Colgate-Palmolive will change the packaging and marketing of its toothpaste products following concerns raised by the Texas attorney general over how fluoride is presented to consumers.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said the company will begin depicting “safe, age-appropriate amounts of toothpaste” for children under six across its Colgate, Tom’s of Maine and Hello brands. From 1 November, packaging and promotional materials showing toothpaste on a brush will illustrate pea-sized portions, rather than larger swirls that could encourage parents to use excessive amounts.
According to Paxton, the updated depictions will appear online first, followed by product packaging in retail outlets. The move comes after civil investigative demands issued in May to both Colgate and Procter & Gamble, the maker of Crest, over claims that their marketing practices encouraged parents to expose children to unhealthy levels of fluoride. The case against Procter & Gamble remains open.
Paxton said the agreement with Colgate advances his broader “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, a movement tied to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Colgate has not commented publicly on the development.
The American Dental Association continues to support fluoridation of toothpaste and drinking water, citing its benefits in preventing cavities. However, fluoride use remains contentious. A study published earlier this year in JAMA Pediatrics linked higher fluoride exposure in children to lower IQ scores, though it was later criticized for methodological flaws by dental researchers.
The debate over fluoride comes as Paxton, a Republican, prepares for a 2026 U.S. Senate run against incumbent John Cornyn.
