Expired Toothpaste

Did you know that toothpaste had expiry dates?? I didn't.

I ran out of toothpaste but I knew I had some in stock somewhere. That's when I found this : Colgate, Tiga Jalur Untuk Perlindungan Tiga Cara, Nilai Hebat 160 g + PERCUMA 40g! I was just about to open the kotak when I saw the following :
* MFG DATE 261004 * EXPIRY DATE 261006 *
I nearly dropped the box. I have toothpaste that is TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS past the date that it would still be fresh and minty!!

So what do you do? Do you throw it away? Do you try it and see if it's gone bad? What could possibly happen? Your teeth start falling out? That, my friend, is usually due to old age and I don't think that has anything to do with toothpaste!

Anyway, I googled. Apparently, the elements found in toothpaste, including fluoride, don't expire, and toothpaste isn't any less effective if it's used after the expiration date. When stored under ideal conditions, it can generally be considered effective even one and a half years beyond its expiration date (which means mine is still expired!) Also, some of the aesthetic aspects of toothpaste, such as flavoring and consistency, can diminish after the expiration date. But it's certainly not harmful to use. A Dr. Sullivan did however, advise people not to go overboard - although using toothpaste a short time after its expiration date is fine, he wouldn't recommend using it several years after it's expired.

I'm going to give it a try. If I need dentures, I'll let you know!