Ken Paxton Secures Deal Over Children's Fluoride Toothpaste Use

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured an agreement with Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company (P&G), the maker of Crest toothpaste, requiring the company to update its marketing and packaging for Crest children's toothpaste to accurately reflect the amount of fluoride toothpaste children should use.

The agreement follows an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General into whether children's toothpaste packaging used misleading imagery that depicted excessive amounts of fluoride toothpaste.

According to Paxton's office, such imagery can encourage parents and children to use more toothpaste than recommended, potentially posing health risks.

"When parents are teaching their children the basic habit of brushing their teeth, they shouldn't have to worry about deceptive marketing endangering their children," said Paxton. "Misleading images that show excessive amounts of fluoride toothpaste put Children's health and brain development at risk."

Under the terms of the agreement, P&G is required to depict its Crest children's toothpaste packaging and marketing with the appropriate, recommended amount of toothpaste for children.

The updated packaging began rolling out on January 1, 2026, and P&G must maintain compliance with the agreement for the next 5 years.

Paxton's office said the agreement is designed to ensure consistency with dental health guidelines, which recommend using only a small amount of toothpaste for young children.  This action builds on a previous settlement secured by Paxton involving Colgate, in which the attorney general's office found the company was likely depicting excessive amounts of fluoride toothpaste on children's packaging.

That settlement was described as the first of its kind and helped establish an industry-wide standard for children's toothpaste marketing.

According to Paxton, the Crest agreement reflects a broader effort to hold major corporations accountable for marketing practices that may mislead consumers, particularly when children's health is involved.