Mom Urges Caution After Her Daughter Dies From an Allergic Reaction to Toothpaste

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For 11-year-old Denise Saldate’s parents, reading labels of products carefully to make sure there was no dairy in it was a normal part of life. However, when her dentist prescribed a new toothpaste to help strengthen the little girl’s tooth enamel, neither her mother nor Denise thought it would be dangerous, much less something that would take her life.

Denise’s parents, Monique Altamirano and Jose Saldate from California, were both veterans when it came to spotting and avoiding products with potential allergens. Both were equipped with EpiPens in case Denise came across something that would send her system into anaphylactic shock.

Dad Jose told Yahoo! Lifestyle that the family had a routine down that was designed to protect their daughter from possible allergens, including peanuts. He said, “We packed her specific desserts to eat at birthday parties and worked with her school on the correct lunch foods.” Despite all their concerns, Denise’s parents wanted her to live her life as fully as possible.

On April 4, 2019, Denise was taken to a dentist by her mother as she had some spots on her teeth. The youngest of four sisters was prescribed a special toothpaste called MI Paste One, which would help strengthen her tooth enamel.

“She was so excited to use her ‘special’ toothpaste,” Monique said. However, the family didn’t notice that the toothpaste contained an ingredient called Recaldent, which was derived from milk protein. Neither Denise nor her mom had ever encountered a toothpaste with a milk-based ingredient, so they didn’t anticipate that this new special toothpaste would have it.

As Denise was brushing her teeth that evening with her older sister in the bathroom, she had a strong reaction and rushed to her mom’s room.

“She said, ‘I think I’m having an allergic reaction to the toothpaste,’ and her lips were already blue,” Monique told Allergic Living. “I picked her up and put her on my bed. I ran to the living room, told my daughter–‘Call 911!’–and I grabbed the EpiPen.” Her mother administered CPR on Denise, which she had learned as a former school bus driver. Sadly, Denise died that night.

Monique said, “The toothpaste was all over her teeth and gums and it cut off her oxygen.”

The specter of an allergic reaction was something that this young girl and her family had to be prepared for as she was diagnosed with milk allergy since she was 1 year old. Nothing, however, could have given the family an idea of how drastically she would react to something as seemingly harmless as toothpaste.

“Our main concern was food,” Monique explained to Fox 11. “Toothpaste was never ever a threat to Denise, so what we’ve learned now is that it’s not mandated for non-food items to note allergens on their products.”

Denise, who had her own YouTube channel, was a bright young girl who never let her allergies keep her from being “a ball of sunshine who would brighten anyone’s day,” her mom told Fox 11.

Her dad said, “[I]f I was having a bad day at work, she would know how to make me laugh.”

At Denise’s funeral, her family and friends came forward to talk about how much joy she had brought to their lives. “Multiple kids were saying: ‘She was my best friend; she gave the best advice; she helped me get my grades up; she always wanted me to be happy when I was sad,’” her mother told Allergic Living.

Denise’s family is creating awareness among all allergy sufferers about the importance of reading every label every time to make sure this tragedy doesn’t befall another family. “This is your child’s life,” Monique emphasizes, “and God forbid you have to go through what I’m going through.”

She also reminded parents about the dangers of hidden products that aren’t edible, saying: “Read everything. Don’t get comfortable, just because you’ve been managing for several years.” In all situations, she explains: “You can’t get comfortable or be embarrassed or afraid to ask and ensure that ingredients are OK. Be that advocate for your child.”

“We can’t bring Denise back but we can help others in her name,” Monique told Yahoo!. “Denise wanted to change the world, but it’s heartbreaking how she’s doing it.”

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