What Are Microbeads in Toothpaste and Are they Dangerous?

Remember those days when personal care products, especially toothpaste, suddenly came with shiny blue dots? Manufacturers praised these little speckles as breakthroughs, and we eagerly searched the aisles for toothpastes that promised a fresher, cleaner mouth and a brighter smile.

For years, and at very little cost, companies used these microbeads as a selling point, even marketing them as a premium feature. 

But before long, the shine began to fade. Researchers started to notice the hidden effects of those tiny blue dots, and the world began asking a bigger question: what are microbeads, and are they dangerous?

Why Did Microbeads Become a Problem?

For years, regulators and manufacturers insisted that microbeads in toothpaste were safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified polyethylene as a food-grade additive, and brands like Crest pointed to “years of clinical research” showing no evidence of harm. 

The logic was simple. If you’re spitting toothpaste out, the beads don’t stay in your body.

But dentists and hygienists on the frontlines weren’t so convinced. Many reported seeing tiny blue specks trapped around patients’ gums during cleanings. 

While the beads might not have been toxic themselves, any foreign object lodged in the gumline could act as an irritant, potentially leading to inflammation, gingivitis, or even infection if bacteria built up around them.

Experts also questioned the necessity of plastic in oral care. As Dr. Matt Nejad, a Los Angeles dentist, noted, “Microbeads are unnecessary for an effective toothpaste product. Alternatives are equally, if not more effective, for their purpose as a mild abrasive to remove plaque and leave teeth clean.”

However, the real issue with microbeads isn’t what they do in your mouth, it’s what happens after you spit them out. These tiny plastics don’t dissolve in water and are far too small for most wastewater treatment systems to capture. Instead, they slip through the filters and end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Once in the water, microbeads pose a multi-layered threat:

Mistaken for food

Their size and appearance make them easy for marine organisms like plankton, shellfish, and fish to confuse with eggs or small prey. Swallowing these beads can cause digestive blockages, malnutrition, or even starvation.

Pollutant magnets 

Microplastics act like sponges for toxins and pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals. When ingested, these toxins accumulate in fish and other marine life, then travel up the food chain to humans who consume seafood.

Physical harm to marine life 

Research has shown that microbead ingestion can lead to structural differences in fish, including problems with their gills. Damage at this level doesn’t just affect individual fish—it weakens entire populations by making them more vulnerable to disease, lowering survival rates, and disrupting reproduction.

Researchers estimated that in New York State alone, nearly 19 tons of microbeads were flushed into waterways every year before the ban. Once dispersed, they are almost impossible to remove, turning a marketing gimmick in toothpaste into a global environmental hazard.

The Global Backlash and Bans on Microbeads in Toothpaste

As the evidence mounted, public pressure quickly grew. What started with concerned dental hygienists spotting plastic specks in patients’ gums soon became an international environmental issue. Regulators realized that while each microbead was tiny, their collective impact was massive.

In the United States, this led to the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, which banned the manufacture and sale of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. Toothpaste fell squarely into that category. By 2017, production of microbead toothpastes was phased out, and by 2019, sales were effectively banned nationwide.

Other countries soon followed. The UK, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, India, Taiwan, and Sweden have all introduced bans on microbeads in personal care products. Even the European Union has begun phasing them out.

Australia took a different route, opting for a voluntary phase-out program. While supermarket shelves there are now largely microbead-free (with government assessments reporting 99% compliance), critics argue that without a full legislative ban, loopholes remain. This leaves room for overseas manufacturers to dump microbead-containing products into markets with weaker regulations.

The message, however, is clear: the world has woken up to the dangers of microbeads. What once seemed like a clever marketing trick has now been reclassified as an unnecessary plastic pollutant, with countries racing to legislate them out of existence.

How to Tell if Your Toothpaste Contains Microbeads

Even though bans have removed most microbead toothpastes from store shelves in countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada, it’s still worth knowing how to spot them—especially if you’re buying imported products or shopping in regions where enforcement is weaker.

1. Check the Ingredient List

Look for plastics hiding under chemical names. Common red flags include:

• Polyethylene (PE)

• Polypropylene (PP)

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

• Nylon (PA or Polyamide)

If you see these listed on a toothpaste tube or box, the product likely contains plastic microbeads.

2. Use the Beat the Microbead App

The global Beat the Microbead campaign maintains a database of personal care products that still contain microplastics. With their mobile app, you can scan a barcode and instantly see if a product is flagged.

3. Contact the Manufacturer

If you’re unsure, especially with smaller or international brands, reach out to the company directly. Many now publish microplastic-free commitments, but not all products on the market are updated.

4. What to Do if You Find Them

If you discover an old or imported toothpaste with microbeads:

• Don’t wash it down the drain.

• If possible, return it to the manufacturer and explain why.

• If returning isn’t an option, dispose of it in general waste so it ends up in landfill rather than waterways.

Knowing how to identify microbeads empowers you as a consumer and sends a message to brands that plastic has no place in our oral care.

What Replaced Microbeads in Toothpaste?

When regulators banned plastic microbeads, manufacturers didn’t lose a functional ingredient, they lost a marketing gimmick. Toothpaste never needed plastic to work effectively. In fact, safer and more sustainable abrasives have been part of oral care formulas for decades.

Toothpaste abrasives are measured by Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA). The American Dental Association awards its Seal of Acceptance only to toothpastes with an RDA of 250 or lower, ensuring they polish effectively without damaging enamel.

Microbeads offered no advantage here; they simply added color and texture.

In other words: plastic was never necessary. Today’s formulas use safe, effective, and environmentally responsible abrasives that clean teeth without putting the planet at risk.

Common Microplastic-Free Abrasives in Toothpaste

• Hydrated silica – the most widely used abrasive today; gently polishes teeth without harming enamel.

• Calcium carbonate – naturally occurring mineral, effective yet mild, also found in some eco-friendly toothpaste tablets.

• Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate – another mineral-based cleaner with a long history in toothpaste.

• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) – known for stain-lifting and whitening benefits, while being gentle on enamel.

A Better Alternative to Toothpaste: Kaylaan’s Toothpaste Tablets

The ban on microbeads showed the world a bigger truth: our everyday oral care choices affect not just our smiles, but also our planet. That’s where Kaylaan’s toothpaste tablets come in.

Unlike traditional toothpaste tubes, which often use multi-layer plastics that are almost impossible to recycle, Kaylaan tablets are packaged with the environment in mind. And inside each tablet, you’ll find microplastic-free, biodegradable ingredients like hydrated silica or calcium carbonate to gently polish teeth, without any of the plastic beads or hidden pollutants of the past.

Why Kaylaan Tablets Are Different

• No microplastics, ever – completely free of polyethylene or other synthetic beads.

• Low-waste packaging – eliminating the billions of unrecyclable toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills every year.

• Travel-friendly – compact, mess-free, and TSA-approved.

• Scientifically effective – powered by safe, enamel-friendly abrasives and cavity-fighting fluoride (depending on formula).

Microbeads were once sold as innovation, but they ended up as pollution. 

Kaylaan takes the opposite approach: every tablet is designed to protect both your oral health and the environment. 

By switching to toothpaste tablets, you’re not just avoiding hidden plastics, you’re helping create a cleaner, healthier future for our oceans, wildlife, and communities.

Check out Kaylaan’s collection of toothpaste tablets.