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Wait, Radioactive Toothpaste Was a Thing?

Live Life Smiling

radioactive-toothpaste
  • Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics
  • January 5, 2022

 

RADIATION AND THE harm it can do to humans wasn’t well understood in the early years after it was discovered. There were all kinds of exciting radioactive products for the public to buy, from radioactive water jugs to children’s toys to butter to…toothpaste.

Thorium Toothpaste in 1920s Germany

A hundred years ago, the German company Auergesellschaft produced Doramad, a toothpaste with thorium as the (radio)active ingredient. Doramad was advertised as being great for fighting gum disease and polishing enamel. Meanwhile, in Paris, a radioactive cosmetics line called Tho-Radia included toothpaste.

Tubes of Doramad had some bold (and false) claims on their labels: “Its radioactive radiation increases the defenses of teeth and gums. The cells are loaded with new life energy, the bacteria are hindered in their destroying effect.” This was flagrant false advertising, and thankfully the radioactive toothpaste craze didn’t last long.

The Saga Continued With a WWII Caper

These kinds of fraudulent health and cosmetics companies were probably the reason behind an odd series of events that happened in WWII. While the Manhattan Project was underway in the US, a team of spies was tasked to discover how far the Nazis were getting with developing nuclear technology. What they found instead was a radioactive scam.

The Alsos Mission was an international operation of scientific, intelligence, and military officials established in 1943. Colonel Boris Pash and his men seized scientists, scientific data, and atomic materials as they followed on the heels of the advancing Allied forces, and they discovered someone was collecting radioactive materials like uranium and a stockpile of thorium smuggled from Paris to Germany by the Auer company.

The Alsos team was obsessed with solving the mystery of that thorium stockpile. In what first seemed like a huge success for the mission, they eventually tracked it down — only to discover that it was being kept in preparation for the end of the war, after which the Auer company planned to get rich making toothpaste out of it. That’s how the mission got its sarcastic nickname “Operation Toothpaste.”

Dentists Discovered the Dangers of Radiation First!

Two decades earlier in the United States, a dentist, Joseph Knef, traced the pattern of severe tooth and jaw problems in local young women back to their place of employment: the US Radium plant, where they all used radioactive paint. The reason it was causing such awful dental problems is that the women would lick their brushes to keep the bristles straight, putting the paint in direct contact with their teeth and gums.

Follow the Dentist’s Advice and Steer Clear of Fads

Thankfully nothing so dangerous as radioactive materials has become a popular dental fad in modern times, but it’s still a good idea to avoid getting dental health advice from unofficial sources. If you’re looking for a good toothpaste for you, just ask the dentist!

Do you know of any wild old-fashioned dental health products?

Top image by Wikimedia user Suit used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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EVERY SMILE TELLS A SPECIAL STORY

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community with excellent care and take pride in our mission of having a patient-centered philosophy. Check out what our patients are saying about us!

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Rebecca S.
I went for a consultation about Invisalign. The staff was so welcoming. Dr. Holmes was very professional and compassionate to me. I have Trigeminal Neuralgia and he was very attentive to my concerns. I look forward to my journey of having the perfect smile.
Rebecca S.
I went for a consultation about Invisalign. The staff was so welcoming. Dr. Holmes was very professional and compassionate to me. I have Trigeminal Neuralgia and he was very attentive to my concerns. I look forward to my journey of having the perfect smile.
Melissa B.
So professional and very nice. Quick to get you an appointment that accommodates schedules and willing to work with you with any issues,questions or anything that arises
Melissa B.
So professional and very nice. Quick to get you an appointment that accommodates schedules and willing to work with you with any issues,questions or anything that arises
DeAnna T.
My son and daughter both required orthodontic treatment. After my son’s experience with Invisalign, there was no question we would return to Holmes & Palmer for my daughter’s braces. I referred my younger sister for Invisalign as well. I couldn’t be more pleased with the care all three have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
My son and daughter both required orthodontic treatment. After my son’s experience with Invisalign, there was no question we would return to Holmes & Palmer for my daughter’s braces. I referred my younger sister for Invisalign as well. I couldn’t be more pleased with the care all three have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
Two of my children have required orthodontic treatment. After the first, I knew we would return to Holmes & Palmer for the second and I also referred my younger sister for Invisalign. My son had a great experience with Invisalign and we’re now in the thick of it with braces on my daughter. I couldn’t be happier with the care they have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here and I love that there are different locations to visit in the event of an ‘emergency’. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
Two of my children have required orthodontic treatment. After the first, I knew we would return to Holmes & Palmer for the second and I also referred my younger sister for Invisalign. My son had a great experience with Invisalign and we’re now in the thick of it with braces on my daughter. I couldn’t be happier with the care they have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here and I love that there are different locations to visit in the event of an ‘emergency’. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
My oldest son and my daughter both required orthodontic care. After my son’s treatment, there was no question we would return to Holmes & Palmer for my daughter. I also referred my younger sister! We’ve experienced Invisalign and we’re now in the thick of it with braces. I couldn’t be happier with the care my children have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
Two of my three children have required orthodontic care. After the first, there was no question we would return to Holmes & Palmer for the second and I even referred my younger sister. We’ve experienced Invisalign and we’re now in the thick of it with braces. I couldn’t be happier with the care my son and daughter have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
DeAnna T.
Two of my three children have required orthodontic care. After the first, there was no question we would return to Holmes & Palmer for the second and I even referred my younger sister. We’ve experienced Invisalign and we’re now in the thick of it with braces. I couldn’t be happier with the care my son and daughter have received and continue to receive from all of the Doctors here. Their smiles are beautiful thanks to Dr. Holmes, Dr. Palmer, and Dr. Signorelli!
Ron T.
Holmes & Palmer Orthodontics is a great place to take your children. My daughter likes it very well, the doctors and the people that work there very respectable and nice and they make you feel very comfortable. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Ron T.
They are very professional I like the doctors and the people that work there. They’re very nice. I would highly recommend them to anybody.
Ron T.
They are very professional I like the doctors and the people that work there. They’re very nice. I would highly recommend them to anybody.
Ron T.
They are a great place to take your children too. The doctors and people that work. There are very nice and I take the time out to explain what your child needs which that’s what I like, I would highly recommend them to anybody.
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