Stop brushing your teeth! It’s dangerous!

But that’s true only if you’re using a toothpaste made in China.

The US government warned consumers on Friday to avoid using toothpaste made in China because it may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze.

Out of caution, the Food and Drug Administration said, people should throw away toothpaste with labeling that says it was made in China. The FDA is concerned that these products may contain diethylene glycol.

The alert specified some the brands that consumers should not buy: Mr. Cool, Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint and Cooldent ICE. Analysis of the products revealed they contained between 3 percent and 4 percent DEG.

To be sure, just don’t buy any toothpaste with Chinese characters on the label, or those with misspelled names.

Yes, one may have the whitest teeth and the freshest breath in the world using these Chinese toothpastes. But who cares, who will notice that if the guy is already in the emergency ward of a hospital … or in the morgue?

Officials said they are primarily concerned about toothpaste sold at bargain retail outlets. The ingredient in question, called DEG, is used as a lower-cost sweetener and thickening agent. The highest concentration of the chemical found in toothpaste so far was between 3 percent and 4 percent of the product’s overall weight.

“It does not belong in toothpaste even in small concentrations,” said the FDA’s Deborah M. Autor.

Oops, beware of sweet and thick toothpaste then! Just stick with the well known brands.

But then, these well known brands keep changing their shape, color, labeling and formula. The makers of these toothpaste seem to think that consumers like us want a new toothpaste product every day, that’s why they keep changing those tubes.

It would not be surprising if one of these days there will be an ad announcing the arrival of a toothpaste that will not only clean, whiten and give sparkle to your teeth and freshen your breath but also make you smell good, make you look younger and like a billionaire and a movie star as well!

Let’s cross our fingers that “ideal” toothpaste would not come from China.

Related Articles

• Check the papers
• Bringing home your puppy : Exploring his new home
• The Crackdown Against Chinese Products
• Celtics Win!
• Hanna Barbara Profiles: Ricochet Rabbit

• TrackBack URI
• RSS feed for comments on this post