Oral-B class action claims dental floss contains toxic forever chemicals

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Oral-B class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Alan Dalewitz has filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of Oral-B Glide dental floss.
• Why: He says The Procter & Gamble Company misrepresented to consumers that the product was “Pro-Health” when it actually contains chemicals known to be toxic to humans.
• Where: The Oral-B class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

The Procter & Gamble Company has been hit with an Oral-B class action lawsuit alleging some of its dental floss products contain harmful “forever chemicals.”

Plaintiff Alan Dalewitz filed the Oral-B class action lawsuit on Aug. 26, claiming that Oral-B Glide Dental Floss products are marketed as “Pro-Health,” but laboratory testing shows that the dental floss likely contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS are synthetic chemicals that are toxic to humans, even at low levels, the Oral-B class action lawsuit explains. This group of chemicals do not break down over time, a trait which has led them to be called “forever chemicals.”

Forever chemicals have been found in a large number of consumer goods, leading to a growing number of class action lawsuits seeking to hold companies accountable for putting consumers’ health at risk.

Testing suggests presence of PFAS in Glide dental floss, Oral-B class action says

Dalewitz says his attorneys have tested the Oral-B dental floss products and detected the presence of PFAS. The Oral-B class action lawsuit also points to a peer-reviewed study that has identified two specific types of PFAS in Oral-B Glide products.

The Oral-B forever chemicals allegedly include PTFE and PFHxS. PTFE is a major pollutant that allegedly has come under scrutiny recently over its safety, and PFHxS has reportedly been linked to adverse health effects such as liver damage, thyroid damage, and injuries to a developing fetus.

“Thus, P&G’s advertising of Oral-B Products–which suggests that the Product is ‘Pro-Health’–is false and misleading,” the Oral-B class action lawsuit alleges.

Dalewitz asserts that P&G’s allegedly misleading marketing of Oral-B dental floss has enabled it to sell more of the products and sell them at higher prices. He says the company had a responsibility to disclose the presence of Oral-B forever chemicals but failed to warn consumers about the presence of the toxic chemicals.

“No reasonable consumer would expect that a Product marketed for one’s health would contain dangerous PFAS, which are indisputably linked to harmful health effects in humans,” Dalewitz says.

He asserts claims for violations of New York consumer protection laws and fraudulent concealment.

The Oral-B class action lawsuit is not the only one P&G has faced recently. Earlier this year, P&G asked a New York federal judge to dismiss a class action lawsuit alleging its Crest charcoal toothpaste does not work as promised.

What do you think of the Oral-B class action lawsuit’s allegations that Glide dental floss contains forever chemicals? Join the discussion in the comments!

Dalewitz is represented by Kim E. Richman of Richman Law & Policy and by Joshua D. Arisohn and Alec M. Leslie of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Oral-B Forever Chemicals Class Action Lawsuit is Alan Dalewitz v. The Procter & Gamble Company, Case No. 7:22-cv-07323, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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