Every day, we encourage our children to brush their teeth. But
little did we know just how hazardous this could be. Since 2007,
Health Canada has required the following warning on all
fluoride-containing toothpastes: “Do not swallow. Keep out of
reach of children under six years of age. If more than used for
brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact
a poison control centre right away.” Considering the amount of
toothpaste that Health Canada recommends those over three years
of age use is only the size of a green pea, that’s a pretty
serious warning. Unfortunately, most tubes of fluoridated
toothpaste still do not carry this warning. When I questioned
Health Canada early last year about these missing warnings, I
was told that, due to an oversight, Health Canada failed to
notify manufacturers that this warning must appear on
fluoridated toothpaste labels. Health Canada said that would be
corrected by notifying manufacturers, but almost a year has
passed and nothing has changed. While Healt