# What's a fatal dose of tooth paste? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299 "2008-09-12T16:24:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/21 "2012-06-20T06:50:09Z")
How can the LD50 be more than 1? If you’re 100 kg and you eat 100 kg of the substance, won’t you weigh 200 kg? So is the dose 1 kg/kg or 0.5 kg/kg? ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/22 "2012-06-20T20:35:00Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > Does fluoride exposure over time cause cumulative damage? Not unless you always swallow after brushing without rinsing (or eat toothpaste/drink mouthwash). Small doses of fluoride [may be beneficial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation#Safety), strengthening bones in a similar manner to teeth (although not significantly). The most common side effect from excessive long-term intake is dental fluorosis, a staining of the teeth, but aside from cosmetic appearances, it is harmless; harmful effects will only occur if you ingest significantly more than is found in water, or swallowed after brushing and rinsing (of course, there are people who claim all sorts of horrible effects, including such preposterous notions that the government is intentionally mass poisoning us, including for mind control). ---
**Author:** ![Karma\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Karma\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karma_1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/23 "2020-02-24T14:52:44Z")
“The average 232 gram tube of toothpaste contains 1500 parts per million of fluoride. This means that there are roughly 15 grams of fluoride for every 10,000 grams of toothpaste. So, how much toothpaste would you have to ingest to risk dying of fluoride poisoning? Around fourteen tubes. Never fear: you won’t die from adding a little too much toothpaste to your brush while drowsy.” Darn it. 1. I don’t have enough toothpaste 2. I hate the taste of toothpaste so I guess I have to find another way to die… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/24 "2020-02-24T15:09:10Z")
Try the Oreos. You probably won’t die, but they taste lots better than toothpaste. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/25 "2020-02-24T15:17:57Z")
You had to resurrect an 8-year-old post? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/26 "2020-02-24T15:44:44Z")
> [@TheCuse](#): > > You had to resurrect an 8-year-old post? Their first post, probably looking something up and came across it. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/27 "2020-02-24T18:38:36Z")
Not so much fatal to him as his bones, [this case report](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07367.x)is about a guy who used to ‘reward’ himself by eating toothpaste (this is an unpublished detail not included in the text). Basically, by ingesting fluoridated toothpaste for decades (five tubes of toothpaste per week for 30+ years), he made his bones into rocks, [ten standard deviations](http://www.aleph.se/andart/archives/2009/09/ten_sigma_numerics_and_finance.html) denser than normal. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2020, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299/28 "2020-02-25T23:34:06Z")
Toxicity or lack thereof regardless, they can cause chemical burns to the eyes. I wouldn’t squirt toothpaste in there either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-fatal-dose-of-tooth-paste/463299.md?page=1)