Sensodyne Extra Whitening Cool Mint Toothpaste
At a glance
Summary
Sensodyne Extra Whitening Cool Mint scores 20/100. Lead Safe Mama (Feb 2025) detected 116 ppb lead and 16 ppb arsenic. The formula offers one positive (potassium nitrate 5%, a clinically validated antisensitivity active) but stacks dual fluoride sources, SLS, titanium dioxide (EU food-banned 2022), and saccharin. Suspected sources: hydrated silica + titanium dioxide. Owned by Haleon.
Contaminants 4
Source: Lead Safe Mama 2025
Lead 116 ppb High
Detected at a high level — at or above health-based exposure limits. Regular exposure at this level is a genuine health concern. No safe level of lead exposure exists per CDC, AAP, and WHO. Suspected source: hydrated silica abrasive and/or titanium dioxide pigment.
Lead Safe Mama 3rd-party lab testing (Feb 2025) detected 116 ppb lead — relatively lower than Crest Regular (399 ppb) and Colgate Total Whitening (539 ppb), but still well above any defensible exposure level for daily oral use.
Arsenic 16 ppb Low
A low level of arsenic — present but modest; a sourcing-quality note rather than a safety concern at typical intake.
Lead Safe Mama 3rd-party lab testing (Feb 2025) detected 16 ppb arsenic — above the 10 ppb threshold the medical community uses for cosmetics.
Mercury <5 ppb Not detected
Not detected — below the laboratory's detection limit. This is the strictest possible result: no measurable amount was found.
Lead Safe Mama 2025 lab testing reported mercury below the 5 ppb low threshold of detection — no mercury measurable in this product.
Cadmium <5 ppb Not detected
Not detected — below the laboratory's detection limit. This is the strictest possible result: no measurable amount was found.
Lead Safe Mama 2025 lab testing reported cadmium below the 5 ppb low threshold of detection — no cadmium measurable in this product.
Key ingredients 7
Sodium Fluoride 0.24%Very Bad
Active anticavity ingredient (0.15% w/v fluoride ion). Fluoride is classified by The Lancet (2014) as a developmental neurotoxicant; chronic ingestion is linked to dental fluorosis, lowered IQ in children (NTP 2024 monograph), and thyroid suppression.
See more about Sodium Fluoride 0.24% →Sodium Lauryl SulfateVery Bad
Harsh anionic surfactant. Documented trigger for recurrent aphthous (canker) ulcers (Herlofson & Barkvoll 1996); strips protective oral mucin; common contact irritant. Cleaner toothpastes use coconut-derived alternatives.
See more about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate →Titanium DioxideVery Bad
Whitening pigment. Banned as a food additive in the European Union since 2022 after EFSA concluded it cannot be considered safe due to genotoxicity concerns from nanoparticles. IARC Group 2B. Lead Safe Mama 2025 also implicates titanium dioxide as a likely source of the lead contamination detected in this product.
See more about Titanium Dioxide →Flavor (undisclosed)Bad
Proprietary flavor blend. Can hide dozens of synthetic aroma chemicals and phthalate carriers under FDA trade-secret rules.
See more about Flavor (undisclosed) →Sodium SaccharinBad
Synthetic sweetener associated with gut microbiome disruption (Suez et al. 2014); historical NTP carcinogen listing.
See more about Sodium Saccharin →Hydrated SilicaNeutral
Standard mild toothpaste abrasive — safe at typical use.
See more about Hydrated Silica →Potassium Nitrate 5%Good
Active antisensitivity ingredient. Clinically validated to depolarize dentinal nerve transmission, providing genuine sensitivity relief over weeks of use. The one real functional positive in this formula.
See more about Potassium Nitrate 5% →Get the full breakdown in the Scout appTake Scout shopping
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