Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is targeting big toothpaste brands who he alleges are using dangerous levels of fluoride in their products.
Paxton, a close ally of President Trump and supporter of the Make America Healthy Again movement, has issued legal demands to Colgate and Procter & Gamble, the maker of Crest, accusing them of misleading marketing that targets children and could pose risks to brain development and IQ.
Paxton is compelling the companies to turn over internal documents, respond to written questions, and provide oral testimony as part of a probe into deceptive business practices.
‘Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure they aren’t putting Texas families in danger through false, misleading, or deceptive marketing,’ Paxton said Thursday.
‘[The investigation] will help my office uncover any potential wrongdoing. As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children’s health at risk.’
Toothpastes marketed to kids — often featuring characters like Bluey and Disney Princesses — are staples on store shelves, designed to encourage early dental hygiene.
But Paxton argues these playful designs and fruity flavors mislead parents into overusing fluoride, despite ADA guidelines recommending no more than a pea-sized amount.
Paxton’s effort come amid a growing movement of officials pushing to eliminate fluoride from drinking water, citing mounting research linking long-term overexposure to issues like reduced IQ and thyroid dysfunction.
Texas AG Ken Paxton, a Trump ally, sent legal demands to Colgate and Crest (Procter & Gamble), accusing them of misleading ads for fluoride toothpaste that could risk children’s IQ scores
Paxton’s office cited a 2024 meta-analysis by the Department of Health and Human Services — frequently referenced by current HHS head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — which linked fluoride exposure to neurological issues, particularly in children.
The review found that drinking water with fluoride levels above 1.5 mg/L was associated with an average IQ drop of up to five points.
It marked the first time a federal agency concluded, with ‘moderate confidence,’ that fluoride may impact intelligence.
Health secretary RFK Jr. said during a cabinet meeting: ‘The more you get, the stupider you are — and we need smart kids in this country.’
Critics, including the CDC and American Dental Association, pushed back, citing flaws in the studies and no population-wide IQ decline in fluoridated communities.
Many of the studies failed to control for factors like lead exposure, malnutrition, and socioeconomic status.
The CDC recommends just a rice-sized smear of toothpaste for children under three.
At the same time, the ADA advises no more than a pea-sized amount for ages three to six, ‘because of the well-known acute and long-term risks associated with fluoride overdose,’ according to Paxton.
Toothpaste manufacturers, the AG alleged, are aware of this, yet they market their products in a way that encourages children and their parents to use excessive amounts of toothpaste.
Paxton said marketing tactics, coupled with flavors other than mint that appeal to children, mislead parents into using more fluoride than is recommended – no more than a pea-sized amount, according to the American Dental Association
A pea-sized dot of toothpaste contains typically contains fluoride in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 parts per million – the concentration recommended by the FDA and the ADA for cavity prevention. This equates to roughly 0.25 to 0.375 mg of fluoride per use.
Using more than the recommended amount over a long period of time may cause fluorosis, which causes white flecks, spots, or lines to appear on the enamel of the teeth.
The AG issued a CID to force Colgate and Proctor&Gamble (maker of Crest) to hand over documents, answer written questions, and provide testimony in a deceptive marketing probe
The EPA and HHS announced in April that they would reconvene a panel of public health and prevention experts to review scientific information regarding the potential health risks associated with fluoride in drinking water.
Administrator Lee Zeldin said at the time: ‘Without prejudging any outcomes, when this evaluation is completed, we will have an updated foundational scientific evaluation that will inform the agency’s future steps.’
The EPA sets limits on the levels of fluoride permitted in drinking water.
At the same time, the content in toothpaste falls under the purview of the FDA, currently headed by Dr Marty Makary, another fluoride skeptic.
Utah became the first state to ban local governments from adding fluoride to drinking water, which takes effect this month.
Most Texans drink fluoridated water through the state’s public water systems, though some communities such as College Station, have stopped adding the chemical altogether.
In College Station, local officials voted to stop adding it in 2015.
In 2018, researchers at the nearby Texas A&M University concluded that childhood cavities increased by 27 percent in poorer communities over that three-year period.
Fluoride helps prevent cavities from forming by promoting the reabsorption of minerals like calcium and phosphate, which rebuilds weakened enamel.
It also blocks the production of acid by cavity-causing bacteria, which slows down tooth decay.
It is one of the most proven and cost-effective ways to prevent cavities, especially for people who lack regular access to a dentist due to distance or cost.
Fluoride toothpaste has been shown to reduce tooth decay by 20 to 40 percent.
