Glycerin has been used as a moisturising agent in toothpaste and other personal care products for many years, including soaps, lotions, conditioners, and surface cleaners.
In order to keep toothpaste from drying out inside its tube, toothpaste needs humectants, more easily known as moisturizing ingredients.
But is it bad for your teeth? Let's find out!
We have seen many posts on the internet about glycerin coating your teeth and causing your teeth to demineralize originating from Dr. Gerard F. Judd self-published book, however we have not seen one published medical study to support his claims, and we have yet to see one post actually link to a scientific study that supports this claim as well.
The fact is that this claim is simply...untrue!
Glycerin is water-soluble and is easily removed by the saliva if it was left on the teeth. The gentle abrasives within toothpaste which are designed to be there to assist with removing plaque, plus the act of brushing would remove any glycerin from the surface of the teeth if this were true.
In fact glycerin does the exact opposite! Bacteria thrive in dry mouths, so preventing dry mouth alone reduces bacteria buildup in your oral microbiome. Glycerin is also known to be bacteriostatic, which means that it prevents the growth of bad bacteria in your mouth that could otherwise lead to cavities and gum disease.
So the next time you see this myth posted online ask the person who shared this misinformation to provide the study that supports the claim, we are certain they won't be able to, as no study exists!
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