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Customers who bought Crest whitening toothpaste containing charcoal are suing the company’s owner, saying they were misled to believe charcoal was safe and effective to clean your teeth and gums with.
In a nationwide class action lawsuit that was filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, Plaintiff Belinda Housey, claims Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) had been promoting its Crest products as “enamel-safe whitening toothpastes that gently clean, and that can promote healthier gums.”
However, Housey said the messaging lacks a factual basis, and “recklessly omits” information around the use of charcoal in oral care.
“The consensus of respected dentists, researchers and industry experts weighs against the use of charcoal dentifrices, due to the lack of scientific substantiation on safety and efficacy, as well as risks of harm,” the class action lawsuit stated.
Housey said the American Dental Association (ADA) had not approved any charcoal dental cleaning products.
“P&G also omitted material facts, including that charcoal, when used in toothpastes, is known to be abrasive to enamel and the gums, and to pose risky safety hazards with use,” she said.
P&G charges a premium for the charcoal toothpastes, too, the lawsuit said, pointing out that in recent years, health and beauty products containing activated charcoal have become a “consumer sensation.”
Charcoal is highly porous and has adsorptive qualities that can be useful in certain contexts, according to the lawsuit, despite not being approved by the ADA for teeth.
“Opportunistic marketers, celebrities and social media influencers tout a variety of certain charcoal products for purported detoxifying properties and other enhanced wellbeing and health benefits,” the lawsuit states.
“Consumers have been willing to pay a premium for these charcoal products based on these purported benefits.”
Housey is looking to represent several nationwide Classes and a New York subclass of consumers who purchased a Crest charcoal toothpaste during applicable statutes of limitations. She is seeking damages, restitution, attorney fees, court costs and a jury trial.
Crest toothpaste has been at the center of other class action lawsuits, most recently with a January lawsuit claiming the product was falsely advertised as being able to reverse gingivitis damage.
Meanwhile, other charcoal toothpaste companies are not immune from legal action.
Active Wow is facing a class action lawsuit claiming its charcoal toothpaste is dangerous and should not have been sold, and Pro Teeth Whitening Co. is being sued for the way it markets its “activated charcoal” products.
Do you buy charcoal toothpaste? Did you know it wasn’t approved by the American Dental Association? Let us know in the comments!
Housey is represented by Jonathan Shub and Kevin Laukaitis of Shub Law Firm LLC and Michael R. Reese of Reese LLP.
The Crest Charcoal Toothpaste Class Action Lawsuit is Belinda Housey v. Procter & Gamble Co., Case No. 1:21-cv-02286, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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655 thoughts onCrest Charcoal Toothpaste ‘Hazardous’, Class Action Lawsuit Claims
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I used the charcoal whitening toothpastes for 6onths. My gums began to Bleed , dry out. Mouth acidic. I noticed my enamel s looked like it had stripped from teeth. This is when I started using crest enamel toothpaste. I believed it would help.
Add me please
I can cry right now, This explains sooo much that have been going on with my mouth that’s been EXTREMELY unusual.
I’m literally on the verge of losing my job from back & forth dental appointments as I type.
I was actually just searching up cautious tooth care for whitening and came across .
I can’t even believe what I just read and I believe the young lady mentioned the same thing I’ve been experiencing that now have me wondering. My teeth has become more fragile and finally started too chip even crack in half, fillings have gone away I’m so hurt One of the many things I love is hurting me the most like a toxic relationship only I can repair this myself ?
I feel your pain. There’s almost nothing left of my once perfect teeth. I look like I have “meth mouth”! I just got the devastating news from my dentist that the fragments of teeth that I still have will have to be pulled and I have to get dentures. I’m so upset that I can’t sleep at night. The only good thing about this situation is that I won’t have to deal with the excruciating toothaches and infections anymore. Crest ruined my life!
Add me please
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Posting again fir it seemed it didn’t post the first time delete one if two appear. Yes we used the darn toothpaste it too the shine from our teeth have two cavities in the front teeth. Both me and husband do not have any shine left guess it ate some enamel some teeth are translucent. Please add us . Bad call from us. Not everything u see advertise is good fir anyone.
Please add me my husband and i used this toothpaste for about 3 months we are left without enamel I say that forthe teeth have no shine not even white as they say i developed several small cavities in my front teeth. I regret this friend suggested it. But she also is in trouble.
I used the charcoal crest for the first time during the quarantine in 2021. After around 5 days, one of my teeth looked odd. Then I noticed it was chipped, and some of my fillings were missing. I stopped using crest charcoal immediately, but within a few days all my fillings vanished, my teeth began to chip and break off, right down to the gums. I have a few jagged peaks left, but the interiors of all my teeth are showing. I reported this to P&G. They immediately said they’d reimburse me for my out of pocket dental bills. They didn’t stop selling it, though. I cannot afford a dentist, I have to pay up front!
So add me too! I need thousands for my dental expenses.
Same this toothpaste left me with around 10,000 in damaged teeth
Oops, I meant I used it in 2020.