Some popular toothpastes contain an germ-killing chemical called triclosan. Studies have shown that it may help fight the bacteria behind gum disease.
But after the U.S. government banned triclosan from soaps and other cleaning products, many people decided to steer clear of the chemical in other products too. Many switched to triclosan-free toothpastes. A new study has now shown that may not help — unless users also got a new toothbrush. Why? Triclosan can stick around in toothbrushes, exposing people once again after they turn to a new toothpaste.In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned triclosan and 18 other antiseptic chemicals from use in soaps. There was little evidence that the chemicals actually helped to prevent the spread of germs. What’s more, studies showed they could pose health risks, cause problems in the environment or contribute to antibiotic resistance. Triclosan was thought to do all three.
Yet it wasn’t banned from toothpastes. The reason: Some data showed that it might help fight gum disease. Still, many people switched toothpastes when they realized theirs contained the controversial chemical.
Jie Han and Baoshan Xing are environmental chemists. They work at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Their team has studied how various materials absorb different types of chemicals. After the FDA ban, they began to wonder whether triclosan sticks around in toothbrushes.
Brush, brush, brush
To probe that, they teamed up with chemists and engineers in Connecticut and New Zealand. The group chose 22 different types of toothbrushes that are popular in the United States. These ranged from full-sized brushes for adults to pea-sized ones for little kids. The brushes also varied in their features. Some had only nylon bristles. Others also had polishing cups and cheek/tongue cleaners made from a polymer called an…
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