Wow, You Mean There's Actually A Point to All These Ingredients?
Sometimes, greens and organic-proponents act as if the only point of chemicals is to ... uh... I don't know what they think. They act as if the chemicals are added simply as an evil conspiracy by corporate America to both make the product less efficacious and simultaneously more expensive and complex to make. Somehow this behavior is all driven by the profit motive, though the logic sort of escapes me.
Well, at least one green seems to be starting on a voyage of discovery:
Good news and bad news at the dentist this morning. The good news is, my teeth are fine. The bad news is, the dentist told me I should give up Tom's of Maine and Nature's Gate in favor of Crest and Colgate.
I pressed him on it because I know sometimes people have knee-jerk reactions about green products, and he insisted that he's only come to the conclusion after observing many people's teeth. In fact, he went so far as to say that I'd be better off brushing my teeth with just water. He said the big C's of dental care have "lots of artificial ingredients in them that are great for your teeth."
Really? I am sure that if we get Obamacare the government will be willing to provide him some Tom's of Maine all natural homeopathic cancer remedy should he ever contract that dreaded disease. What? Don't tell me homeopathic remedies with one molecule of active ingredient in a glass of water don't work either.
Stephen Macklin:
That is disturbing news.
I have been using Tom's for years. Not because of it's "green" brand positioning, but because it tastes better.
August 24, 2009, 8:00 pmJohn Moore:
Homeopathic remedies work better with 1/2 or 1/4 or 1/1024 molecules on the average.
:-)
August 24, 2009, 9:55 pmJay:
When I was a teenager, my mother got me Tom's and I used it only briefly because my teeth started to hurt. It seemed like its main activity was abrasion, and heavier than normal abrasion without the chemicals to clean and strengthen made things worse. YMMV since my teeth could be better in the first place, but I say chemicals FTW.
August 25, 2009, 3:35 amJay:
When I was a teenager, my mother got me Tom's and I used it only briefly because my teeth started to hurt. It seemed like its main activity was abrasion, and heavier than normal abrasion without the chemicals to clean and strengthen made things worse. YMMV since my teeth could be better in the first place, but I say chemicals FTW.
August 25, 2009, 3:44 amBTW I love your blog!
DrTorch:
I'm surprised at this person's decision to consider using Crest or Colgate.
I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he ultimately concludes the dentist somehow is in pay from P&G or Colgate (Big Dental) which nullifies his scientific observations.
August 25, 2009, 7:44 amJeff:
Everyone knows that 4 out of 5 dentist are paid by the chemical industrial complex to advocate killing their patients slowly with poisoned toothpaste.
August 25, 2009, 1:43 pmNot Sure:
Really? 4 out of 5? What does the other one advocate killing their patients with?
August 25, 2009, 4:43 pmDr. T:
The major ingredient of common toothpastes is soap. The only other active ingredient is sodium monofluorophosphate (fluoride), which probably conveys little benefit unless you swallow the toothpaste. Other ingredients include salts (buffering), glycerin and cellulose gum (smooth consistency), and artificial flavor and saccharine (yummy taste).
The only significant difference for Tom's of Maine Whole Care Toothpaste is the addition of zinc citrate trihydrate (supposedly for tartar control). The other differences are trivial (such as adding baking soda). The dentist didn't know what he was talking about.
August 25, 2009, 5:03 pmthebastidge:
The fluoridation doesn't need to be ingested, it is absorbed by the teeth directly- thus fluoride rinse.
Fluoride is pretty much the only only chemical benefit to brushing your teeth, the rest of the benefit comes from dislodging food particles before bacteria can make them acidic.
August 25, 2009, 7:19 pmFruit Juice Concentrate:
Thanks for sharing such a nice post.
August 25, 2009, 11:46 pmFruit Juice Concentrate
Mark H:
Just for fund, here is English comedy team "Mitchell & Webb" poking fun at homeopathy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0
September 1, 2009, 5:21 amJess:
Uh, Dr. T, but ???? lauryl sarcosinate (the "detergent" in common toohpastes) isn't lauryl sulfate (in soaps/cleaners).
September 1, 2009, 8:11 am