Colgate-Palmolive will alter its packaging and marketing of kids’ fluoride toothpaste in response to Texas’ investigation, which had accused the company of illegally advertising its products to parents and children, according to the Texas attorney general.
Starting November 1, Colgate will release new packaging and marketing for its Colgate-, Tom’s of Maine-, and hello-branded fluoride toothpaste products for children under the age of 6, wherever an image of toothpaste on a toothbrush is used. Colgate will show a “pea-sized” amount of toothpaste on its packaging and promotional material in these images, according to a press release dated September 15 from the attorney general of Texas.
“This historic agreement with Colgate is an incredible example of what is possible when American companies are willing to take concrete steps to protect the health of our children and families,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the press release.
First, the new images will appear online, and changes to physical packaging will follow. Colgate’s written product usage instructions will not change because they already reflect U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements, according to the release.
The state continues to investigate Crest for similar reasons.
In May, the attorney general sent civil investigative demands to Colgate and Crest due to the growing body of scientific evidence that shows excessive fluoride exposure may not be safe for children, according to a May 1, 2025, press release from Paxton.
Much of this is triggered by a report released in August 2024 from the National Toxicology Program that concluded with "moderate confidence" that fluoride exposure above 1.5 mg/L was linked to lower IQ in children. Additionally, the report found that more research was needed to better understand whether health risks correlated with exposure to lower concentrations of fluoride.
