Crest Clean Mint Pro-Health Toothpaste
Lower PFAS concern for typical toothpaste; no evidence of intentional PFAS use in oral care formulations.
This standard aqueous toothpaste has no known history of PFAS contamination or intentional PFAS ingredients in this category. Toothpastes rarely use Teflon-family coating coatings or water-resistant treatments that would introduce PFAS.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
aqueous gel toothpaste base with standard cosmetic excipients
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Fragrance allergens and irritants
Mint flavoring can provoke contact irritation or allergic sensitivity in sensitive individuals, particularly those with aphthous ulcers or gingivitis. This is product-inherent, not a manufacturing defect, and is addressable by switching to unflavored alternatives.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Fluoride (developmental toxicity at excessive ingestion)
Standard toothpaste fluoride concentrations (1000-1500 ppm) have a well-characterized risk profile when used as directed and expectorated. Risk only materializes with chronic ingestion of large quantities; incidental swallowing of small amounts poses no established hazard.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Crest toothpastes typically use sodium benzoate or other non-formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. No public information indicates use of imidazolidinyl urea or DMDM hydantoin in this line.
Source, ATSDR ↗Heavy metals
This toothpaste contains no intentional colorants (clear/translucent gel) and therefore minimal risk of lead or cadmium contamination from synthetic dyes. Minor trace metals may exist in mineral-derived abrasives but are not bioavailable in toothpaste form.
Source, FDA ↗Abrasive-induced enamel wear
Crest Pro-Health abrasive load is within ADA standards for daily use. Enamel wear risk is low for standard brushing technique; risk escalates only with aggressive brushing habits or use in combination with acidic beverages.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Crest Clean Mint Pro-Health is a water-based gel toothpaste containing fluoride (typically 1000-1500 ppm), abrasive silica or calcium carbonate, humectants (glycerin), thickeners, and mint flavoring. The aqueous gel matrix is standard across mass-market toothpastes and poses minimal leaching or degradation risk since the product is expectorated rather than swallowed. Fluoride at standard toothpaste concentrations (1000-1500 ppm) has an established toxicological profile when used as directed (pea-sized amount for adults, smaller for children) and expectorated.
The brand's record and disclosure
Crest (owned by Procter & Gamble) maintains ADA recognition for multiple toothpaste lines and publishes ingredient lists transparently. The brand has no documented recalls for contaminants or undisclosed ingredients in recent years. P&G does not publicly detail PFAS usage across all products, though no evidence suggests intentional PFAS addition to oral care formulations. Crest meets FDA standards for over-the-counter oral care drugs.
How it compares in its category
Crest Pro-Health sits in the mainstream fluoride toothpaste segment, comparable to Colgate Total and Sensodyne in formulation approach and safety profile. Unlike some natural or charcoal toothpastes, it contains established antimicrobial actives (often stannous fluoride or zinc compounds) rather than unproven botanicals. Abrasive load is moderate and within ADA guidance (typically under 200 RDA units), making it suitable for daily use without elevated enamel wear risk for most users.
If you buy it
Use a pea-sized amount for adults; supervise children under 6 and use a rice-grain size to minimize swallowing. Do not exceed twice-daily brushing unless recommended by a dentist, as chronic excess fluoride exposure can cause dental fluorosis in developing teeth. Store at room temperature away from direct heat. Discontinue use if gingival irritation or allergy symptoms occur; mint flavoring can trigger sensitivity in a small subset of users.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 72% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Crest has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More toothpaste grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.