Can my toothpaste be causing my sore throats?

March 23, 2009 8:27 AM

Can my toothpaste be causing my sore throats?

I had my tonsils removed in early January. It was not a fun surgery, but very much worthwhile. I appreciated the honest and very helpful threads I found on AskMe about the recovery process.

I've had very mild sore throats since the surgery - nothing compared to the pre-op problems I had, but a nuisance nevertheless. There's a burning quality to them that differs considerably from the dull, throbbing tonsil pain I've been used to. Very recently, I realized that these sore throats seem to flare up after I've brushed my teeth. (I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake!) I'm theorizing that more of my toothpaste (Colgate Total - Whitening paste) is getting into my throat than was the case pre-op and is the source of the pain. I've tried using a little less toothpaste when I brush, but that doesn't really help.

I'll see my dentist in 2 weeks and I can see my otolaryngologist if necessary. For now, though, I thought I'd query the hive mind to see:

1. If anyone else has experienced anything similar; and

2. Before I start blowing my budget by experimenting with various toothpastes, if anyone can recommend a toothpaste that might not inflame my throat to the same extent. I've used Colgate products my whole life but I'm certainly willing to try something new.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

posted by cheapskatebay to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

How about just trying a little baking soda for a couple of days? Very cheap (especially if you've already got some in the pantry) so you can at least rule the Colgate in or out. Plus it's a single ingredient, meaning fewer variables if the baking soda irritates your throat as well.
posted by katemonster at 8:48 AM on March 23, 2009

I haven't used it for a while, but Tom's of Maine comes to mind as a "natural" toothpaste, and it looks like you can choose some with or without fluoride to try and rule that out as the source of your pain. I've seen this brand at Target and other retailers, although I don't know the extent of their selection. Colgate Total's other active ingredient is triclosan, so you may want to eliminate that as well. Also it is possible that the mint oils are aggravating sensitive tissues -- I have had a sensitive tooth be somewhat sensitive/tingly when chewing mint gum.

Good luck finding something that works!
posted by sararah at 8:50 AM on March 23, 2009

You can try bicarbonate soda and Grapefruit Seed Extract - dip clean toothbrush in water, then dip in the bicarb then put one drop of GSE and brush. If after one week you still have the pain, you can be sure it's not from any toothpaste but there's an underlying issue that needs to be checked out. BTW - are there any other symptoms?
posted by watercarrier at 8:55 AM on March 23, 2009

Some people claim that sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste irritates their mouths and gives them canker sores. I believe Rembrandt is SLS-free, and one of the Tom's of Maine Sensitive toothpastes is as well.
posted by jillsy_sloper at 9:20 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]

My boyfriend has the same thing happen to him. We think he is allergic to Carageneen. It comes from seaweed and used as a thickener. We noticed that Colgate Total has Carageneen in it but regular Colgate doesn't. We first realized this when we started drinking soy milk which uses Carageneen as well.

This is total guess on my part, but this is the only link to his throat issues. Try switching toothpastes without Triclosan and Carageneen.
posted by deebs at 11:20 AM on March 23, 2009

Triclosan is something to watch out for generally. I had a really bad reaction to it a few years back and it was hell trying to narrow it down to both the soap and deodorant I was using, which contained triclosan. At the time I was trying to get more information on it and its effects from the manufacturer of the chemical and the companies making the products (particularly because they started expanding to putting it in all kinds of other products), and they were not helpful at all. They all told me that my reaction to triclosan was unheard of. Of course, Google it now and it's a different story...
posted by troybob at 2:04 PM on March 23, 2009

Most of the above advice is reasonable, but not using a dentifrice without fluoride, like rembrandt or baking soda. there are hypoallergenic preparations available, like tom's of maine, switch to one of those first.
It may also be that some lymph tissue was left behind after the surgery. your ent or dentist can help, and might have samples so you don't blow your budget.
posted by OHenryPacey at 5:14 PM on March 23, 2009