Best Pregnancy Safe Toothpaste (Updated 2026 Guide)

Updated September 9, 2026

The Answer

Use fluoride toothpaste during pregnancy, brushing twice daily for two minutes and spitting it out rather than swallowing. Our catalog contains mostly C+ and C grades, but these scores are not clinical safety verdicts or a reason to switch to fluoride free toothpaste.

Protecting your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and daily interdental cleaning remains recommended during pregnancy. Cautions involving sodium saccharin, potassium nitrate and several other ingredients largely concern swallowed dietary, medicinal or higher dose exposures, which do not establish harm from brushing and spitting. Check the exact label, and ask your dentist about prescription strength toothpaste, sensitivity treatment or concentrated whitening rather than stopping a recommended product because of its grade.

Pregnancy Safe is 100% independent and research driven. No companies pay to promote or sponsor products.

What's Safe

  • Choose fluoride toothpaste for routine cavity protection; do not use a higher catalog grade as a reason to choose fluoride free.
  • Read both active and inactive ingredient sections on the exact version you are buying, including directions and warnings.
  • Choose a formulation you can comfortably use twice daily for two minutes, and spit it out after brushing.
  • If you prefer fewer color additives, look for a fluoride toothpaste without blue 1 or yellow 5; this is an optional preference, not a pregnancy requirement.
  • For sensitive teeth or prescription strength fluoride, choose with your dentist's guidance rather than relying on ingredient scores.
  • Match a listed product to its exact version and read its qualifications; a listing is not a safety guarantee.

What to Avoid

  • Avoid swallowing toothpaste, including formulas containing sodium saccharin or alcohol; brushing exposure is not equivalent to drinking or eating those ingredients.
  • Avoid concentrated hydrogen peroxide or repeated intensive bleaching without dental advice; routine toothpaste and bleaching treatments involve different concentrations and contact times.
  • Avoid yellow 5 if you have a known sensitivity to it; its presence alone does not establish a pregnancy hazard.
  • Avoid treating aloe barbadensis leaf juice or ammonium glycyrrhizate as proof that a toothpaste is safe to swallow because it is herbal.
  • Avoid stopping a potassium nitrate sensitivity toothpaste solely because of nitrate warnings about contaminated drinking water; discuss the exact formula with your dentist.
  • Avoid replacing fluoride toothpaste with breath mints, herbal supplements or a fluoride free option solely to obtain a better catalog grade.

Most Common Ingredients in Toothpaste Products

We analyzed 812 toothpaste products. Here are the most common ingredients, ranked by how often they appear:

hydrated silica
73%
water
64%
glycerin
61%
sorbitol
55%
flavor
54%
sodium saccharin
53%
sodium lauryl sulfate
52%
xanthan gum
50%
titanium dioxide
46%
cellulose gum
37%
sodium fluoride
35%
cocamidopropyl betaine
31%

Ingredients to Watch Out For in Toothpaste

These are the most common flagged ingredients across 812 toothpaste products we analyzed.

sodium saccharin

Caution

Sodium saccharin is a synthetic, calorie free sweetener commonly used to enhance the sweetness of foods and beverages.

Crosses the placenta and has limited pregnancy outcome data so frequent or high intake is best treated cautiously.

Sodium saccharin sweetens toothpaste. Its caution concerns placental transfer after maternal ingestion and uncertainty around frequent or high dietary intake; that evidence does not establish harm from brushing and spitting. Do not swallow toothpaste, but this ingredient alone is not a reason to abandon fluoride protection.

Flagged in 432 of 812 products (53%)

blue 1

Caution

Blue 1 is a synthetic blue dye commonly used to add vibrant color to foods, beverages, and cosmetics.

Has limited human pregnancy data; regulated food use is not shown to cause fetal harm, but high dose animal neurobehavior findings and child sensitivity concerns support minimizing frequent exposure.

Blue 1 is a color additive also called Brilliant Blue FCF or FD&C Blue No. 1, not a separate ingredient under each name. Limited pregnancy data and indirect animal or childhood findings do not establish fetal harm from toothpaste used as directed and spat out. A dye free fluoride formula is an optional way to omit it.

