@icedquinn @djsumdog @xianc78
> every dental product says DO NOT INGEST CALL POISON CONTROL.
That's because
1) toothpaste has other stuff in it besides fluoride, that are likely significantly more harmful
2) toothpaste has a higher concentration of fluoride than water does, so it's not as safe to ingest as tap water
3) it's their lawyer approved messaging so that they won't get sued if you do ingest toothpaste and get an unforeseen reaction.
In massive amounts, sure fluoride is gonna be bad, just like everything else. And I've heard it recommended by fluoride advocates that it's a good idea to look for unfluorided toothpaste for children, because tap water will already have plenty and if they accidentally ingest some toothpaste (which children are more likely to do), they could go into overdose zone. Though I think the child needs to be extra toothpaste hungry for it to actually have some effect. But it's one of those "better safe than sorry" situations.
As far as I'm concerned the fluoride fear is overblown. Worst case scenario, compare your tap water concentration to what other European countries are doing, and if you're an outlier with a much higher dose (I've heard some people say this is the case for USA), advocate for a reduction.