Toothpaste 'Liquid calcium'

[Pete Tar]

Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection with claimed liquid calcium.

Active ingredients - Sodium monofluorophosphate 0.76% W/W (what does W/W mean?), Sodium Fluoride 0.1% W/W.

Those are both forms of fluoride - the other 99% of the toothpaste has no ingredient listing. Where's the calcium? It's obviously not an active ingredient or it would be included as such - so either the claim there is liquid calcium in there is a lie, or the claim it has any effect is bunk.

"Combining liquid calcium and fluoride, this formula is clinically proven to strengthen teeth and repair weak spots in the enamel before cavities start.

Fluoride is our greatest defence against tooth decay. By helping to replace the essential minerals that plaque acids erode from the enamel, and with additional calcium, Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection fluoride toothpaste strengthens teeth and helps prevent the decay that may lead to cavities — both on the enamel covered and root surfaces of teeth."

All I could find on the subject...
http://dailychem.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/liquid-calcium-hoax.html

 

[lotek]

this seems just do be one of those "we realized there is another ingredient in every toothpaste we sell already that we can single out as special and advertise with". it happens all the time.

low carb jerky.... canned soup made with filtered water.. on and on, no product change, just pointing out something standard.

could be wrong tho

 

[Grieves]

Seems like a throwback to their older advertising. Fluoride was often espoused as a 'calcium source' itself, as its effect on cell-tissues is often calcification. When I asked my first dentist back in the day what my dental fluorosis was, he told me it was just 'extra calcium in my front teeth', and I believed that for years and years, not aware of any connection to fluoride until my adulthood, more or less. Also, because calcium isn't considered 'medicinal', I doubt they're required to display it on the label, so they could very well be adding a vitamin supplement or something. The thing is, if they're including a vitamin supplement in toothpaste and expecting you to get any benefit from it, that suggests they're expecting you to ingest the toothpaste. That or the calcium content is a pointless gimmick, which is entirely likely as well. Most new toothpaste brands are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_fraction_(chemistry)
on the 'w/w' measurement. It's in my opinion a pretty damn confusing way of displaying the amounts, which is almost certainly why they use it. Looks a lot better than 1000 ppm.