MAGA is now going after fluoride in toothpaste in an extension of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s long-running campaign against the mineral in drinking water.
On Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, targeted two major toothpaste manufacturers, accusing them of illegally marketing their products to kids.
“I’ve launched investigations into companies for illegally marketing toothpaste products containing fluoride to kids,” Paxton said in a statement, pledging to “use every tool available to protect our children from dangerous levels of fluoride exposure and deceptive advertising.”
The companies under fire are Colgate and Proctor & Gamble. Paxton accused them of “marketing toothpaste products to parents and children in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.”
The attorney general said the probe comes amid what he describes as a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that excessive fluoride exposure is not safe for kids.
Fluoride is a natural occurring mineral that has long been used to prevent tooth decay, but in excessive doses it can pose health risks. Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) caution parents to monitor fluoride intake—particularly for young children and pregnant women.
Overexposure can be caused by swallowing toothpaste, using too much mouthwash, or mixing infant powdered formula with fluoridated water.
The ADA recommends only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for kids and encourages parents to ensure it’s not swallowed. The CDC recommends 0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride in drinking water.
Paxton noted that the CDC states that parents should only put a rice-sized “smear” of toothpaste on the brush until the child turns three years old, while the ADA has also stated that parents should use “no more than a pea-sized amount” of fluoride toothpaste for children ages 3-6.
But according to Paxton, brands are still flavoring their products and deceptively marketing them in ways that encourage kids to swallow toothpaste—and aren’t doing enough to warn parents about the risks.
“Toothpaste manufacturers must follow state law to ensure that they aren’t putting Texas families in peril through their false, misleading, and deceptive marketing,” the attorney general added. “As this investigation continues, I will take aggressive action against any corporation that puts our children’s health at risk.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to Colgate and Proctor & Gamble for comment.
Kennedy has long called for fluoride to be removed from water supplies, just like the notorious paranoid general played by Sterling Hayden in the 1964 classic movie Dr. Strangelove.
Back in November, Kennedy said on social media that he would “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” claiming the mineral was linked to various medical conditions.
Kennedy also claimed during a cabinet meeting Wednesday that it’s making kids “stupid”, adding: “The more you get, the stupider you are. We need smart kids in this country and we need healthy kids.”
He pointed to a August 2024 study from the National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which he said “found that there’s a direct inverse correlation between fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children.”
However, that study said there wasn’t enough evidence to conclude whether fluoride at the current U.S. water standard of 0.7 mg/L has a negative effect on kids’ IQ.
Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water in March, and Florida could soon follow suit.
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