Dabur Red Paste highlights fluoride concerns in oral care campaign

New Delhi: Dabur Red Paste’s #SwitchToFluorideFree initiative has developed into a broader national movement, spotlighting concerns around fluoride exposure through everyday oral care. 

The initiative follows growing global concerns about the health implications of excessive fluoride intake. International studies, including those cited by fluoridealert.org, have suggested potential links between high fluoride exposure and issues such as neurotoxicity, particularly in children. These concerns have prompted many to re-evaluate the presence of fluoride in daily dental products.

In India, a report from the Ministry of Jal Shakti found that groundwater in 370 districts across 23 states contains fluoride levels beyond the permissible limit. In areas already consuming high levels of fluoride through water, further intake from fluoridated toothpaste, especially among children, who may inadvertently swallow it, has raised public health questions. Reported risks include dental fluorosis (white or brown marks on teeth), brittle bones, and lower cognitive performance.

Speaking on the brand’s involvement,  Prashant Agarwal, Head of Marketing, Oral Care, Dabur India, said, “As a brand that has always believed in offering natural, safe, and effective oral care solutions, we felt it was our responsibility to bring this issue to the forefront.
#SwitchToFluorideFree is more than a campaign, it’s a public health message, urging families to check their toothpaste labels and make the informed choice towards fluoride-free alternatives like Dabur Red Paste.”

To enhance relevance and connect at the grassroots level, Dabur adopted a hyper-local storytelling approach. Influencers from regions with reported high fluoride levels,  such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, were engaged to share contextual content linked to the fluoride findings. Their messaging encouraged viewers to “Flip the Pack” and check for cautionary labels like “Do Not Swallow”.

The campaign also includes animated explainer videos, carousel-style educational posts on social media, search campaigns, and SEO efforts. Dabur Red Paste collaborated with creative and digital agency Mixed Route Juice to structure the activity across platforms.

“Our goal was to bring empathy and urgency to a silent issue hiding in plain sight,” said Amrita Sharma, Founder & Creative Director at Mixed Route Juice.

 “By combining public data, Ayurveda’s relevance, and influencer-led narrative, we made the science accessible and the solution obvious. This is the kind of real, meaningful storytelling that we delight in.”

Watch the campaign films: