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Can Toothpaste Kill You If You Eat It?

Writer Andrew Davis

Each day, toothpaste (ideally) finds its way into our homes and our lifestyles. And while we brush our teeth using it and occasionally swallow a bit, we don’t consider how harmful it can be. In this regard, you may be shocked to discover that if you choose to consume lots of toothpaste, it’s likely that you’ll experience a truly bad day.

Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Aro... Silky Terrier Dog Breed Playing Around

If you ingest some of the quantity of toothpaste that you use to clean your teeth, you’re probably going to be okay. If you gulp down one whole tube of this stuff is a good reason to be concerned.

If you ingest a significant amount of toothpaste that has fluoride, you’re in trouble. Fluoride is harmful in excessive doses. If you swallow a lot of it, the side symptoms could include digestive blockage, stomach pain and diarrhea, convulsions, trouble breathing, drooling shakes, tremors and weakness, vomiting, and heart attacks. Drinking water or milk is great first protection, and then it’s likely that you should go to the emergency room. Here, you’ll be treated with activated charcoal that will stop the remainder part of the poison from being absorbed. You’ll also receive calcium to counteract the poison, as well as various tests and fluids.

If you swallow lots of toothpaste without fluoride, you’ll be fine. However, you could suffer from a stomach ache. It is still recommended to drink plenty of water or milk and try not to cause vomiting. You’ll likely be fine since the non-fluoride toothpaste doesn’t cause any harm.

The lowest dose of fluoride that could cause death in a human is currently estimated at five mg/kg (5 milligrams fluoride for every kilogram of body weight). The dosage is sufficient to produce major toxicity, which could be deadly even if no action is taken immediately.