Do Certain Toothpastes Cause Canker Sores?
askthedentist.com
Many toothpastes contain an ingredient called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS is a strong detergent and has demonstrated in several studies to increase canker sore outbreaks and pain.

I learned about this many years ago and the difference after I started using only SLS-free toothpaste was night and day. I used to get canker sores (mouth ulcers) any time I would bite the inside of my cheek, hit my gums with the hard parts of my toothbrush, etc., and this completely stopped a while after I switched to SLS-free.

SLS is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, by the way, and it’s a detergent. From what I understand, the only reason why it’s added to toothpaste is to make more foam when you brush. But the SLS-free toothpaste I use makes plenty of foam, so I have no idea why they add it. It’s one of those things about the modern world that makes absolutely no sense. The ads and packaging should say in big letters: “now with even more canker sores!”

Unfortunately, the vast majority of toothpastes on the market (at least in the US) have SLS. I can only seem to find SLS-free toothpaste in natural food/supplement stores. It’s extra difficult to find toothpastes that are SLS-free but that keep fluoride too. The difficulty (and price? I haven’t compared) is completely worth it to me though.

TL;DR: The SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) in most toothpastes is unnecessary and (edit: CAN cause) canker sores (painful sores in your mouth and gums). If you have this problem, you will likely benefit from SLS-free toothpaste (some still include fluoride) that you can usually find at natural food stores.

  • Hugucinogens
    74•1 year ago

    You should also know that SLS is banned in the EU, so this post made no sense to me until I went to Google for answers…

    I swear, sometimes it’s hard to fathom the little ways you got it rough over there.

    A Google listicle about “7 banned substances in the EU” or some shit, straight up lied to me.

    SLS (Sodium laurilsulfate) is not banned, not even particularly regulated, in medicinal products, in the EU.

    “The vast majority of SLS use is in oral products (tablets and capsules) where it rarely displays any adverse reactions.”

    It only is “not permitted”, as a food additive in the EU, and there is a 2017 study which argues for its regulation in skin products, because of irritation.

    I was careless on the internet, and the world is more complicated than it seemed at first glance. Story as old as time.

        • @Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
          4•1 year ago

          Just checked my toothpaste, and it contains SLS. Maybe the EU has tighter limits than the FDA when it comes to using SLS in a toothpaste.

          There’s one thing everyone should know about toxicology: you can use just about anything safely as long as the concentration is low enough. It’s very rare to find a compound where even a single molecule can be considered harmful. There are lots of compounds where the safe limits is ridiculously low, so using them safely is about the same as avoiding them all together. However, there are also lots of compounds where we routinely dance the line of harm and benefit. For example, many medications fall into this category. Technically, vitamins are in that category too, but most people never come close to eating too much of a specific vitamin.

    • @LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
      8•1 year ago

      We should make a list of all the bizzare unhealthy twisted sick things that are part of normal daily life for Americans but banned/illegal in every other country.