# Sorry, I don’t believe you that my toothpaste will kill me. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 29, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181 "2012-03-29T17:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/61 "2012-03-30T18:54:28Z")
I’m not really interested in engaging in more debate on fluoridated water; it has been about as well-established as safe and effective as anything can possibly be, and if you still don’t believe, there won’t be anything I or anyone else can say that will change your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/62 "2012-03-30T19:24:01Z")
Wait just a - I thought the whole idea of fluoridated water (or tablets for those of us not on public water) was to get fluoride into the blood, which then helps to produce better enamel in children who are young enough to be developing teeth. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never been to a dentist that has said otherwise. Once all your teeth have erupted (teens), then only topical applications have any effect. Cause the enamel is, you know, on top so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/63 "2012-03-30T19:25:57Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > It’s silly to think that because a product contains a tiny amount of something that could harm you, the product as a whole is bad. Of course that’s false reasoning. Everyone who has studied the totally true science of homeopathy knows that the less of something, the more effective it is! 😉 > [@HookerChemical](#): > > Not necessarily. I worked for a toxicologist, who would routinely use the word and he knew what he was talking about. Of course, we were talking about benzene, cyanide, and other things that will actually kill you or result in cancer. Please see my last sentence in the quote. In other words, toxin-covered tongue in toxin-filled cheek. The point is that most people who use the word toxin are yoga instructors or nutritionists or something who believe that cooking food magically poisons it because animals don’t cook, or something. Then they sell therapies that range from ineffective to scary nasty. > [@](#): > > This is a little outside my toxics wheelhouse, but I think there are other toxins that bioaccumulate, such as lead (which is probably used to sweeten those lovely Arsenic Treats) and DDT. Still, most toxics are either chemically changed by your body or excreted. It was an example, not a list. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/64 "2012-03-30T19:47:50Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I had my toothpaste confiscated by the TSA, so someone thinks it’s dangerous. Either that, or someone wanted to brush their teeth on your dime. Probably to satisfy that fluoride addiction. Have you ever ridden the minty tiger? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/65 "2012-03-30T20:11:20Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’m not really interested in engaging in more debate on fluoridated water; it has been about as well-established as safe and effective as anything can possibly be, and if you still don’t believe, there won’t be anything I or anyone else can say that will change your mind. No, I’m not a nutter about the topic. I always just assumed that it was effective (I know its safe because I’ve been drinking it all my life) and someone quite reasonably upthread mentioned that it didn’t do anything. So then I asked if that’s true, then why bother with it? I haven’t really gotten an answer to that…and now I’m curious if its a case of “we thought it was really effective, we’re not sure anymore but since we’ve been doing it so long we aren’t stopping now” or some such. I honestly have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/66 "2012-03-30T20:43:31Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > No, I’m not a nutter about the topic. I always just assumed that it was effective (I know its safe because I’ve been drinking it all my life) and someone quite reasonably upthread mentioned that it didn’t do anything. So then I asked if that’s true, then why bother with it? I haven’t really gotten an answer to that…and now I’m curious if its a case of “we thought it was really effective, we’re not sure anymore but since we’ve been doing it so long we aren’t stopping now” or some such. > > I honestly have no idea. It has an effect but a minor one if you use fluoride toothpaste regularly. But in cases where people aren’t using fluoridated toothpaste, having it in the water supply is a good idea. Even in France, they’re fluoridating salt, instead, so the concept of fluoridating things people put in their mouths is still there. So for underdeveloped nations, there’s no guarantee people use fluoride toothpaste, so fluoridation of water is still a good idea. The science points to the idea that fluoridated water is perfectly safe in the levels we typically use. Even in Europe, I’ve read that the opposition to fluoridation of water isn’t based on health effects but personal freedom (i.e. people should be able to choose water that doesn’t have “stuff” in it, especially if they get their fluoride elsewhere). ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/67 "2012-03-30T21:24:20Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’m not really interested in engaging in more debate on fluoridated water; it has been about as well-established as safe and effective as anything can possibly be, and if you still don’t believe, there won’t be anything I or anyone else can say that will change your mind. Sounds like you’re the one that is incapable of changing your mind upon seeing evidence suggesting that you’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/68 "2012-03-30T23:02:50Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Please see my last sentence in the quote. In other words, toxin-covered tongue in toxin-filled cheek. The point is that most people who use the word toxin are yoga instructors or nutritionists or something who believe that cooking food magically poisons it because animals don’t cook, or something. Then they sell therapies that range from ineffective to scary nasty. Oops. I missed the tongue in cheekyness. It’s probably all the toxins in my colon interfering with my brain. > [@](#): > > It was an example, not a list. I thought you were implying that very few toxins accumulated. My inner pedant wanted to make it clear that many accumulate. I think we’re very much on the same page here and would sooner take health advice from my cat than a yoga instructor. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/69 "2012-03-31T09:18:57Z")
> [@HookerChemical](#): > > Oops. I missed the tongue in cheekyness. It’s probably all the toxins in my colon interfering with my brain. All of the brains in my colon are interfering with my toxins. > [@HookerChemical](#): > > I think we’re very much on the same page here and would sooner take health advice from my cat than a yoga instructor. Cat’s are even better at stretching! And that’s supposed to be the yoga people’s “thing.” ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/70 "2012-03-31T12:00:58Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > This is only further confirmation that a rare steak is a good steak. Any steak that hasn’t been waved over a hot grill is overcooked! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/71 "2012-03-31T13:22:09Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > This is only further confirmation that a rare steak is a good steak. As long as you only eat it rarely. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/72 "2012-03-31T14:13:54Z")
I have only one thing to say in this discussion; I don’t care if you stick fluoride in the water, toothpaste or use hippy ‘organic salt’ and clean your teeth with a stick, just **STOP SPELLING IT 'FLOURIDE’** Fluoride, fluoridate, fluoridation, fluorine. No flour involved. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/73 "2012-03-31T15:29:31Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Fluoride, fluoridate, fluoridation, fluorine. No flour involved. Filbert fellated the fella who fluoridated his flour, following this folderol with a fantastic flourish. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181/74 "2012-03-31T15:53:25Z")
Did you hear about [the guy who had a taste for toothpaste; he ate, yes, _ate_, five tubes of it per week for 30 years](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07367.x/full)? ETA: Those ‘Z’ score things mean that his bones were 10 standard deviations denser than the mean in the population! Think about the percentile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-i-don-t-believe-you-that-my-toothpaste-will-kill-me/617181.md?page=3)