Toothpaste class action lawsuits overview:
- Who: Eight consumers filed three separate class action lawsuits against The Procter & Gamble Co., Haleon US Inc. and The Colgate-Palmolive Co.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim Crest, Sensodyne, Parodontax and Colgate Total toothpastes falsely claim to fight gingivitis while containing sodium lauryl sulfate, a gum irritant.
- Where: All three lawsuits were filed in California federal court.
Three new class action lawsuits allege major toothpaste makers deceive consumers with gum-health claims while hiding the risks of a common ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate.
Plaintiffs Sherrie Oliver and Michael Testone filed a class action lawsuit against P&G over its Crest brand. Plaintiff Chelsea Garland and two others filed a related lawsuit against Haleon over its Sensodyne and Parodontax brands, while plaintiff Janet Fry and two others filed a third lawsuit against Colgate-Palmolive over its Colgate Total line.
All three lawsuits, filed the same day in California federal court, argue consumers paid a premium for toothpastes marketed to reverse gingivitis and strengthen gums without knowing they contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
Oliver, in her Crest class action lawsuit, argues “these representations are misleading, however, because the products contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a harsh detergent and known irritant that, at the levels present in the products, can damage gum and mouth tissue, inhibit wound healing, trigger inflammation, cause allergic and contact-sensitivity reactions and epithelial sloughing, and disrupt the oral microbiome.”
All three lawsuits seek to represent a class of California consumers who bought the toothpastes for personal use within the past four years.
The complaints raise claims under California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act and breach of warranty, and all three plaintiff groups have demanded a jury trial.
Sodium lauryl sulfate allegedly caused symptoms in two plaintiffs
In her Crest class action lawsuit, Oliver claims she experienced pain, discomfort and sensitivity in her teeth and gums after regularly using Crest Pro-Health Gum Detoxify Plus.
Testone, who had purchased the same product since 2018, alleges its sodium lauryl sulfate content undermines the line’s gingivitis-reversing and gum-fortifying claims.
Garland and two other plaintiffs say they relied on claims that Sensodyne and Parodontax toothpastes reduce swollen, bleeding gums and reverse early gum disease.
Fry and two other plaintiffs allege they relied on Colgate Total’s claims to fight gingivitis and reverse early gum damage. They claim only economic injury, saying they would not have bought the toothpaste, or would have paid less, had they known about its sodium lauryl sulfate content.
In other news, Colgate-Palmolive is facing a separate class action claiming its “hello kids” toothpaste contains “substantial” levels of lead.
Have you ever experienced gum or mouth irritation after using Crest, Sensodyne, Parodontax or Colgate Total toothpaste? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs in all three lawsuits are represented by Jack Fitzgerald, Melanie R. Monroe, Trevor M. Flynn, Kaden Byron, Allison Ferraro and Daniel Sachs of Fitzgerald Monroe Flynn P.C.
The Crest class action lawsuit is Oliver, et al. v. The Procter & Gamble Co., Case No. 3:26-cv-03859-JO-BJW; the Sensodyne class action lawsuit is Garland, et al. v. Haleon US Inc., Case No. 3:26-cv-03855-GPC-JAC; and the Colgate class action lawsuit is Fry, et al. v. The Colgate-Palmolive Company, Case No. 3:26-cv-03858-RBM-AHG, all in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
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