Kid’s Crest Lawsuit
Quick Take
- Parents say Kid’s Crest packaging depicts an unsafe “full strip” of toothpaste for young children.
- An Illinois federal judge refused Procter & Gamble’s request to dismiss the class action.
- Health guidance recommends only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste for children under six.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) must defend a proposed class action alleging that Kid’s Crest toothpaste packaging encourages children to use more fluoride than health authorities deem safe. The complaint targets images showing a toothbrush coated with a full strip of toothpaste beside the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance.
Plaintiffs argue the image suggests the depicted quantity is appropriate, even though regulators advise caregivers to apply only a grain-of-rice- or pea-sized dab for children younger than six to limit fluoride ingestion. Too much fluoride during early childhood can lead to dental fluorosis, a condition that alters enamel development.
P&G sought dismissal, contending that the directions for how much toothpaste to use on the label clarify proper dosing and that federal regulations preempt state-law claims. A federal judge in Illinois found the parents plausibly alleged that the front-of-package image could mislead reasonable consumers, permitting the case to move into discovery.
The Crest lawsuit joins other actions challenging children’s toothpaste marketing, including separate cases involving Colgate and Tom’s of Maine products that feature similar full-strip toothpaste images.