Flagged in 127 of 812 products (16%)

potassium nitrate

Caution

Potassium nitrate is a crystalline salt commonly used as a fertilizer, food preservative, and oxidizing agent in explosives.

Is context dependent because vegetable sources are generally compatible with pregnancy while contaminated well water above nitrate/nitrite limits can cause methemoglobinemia and has observational links to adverse birth outcomes.

Potassium nitrate is used in sensitivity toothpaste. Evidence about nitrate ingestion from contaminated water does not establish the risk of brief toothpaste contact followed by spitting. Do not discontinue a dentist recommended sensitivity formula solely because of this caution.

Flagged in 77 of 812 products (9%)

aloe barbadensis leaf juice

Caution

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice is a soothing, hydrating extract derived from the aloe vera plant's leaves, commonly used in skincare for its moisturizing and healing properties.

Is low concern on skin but oral latex, whole leaf, laxative, supplement, or juice forms may stimulate uterine contractions and cause laxative related fluid or electrolyte imbalance.

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice is an aloe derived ingredient in some toothpastes. Concerns about swallowed aloe latex, whole leaf preparations and laxative doses do not establish the same risk for a toothpaste ingredient; skin use evidence also cannot fully answer oral care safety. The name alone does not reveal its processing or anthraquinone content, so follow the toothpaste directions and spit it out.

Flagged in 52 of 812 products (6%)

alcohol

Caution

Alcohol is a volatile, colorless liquid commonly used as a solvent, disinfectant, or intoxicating beverage.

No amount of Alcohol is considered safe. Avoid alcohol beverages entirely. Be extremely careful when using in cooking or even with small percentages.

Alcohol may be used as a solvent in an oral care formula. Pregnancy warnings about drinking alcohol should not be treated as evidence that brushing with an alcohol containing toothpaste and spitting it out causes the same exposure or harm. Do not swallow it; choose an alcohol free fluoride formula if you prefer to omit it.

Flagged in 28 of 812 products (3%)

yellow 5

Caution

Yellow 5 is a synthetic food dye used to impart a bright yellow color to various processed foods and beverages.

Has limited human pregnancy data, rare hypersensitivity labeling concerns, and animal/children's neurobehavior signals despite regulated dietary use under ADI based limits.

Yellow 5, also called tartrazine, colors some toothpastes. Its clearest established concern is hypersensitivity in susceptible people; animal and childhood findings do not prove fetal harm from brushing and spitting. Avoid it if you have a known sensitivity, or choose a dye free fluoride formula as a preference.

Flagged in 27 of 812 products (3%)

hydrogen peroxide

Caution

Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless, aqueous liquid commonly used as a disinfectant, antiseptic, and bleaching agent.

Is low concern for occasional dilute intact skin hair or oral care exposure as directed, but concentrated bleaching products, ingestion, eye contact, and large area or significantly broken skin use can irritate or cause toxicity.

Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent in some whitening toothpastes. Concentration, contact time and frequency matter: concentrated or repeated dental bleaching is not equivalent to routine toothpaste use and can irritate oral tissues. Do not swallow it or substitute household peroxide, and discuss intensive whitening with your dentist.

Flagged in 22 of 812 products (3%)

aluminum hydroxide

Caution

Aluminum hydroxide is a compound commonly used as an antacid to neutralize stomach acid and as an adjuvant in vaccines.

Is generally low concern for short term labeled antacid use but needs caution with chronic high dose use, kidney disease, constipation, or medication and iron interactions.

Aluminum hydroxide's caution is based mainly on its use as a swallowed antacid, particularly prolonged high doses and use with kidney disease. Those medicinal dose concerns do not establish harm from toothpaste used as directed and spat out. Antacid advice about iron or drug spacing should not automatically be applied to brushing.

Flagged in 16 of 812 products (2%)

How Do Toothpaste Products Stack Up?

Our catalog contains ratings for 812 toothpaste products. These are database grades, not independent safety certifications.

Thirty source-identified supplements, breath mints and hand soap were excluded from this toothpaste cohort. Remaining scores do not replace dental guidance or verify every complete label. Fluoride toothpaste remains recommended during pregnancy.

