Toothpaste After 5 Years of Long Term Storage

Way back in 2010 when I was prepping for unemployment and full time school, I combined coupons and sales to get free toothpaste (and razors). I got a lot of toothpaste. So much, that after five and a half years we have used about half of it, and given away about a quarter of our stockpile to some friends in need.

How did the toothpaste hold up? The regular toothpaste hasn't had any noticeable changes. I've haven't had any cavities, the texture is still the same, and taste just like it was freshly bought from the store. My favorite toothpaste the Colgate Mint Zing has had some changes that I've noticed. The mint oil has separated, but can easily be fixed by gently massaging the tube of toothpaste. The texture is also a bit thicker, and tends to clog the opening about every quarter tube of usage.

All in all, I'm pleased with the 5 year experiment and will probably place the Colgate Mint Zing at the first out rotation. I probably have about another 10-15 tubes in the stockpile. The lowest price for the tubes was $1.00 each, so I imagine that a twenty dollar investment would last you about 4-5 years of toothpaste per person. I know that this is a minor item for hoarding prepping, but I'd like to have a sense of normalcy of if things went south. Plus, dental care will be a major concern in an extended emergency. And yes, we have plenty of floss to go with the toothpaste, as well as toothbrushes. The floss and toothbrushes could stand to be resupplied to match the expected rate of depletion of the toothpaste though.  

This is just another example of practical prepping experimentation. Keep Right On Prepping - K