth to slow plaque growth or is it just marketing?
Recent studies show that triclosan in Colgate Total reacts with chlorine in tap water to produce chloroform, a suspected carcinogen, which is then inhaled. This is a preliminary study, but some Euro governments have already pulled the product from shelves.
My good man, you may have a future with the Chlorine Chemisty Council. They doubt the study below.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered that the use of antimicrobial soaps and other products may unnecessarily be directly exposing consumers to significant quantities of chloroform. Peter Vikesland, assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering, has shown in his research that when the chemical triclosan, present in many antimicrobial soaps, reacts with chlorine in tap water, chloroform is produced. Chloroform is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable human carcinogen.
Vikesland’s work was reported in last week’s on-line edition of Environmental Science & Technology’s science news section.
Hmmmmm. I don’t deny the science, however fluoride itself is more toxic than lead, and fluoride is in all toothpastes. Drinking water contains trace amounts of lead, arsenic and fluoride in it too. How much carcinogenic chloroform is being created when you brush your teeth? The tube says 0.24% fluoride (normal for a toothpaste) and 0.30% triclosan, and I don’t know if most/some/barely any of the triclosan becomes carcinogenic and how dangerous it is at those amounts.
