Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
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.
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
655 thoughts onCrest Charcoal Toothpaste ‘Hazardous’, Class Action Lawsuit Claims
Oops…wondered why teeth were more sensitive
Bought it last month unaware.
Add me to the list
Add me as well. Horrible sensitivity issues after using this for 6 months in 2019. I now have to use prescribed toothpaste to combat the sensitivity.
Add me to the list, I started using the toothpaste two months ago. I noticed that my teeth have gotten very sensitive to foods hot, and cold. My enamel has thinned and my upper teeth throb now. Add me to the list.
About 18 months ago I used the Crest Charcoal Toothpaste hoping for it to make my teeth whiter. I used it twice a day and went through two tubes before I realized it was hurting me rather than helping me. My gums became so sore and ulcerated, at times bleeding, and my gums began receding my teeth very strongly. I had to be careful to not eat any type of acidic foods, as my gums would burn severely. I went to my dentist who told me that the problem was coming from the toothpaste and referred me to a periodontist. The periodontist said I needed to have a biopsy performed to know what we were now dealing with, as it was not gingivitis. I moved north and went to an Oral Surgeon, who did the biopsy and yesterday I learned that – due to the change in my toothpaste I now have Erosive Lichen Planus; and will need to use a steroid ointment to keep the problem at bay from now on. If I don’t, then it could develop into MOUTH CANCER! Please include me in your law action suit, as I am devastated about these results. I have always been a person who brushed after my meals and loved the fresh feeling it gave me. Now, it hurts to brush, but I do it anyway.
Add me. I have this toothpaste as we speak and will discontinue use immediately. I wish I had known sooner. Thanks for the heads up
I haven’t even used a whole tube and I have holes in my teeth now. I want to be added. The one time I deviated from my normal toothpaste and I have holes in my teeth at the gumline.
Add me
Add me
Been using this product for two months and my gums are peeling excessively and I’m having teeth pain. Just happened to Google reviews on the toothpaste because I knew that was the only thing different in my regimen. Dental appointment scheduled for 8/18/21.