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Should I be worried about the use of titanium dioxide in my toothpaste?

A few non-dietary studies have reported adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract of laboratory animals given food-grade TiO₂. However, these same effects were not seen when the same or higher doses of food-grade TiO₂ were administered in the animals' diet. Dietary studies best reflect how humans are exposed to TiO₂ from food. Thus, the Food Directorate placed the most emphasis on the results of these studies in the state of the science report.

Titanium is one of the most common metals on earth, but it does not occur naturally in this elemental form. TiO₂, also known as titanium (IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring compound created when titanium reacts with the oxygen in the air. As an oxide, titanium is found in minerals in the earth’s crust. It is also found with other elements, including calcium and iron.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a chemically inert inorganic compound and an insoluble white solid that occurs naturally in several minerals, including rutile, anatase, and brookite. It is created synthetically from the mineral ilmenite. It is an insoluble white solid. Anatase, when compared to brookite and routine, has the most industrial applications, but it is the most toxic form of TiO2.