Micro-beads in Crest Toothpaste: Your Greensboro Dentists’ Opinion

Crest toothpaste has made the news recently because of their decision to remove plastic micro-beads from their toothpaste, and as your Greensboro dentist, we’d like to weigh in.  While the FDA certified that the blue polyethylene micro-beads are a safe food additive, the plastic beads are not healthy for your teeth.  We’ve been seeing these small, blue plastic specks during dental check-ups and have been informing out patients that the little micro-beads do more much more harm than good.  The plastic micro-beads get jammed in and stuck between your teeth and gums.  They are pushed even further down by the bristles of your brush, making them hard to dislodge.  Once there, the plastic doesn’t wash away or dissolve. Instead it collects bacteria which causes tooth decay and gum disease.