# I put this stuff in my mouth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 22, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824 "2001-04-22T00:01:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/1 "2001-04-22T00:01:16Z")

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So, I’m brushing my teeth today. Being the obsessive reader that I am, I begin reading the directions; just to make sure I’m using the product correctly. At the bottom of the tube, in smaller print it says :

> [@](#):
>
> If swallowed in amounts larger than used for tooth brushing, contact your doctor _or a local Poison Control center._

Are there ingredients in toothpaste that could be considered poisons if taken in large enough doses? How much more than just a toothbrush full would you have to take for it to be fatal?

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/2 "2001-04-22T00:11:52Z")

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Flouride, for starters, isn’t good for you in large amounts.

[http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic181.htm](http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic181.htm)

That should be enough to get everyone riled up.

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**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/3 "2001-04-22T03:46:03Z")

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Haven’t you ever heard of Gen. Jack D. Ripper? _Dr. Strangelove_, anyone?

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**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/4 "2001-04-22T04:38:19Z")

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Many things that we consume, or even just use briefly, are problematic in large amounts, particularly if you ingest them: mouthwash, cold sore and canker sore gels…Heck, even vitamins and supplements can wreak havoc with your system if you take too many.  
Toothpaste and mouthwash are meant to be spat out. They’re cleansers, not food–right?

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**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/5 "2001-04-22T05:38:37Z")

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**Euty** , you think that’s bad. Look at what happens if you [use the stuff on little Euty](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=66821).

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**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2001, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-put-this-stuff-in-my-mouth/62824/6 "2001-04-22T05:53:17Z")

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FYI, if you use the amount of toothpaste they show in TV commercials, you’re using WAY too much. They just show people using that much to encourage people to waste toothpaste and thus sell more product. Both my dentist and periodontist have lectured me endlessly that you only need a dab of toothpaste the size of a small pea.