Where do you buy your toothpaste from?

@loujac3 (1188)
United States
May 4, 2007 11:26pm CST
There is a report that has been verified through Snopes that the Dollar stores, 99Cent stores and Dollar Tree stores have been selling name brand toothpaste like Crest and Colgate that are not manufactured in the U.S.A. and are actually made in Canada and in Africa. The toothpaste made in Africa has ten times the amount of fluoride that is allowed by the American Dental Association. For a country like Africa, this is okay because they do not have fluoride in their water. Our children have a tendancy to swallow some of the toothpaste and too much flouride ingested is poisonous. The toothpaste made in Canada is made to close the same requirements as in the U.S.A. Another problem is that alot of the time these products sold by the $ stores are out of date by as much as two years. It will affect the flavor and texture of the toothpaste. Also there are many brands that these stores sell that are knock offs and not the real thing. So.......Where do you purchase you toothpaste and what are getting in it?
8 people like this
18 responses
• United States
5 May 07
Normally it is walgreens or a major grocery store chain. This is the first time I have ever heard of such claims of the toothpaste origin. I used to buy my toothpaste like colgage at dollar stores, You get a name brand, for a cheaper cost as some inventories are sent to more poorer or working class areas or so I thought. I guess I will be more careful picking up any products off of the shelf regardless if it is toothpaste or not.
2 people like this
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
5 May 07
You are right, well you just have to look at the place of manufacture at the dollar stores, many times it is the USA or Canada, but sometimes it is another place and they put too much fluoride in the toothpaste :X.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
5 May 07
I used to purchase my toothpaste from Dollar General Store until I read about this about a year ago. We now purchase our toothpaste at Sams club. We quit purchasing it at Dollar General Store.
2 people like this
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
5 May 07
I live alone and so I buy it from Wal-Mart or the grocery store. I am a mouth breather at night so I have a problem with tarter build up. My daughters refuse to use anything with fluoride in it so they used Toms of Maine. Now Colgate has bought out Toms of Maine and my daughters refuse to use it anymore, something to do with the company. My daughters are very earth friendly and so it must have something to do with that.
• United States
5 May 07
We always buy ours at Save A Lot. Pepsodent, been around a very long time,and find no problems with it. It is a large tube for $1.19. We sometimes try others if on sale but always come back to Pepsodent.
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
5 May 07
Now that brought back a commercial flashback! You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent! I am going to have to put a rinse on my hair again after that one! I use to use Pepsodent when I was a little girl. My aunt was a dental assistant when they wore white nurses hats and white dresses. I remember it so clearly and she would take us to the office with her on saturdays to watch what she did.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
5 May 07
Yes, I have heard that about the $1 store and toothpaste. I have also been told to NEVER buy my contact lens solutions there by the eye doctor. Many of them, like the toothpaste are manufactured in other countries with other or lower quality standards and maybe out of date as well. When buying any kind of thing at the dollar store, we should be aware of what we are buying, it is that price for a reason.
1 person likes this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
5 May 07
I forgot..I go to Walmart or BJs for toothpaste. And thanks for being someone who verifies rumors using snopes before putting a post out here, it helps make mylot a better place
1 person likes this
5 May 07
I rarely buy branded goods like this, most of the time I buy "own brand" basics like toothpaste, soap and detergent. I generally buy from our local supermarket, Sainsburys, and their own brand goods are fine and well priced. I am very wary of buying things from the *cheap* stores like this, and always check the dates.
2 people like this
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
5 May 07
It depends where you get the toothpaste because you have to look for place of manufacture, and you are right! Too much fluoride is not a good thing, especially for children. Well, I usually buy it from the grocery store, sometimes I do buy it at Big Lots because they have Tom's of Maine toothpaste for just 2.50 USD which it is normally 6 USD or more at the store! Generally I buy Crest, Colgate, Tom's of Maine or whatever seems to be good. Have a nice day. Pablo
2 people like this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
5 May 07
I always buy my toothpaste in the pharmasy. I am not really sure why, but i usually pick it up at the same time as i pick up aspirin and stuff like that. Tootpaste sells everywhere here but it is always manufactored here so i do not think there is any danger to us.
1 person likes this
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
5 May 07
I only use toothpaste that has peroxide and baking soda.....and i only buy arm and hammer....and Its the only one that works best for me.....hope its not on the bad list....
1 person likes this
@loujac3 (1188)
• United States
5 May 07
I think that you have nothing to worry about. I think you are wise to use Arm and Hammer. I have thought about going to that brand. Fluoride is a chemical that I try to delete from my life style. I already filter it out of my drinking water.
@smartraz (128)
• India
5 May 07
Tooth pastes are bought from a grocery shop and pharmacies
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
5 May 07
I buy mine at Wal-Mart usually. That's where I get my groceries and all kinds of various stuff, because we get a discount since my husband works there. I do like to buy certain types of things from Dollar Stores when I get a chance, but I don't think I would buy toothpaste from them, just like I wouldn't buy food products there. Too much out-of-date stuff.
1 person likes this
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
5 May 07
Thanks for the alert. I got my toothpaste from the supermarket. I presume all goods would have been "approved" before it reach the store. I do not know there is an expiry date for toothpaste. From now on, I shall be more conscious the next time I get the toothpaste and check the expiry date.
1 person likes this
@stormygrl (761)
• United States
5 May 07
I thought it didn't matter if it had the name brand on it and that's where I usually buy our toothpaste along with deodorant and sometimes shampoo ,but rarely.I have heard to check the dates for expiration and thanks for telling this.I won't be buying toothpaste there anymore.
1 person likes this
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
5 May 07
First off I want to thank you for sharing this valuable information with everyone. I haven't shopped at the Dollar Tree stores in a while but I useto. I buy most of the products we use from Wal-Mart. While Wal-Mart does try to make sure that it checks the products experation dates they have been known to miss a few so make sure you double check the experation date on everything that you buy no matter which store you buy it from.
1 person likes this
@dixits (104)
• India
5 May 07
almost all groceries stores are being selling toothpaste and usually we also get in medical stores as well as malls and even pan beedi shop also have it
1 person likes this
@Kscott (634)
• United States
6 May 07
Thanks for the information, I've been buying toothpaste from these stores for years. We have well water, so having extra fluoride isn't a bad thing, but the kids ingesting it scares me....especially sinc my 2 year old just stole the tube from bathroom and got it all over herself and the carpet, and I know she ate some of it, she said "it tastes good mom (licking her lips, LOL)". I know what you mean by some of these products, they have different labels, I just never knew that there was such a difference in each country. Good information and good discussion!
• Philippines
11 May 07
we buy are toothpaste from our country and it is locally made in our country philippines. Thank you very much for the information. maybe in the future if we get encounter such product we can be cautious on how to use it especially our children.
@Nardz13 (5055)
• New Zealand
5 May 07
Hi lou, Well when we go and do our grocery shopping, we usuall buy our toothpaste then, if we need more. Thats the only place we get our tooth paste from
1 person likes this
• Australia
6 May 07
i always buy my toothpaste from woolworths stores so i know that im getting the real thing