Consumers loyal to Colgate Total brand toothpaste are rethinking their devotion after learning that the toothpaste contains triclosan.

Triclosan is an antibacterial ingredient commonly used in a wide variety of products from toothpastes and soaps to clothing and furniture. The FDA states that it is currently not known to present a health risk, but that recent studies have revealed enough evidence to the contrary that the FDA has decided to review the compound again.

Research has indicated that triclosan could be responsible for some problems found in animals during testing. These problems include interfering with hormone production, encouraging bacterial resistance to antibiotics and possibly causing cancer. The FDA points out that there is also evidence that suggests that these effects in animals do not necessarily present themselves in humans.

Even with the review, the FDA does not recommend that consumers change products. However, more and more people are becoming aware of the issue and are actively trying to avoid the ingredient. Colgate has been facing pressure from consumers to remove triclosan from their Total brand toothpaste as some customers opt for different brands devoid of the compound.

Colgate has taken to Twitter to attempt some damage control on the issue, but consumers do not appear to be backing down. Experts in the field caution that consumers do not tend to lose interest in health concerns of this nature.

The shift away from the product seems to be reflected in the dropping shares for the company. Today, they are reported to have dropped 0.3 percent and have gone down a total of 1.5 percent for the whole year.

Dentists have even reported changing their recommendations to from Colgate Total to other brands in response to their inclusion of triclosan. Consider how much Colgate is associated with oral health, losing dentist recommendations could be a major blow for the company.

Experts say that a company like Colgate can survive a scandal like this, but only if they respond in ways that consumers find comforting. While other companies have removed the ingredient from their products, Colgate has chosen to defend its use, citing decades of evidence that supports the benefits of its product. Some experts in marketing and branding suggest that the company will ultimately give in to the pressure and remove, regardless of what the science says is truly necessary.