A
13 (1.6%)
B
197 (24.3%)
C
536 (66%)
D
18 (2.2%)
F
48 (5.9%)

Best Pregnancy Safe Toothpaste

Popular options from our catalog, prioritizing A and B ingredient grades, with C grade options used to fill remaining places. Within each group, products are ordered by searches in Pregnancy Safe, not retail sales. Read the cautions and guidance above; grades do not verify a complete current label or guarantee pregnancy safety.

Grade Product Brand
B+ Tom'S Of Maine Toothpaste Fluoride Free With Antiplaque & Whitening Tom'S Of Maine
B+ Whiten Plus Coconut Oil Fluoride Free Toothpaste Gentle Mint Tom'S Of Maine
B+ Antiplaque + Whitening Fluoride Free Toothpaste - Natural Peppermint Hello
B+ Crest Pro-Health Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste Crest
B+ Colgate Optic White Advanced Teeth Whitening Toothpaste Icy Fresh Colgate Optic White

Your Questions Answered

What toothpaste should I avoid when pregnant?

Avoid formulas containing ingredients you know cause you a reaction, and do not use concentrated bleaching products as everyday toothpaste. A caution flag for sodium saccharin, potassium nitrate or another ingredient is not automatically a reason to stop brushing with that formula. Much of the concern relates to swallowed or higher dose exposure rather than brushing and spitting. Keep fluoride protection and ask your dentist about any specific treatment or whitening concern.

Is it safe to use my usual toothpaste brand while pregnant?

The exact formula matters more than the brand name, because one brand can sell fluoride, fluoride free, sensitivity and whitening versions. Fluoride toothpaste remains recommended during pregnancy when used as directed and spat out. Check the active and inactive label sections rather than assuming every version is interchangeable. Do not stop a dentist prescribed toothpaste solely because of a catalog grade.

Should I switch to fluoride free toothpaste during pregnancy?

Not because of pregnancy or a catalog score alone. The ADA recommends brushing twice daily for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste during pregnancy, alongside daily interdental cleaning. Spit out the toothpaste rather than swallowing it. If you need prescription strength fluoride or have concerns about your current formula, ask your dentist for individualized guidance.

Can I use whitening toothpaste during pregnancy?

A whitening label does not tell you the bleaching ingredient, its concentration or the exposure involved. Routine toothpaste use differs from concentrated hydrogen peroxide treatments or repeated intensive bleaching. Higher concentration whitening raises concerns about oral irritation and limited longer term evidence, not established fetal harm from ordinary brushing. Ask your dentist about the exact product and do not improvise with household peroxide.

Is potassium nitrate in sensitive toothpaste a pregnancy concern?

Potassium nitrate appears in sensitivity toothpastes, but the nitrate evidence described here chiefly concerns swallowed exposure from contaminated water and other dietary sources. Those findings do not establish harm from a sensitivity toothpaste used as directed and spat out. Its caution flag should not be read as a contraindication. Ask your dentist about persistent sensitivity and whether your exact formula is appropriate.

Do A grades mean a toothpaste is verified safe for pregnancy?

No. Our catalog contains 812 toothpastes, including 13 with A grades, but those are ingredient scores rather than counts of independently verified pregnancy safe products. Lower grades likewise do not establish that a toothpaste is harmful, and incomplete information is not evidence of harm. The list prioritizes A/B ingredient grades, with C grades filling remaining slots, and uses searches in Pregnancy Safe within each group, not dental effectiveness or clinical suitability; read the qualifications and dental guidance above.

How to Interpret These Ratings

Our ingredient and category rules generate letter grades from the information recorded in the catalog. Missing ingredients and broad category assignments can affect the result. These grades do not measure your dose, confirm a complete current label, or test a product for contamination.

A high grade is not a guarantee of pregnancy safety. A low grade is not, by itself, proof of harm from every use. Follow the product-specific guidance above, check the actual package, and ask your prenatal clinician about supplements, treatment decisions or uncertain exposures.

People Also Checked

References

  1. https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/pregnancy
  2. https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/toothpastes
  3. https://www.target.com/p/-/A-21464628
  4. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food
  5. https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/3164