P&G alters Crest toothpaste packaging amid fluoride fight

Procter & Gamble has agreed to revise the packaging of its Crest toothpaste brand under an agreement with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as some conservatives express concerns about the effects of fluoride.

Children’s toothpaste containers and marketing materials will clearly depict the "appropriate" amount to be used for children starting Jan. 1, state officials said in a Jan. 8 announcement. The move comes after Texas officials investigated marketing materials, accusing companies they misled consumers by suggesting excessive amounts of toothpaste. When Paxton launched the probe in May of 2025, he noted the American Dental Association recommends "no more than a pea-sized amount" of fluoride toothpaste for children ages 3-6.

"When parents are teaching their kids the basic habit of brushing their teeth, they shouldn’t have to worry about deceptive marketing endangering their children," Paxton said in a statement, noting excessive fluoride has been linked to potential effects of children’s health and brain development.

P&G 'voluntarily agreeing' to settle, changing artwork

In a statement, P&G officials said their products "comply with all laws and regulations" regarding directions for use. But they are making the change to settle Paxton's civil investigation.

"We are voluntarily agreeing to ensure that our artwork reflects recommended dosing levels for children," P&G said in a statement.

Regulatory agreements in large states like Texas or California have national implications because manufacturers want to make products that comply across the country without the added cost of special accommodations for certain state markets.

P&G, Paxton and the politics of fluoride

Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate this year, and hopes to unseat Republican incumbent John Cornyn.

The agreement with Cincinnati-based consumer products giant P&G comes months after rival Colgate-Palmolive agreed to similar terms in September, where the company agreed to show a "pea-sized" amount of toothpaste on packaging and materials. The attorney general’s office called the Colgate agreement "historic" and said it "set an industry standard," adding it would lead to other manufacturers to follow suit.

Paxton's campaign against fluoride toothpaste makers allegedly encouraging excessive use of their products coincides with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s criticism of putting fluoride in tap water. Kennedy has also expressed concern about fluoride's potential impacts on children's health and has even described it as "industrial waste."

The recent ire toward fluoride takes aim at practices that are credited by the medical community, such as the American Dental Association, for reducing tooth decay since the mid 20th century.

Last January, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics linked higher fluoride exposures in children to lower IQ scores. But a University of Iowa dentistry professor criticized that research in an accompanying editorial and warned against changing public policy concerning fluoride based on the findings.

Based in downtown Cincinnati, P&G employs 109,000 workers worldwide, including about 10,000 in Greater Cincinnati. Generating $84.3 billion in sales a year, the company produces a wide portfolio of consumer brands in your medicine cabinet and pantry, including Tide laundry detergent, Gillette razors, Pampers diapers, Pantene shampoo, Mr. Clean household cleaners and Vicks cough medicine.

Reuters contributed to this report