Toothpaste plays a crucial role in maintaining dental health and preventing dental diseases. However, choosing the right toothpaste can be challenging, with numerous brands promoting various benefits like freshness, sensitivity, and whitening. Cnews TODAY conducted a detailed evaluation of popular toothpaste brands to assess their safety and quality across several parameters.

Testing Methodology and Safety Standards

Consumer VOICE tested eight toothpaste brands against specifications outlined in Indian Standard 6356:2001 (with amendments for fluoridated and non-fluoridated toothpaste). The tests, conducted in an NABL-accredited laboratory, included the following parameters: 

• Presence of nicotine and heavy metals

• Microbiological contamination

• Fluoride ion content

• Fineness, foaming power, stability, and dispensing

• pH value, gritty matter, and inertness

Key Findings

1. Nicotine Content

Nicotine in toothpaste can be harmful and addictive. None of the tested brands contained nicotine, ensuring their safety in this regard.

2. Heavy Metals

The permissible limits for lead and arsenic are 20 ppm and 2 ppm, respectively. Traces of these metals were found in Babool, Sensodyne, and Meswak, but all remained well below the permissible levels, ensuring compliance with safety standards.

3. Fluoride Ion Content

Fluoridated toothpastes must not exceed 1,000 ppm of fluoride ions, while non-fluoridated ones are limited to 50 ppm. All brands met the required specifications. Colgate and Closeup scored highest in this category.

4. Fineness (Particle Size)

Toothpastes were tested for particles retained on sieves of 150 and 75 microns. All brands were within the permissible limits, ensuring smoothness and user safety.

5. Stability

Toothpastes must remain stable without physical deterioration under normal storage conditions. All brands passed this test.

6. Foaming Power

A minimum foam height of 50 ml is required. All brands exceeded this, with Pepsodent generating the highest foam (190 ml), followed by Colgate (188 ml).

7. pH Value

The required pH range is 5.5–10.5 to ensure the toothpaste is neither too acidic nor too alkaline. All brands fell within this range, with some approaching the neutral pH of 7.

8. Gritty Matter

Toothpastes were rubbed on butter paper to detect coarse particles. All brands passed this test, ensuring no abrasiveness during use.

Score Rating: >90: very good*****, 71–90: good****, 51–70: fair***, 31–50: average**, up to 30: poor*

CV Recommendations | Top Performers

Fluoridated	Fluoridated
Colgate | Closeup	Meswak

Value for Money

 TEST RESULTS

For physicochemical parameters

Nicotine | Heavy Metals | Microbiological Contamination | Fineness | Fluoride Ion | Stability | Foaming Power | pH | Dispensing | Inertness | Gritty Matter

Nicotine

There may be tooth paste having tobacco which contains nicotine. Nicotine use in dentifrices can have harmful effects and is an addictive. We have tested for presence of nicotine in Tooth Pastes.

• ·        None of the brands was found to have nicotine.

Heavy metals

Presence of heavy metals above the maximum permissible limit as per the Indian Standard can be harmful. All the brands were tested for lead and arsenic. For both fluoridated and non-fluoridated toothpastes, the maximum permissible limit for lead is 20 ppm and for arsenic it is 2 ppm.

·        All brands were within the specified limit for the heavy metals lead and arsenic. Traces of these metals were found in Babool, Sensodyne and Meswak but these remained below the maximum limits.

Fluoride ion

The national standard has specified 1,000 ppm as the maximum limit for fluoride ion in fluoridated toothpastes and 50 ppm in non-fluoridated toothpastes.

·        All the brands of fluoridated as well as non- fluoridated toothpastes met the specified

·        Colgate and Closeup scored highest on this

Fineness (particles retained on sieve)

Fineness of the toothpaste was checked on two sieves of 150 and 75 microns.

·        All the brands were within the specified limit.

Stability

The toothpaste shall not show any physical sign of deterioration during normal conditions of storage and use.

·        All brands fulfilled the required

Foaming Power

Foaming is required to be a minimum 50 ml in

Toothpastes as per the relevant Indian Standard.

·        Foam in all the brands was above the minimum requirement of 50 ml. Pepsodent (190 ml) generated the highest foam height, followed closely by Colgate (188 ml).

Dispensing

The paste shall extrude from the collapsible tube or any other suitable container in the form of continuous mass with the application of normal force. It shall be possible to extrude bulk of the contents from the container or the tube starting from the crimped end, by rolling the tube gradually.

·        All brands performed as required.

pH

pH value of toothpastes is required to be in the 5.5–10.5 range. As the toothpaste comes directly inside the mouth, its pH should be neutral or nearer to neutral.

• ·        While all the brands were within the permissible range, only a few were nearer to the neutral value of 7.

Gritty Matter

A small quantity of the toothpaste is rubbed across butter paper, which is then checked for coarse particles or scratches. This test is done to check for presence of solid particles in the toothpaste.

• ·   All brands passed the test

C  Conclusion:

Based on comprehensive testing, all evaluated toothpaste brands adhered to the safety and quality requirements outlined in Indian Standard 6356:2001. While Colgate and Closeup emerged as top performers in the fluoridated category, Babool stood out in the non-fluoridated segment. Consumers can confidently choose from these tested brands, knowing they meet essential health and safety standards.