Reason to smile

While on a tour in France in the fall of 2005, my husband and I feared that we were going to run out of toothpaste before we got home, so we went to a pharmacy and bought a tube of toothpaste called Elmex. Even though we couldn’t read French, we could see that it had fluoride in it. The price was a little over $6. We brought it home with us.

I started using it at home and noticed that my teeth were appreciably whiter. Several people asked me if I had gotten my teeth whitened. When it came time for my first dental visit (about two months later), my hygienist was amazed at the condition of my teeth and gums. She said that it looked like my teeth had just been professionally cleaned.

She asked if I had been doing anything differently. I told her about the toothpaste and she suggested that I try to get more of it over the Internet. My dentist was able to read the label and she said that there was nothing harmful in it.

In searching the Internet, I learned that the toothpaste is made by GABA International AG in Münchenstein, Switzerland (www.gaba.com), and shipped all over Europe. I have since found that I can get it on eBay at a little under $8 a tube plus shipping.

If any ITN readers find themselves in a pharmacy in Europe, they might see if they can find this wonderful toothpaste.

SUE SPIERSCH
Alameda, CA

ITN contacted GABA International AG and learned that their dental care products are not available in the U.S. and are not sold online through their website.