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Getting Pregnant > Prepping for Pregnancy
What Is the Toothpaste Pregnancy Test?
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by
Colleen de Bellefonds
Medically Reviewed by Tarun Jain, M.D. on April 18, 2022
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toothpaste pregnancy test, bottle of open toothpaste
And how accurate is it? Here’s what you need to know.
In This Article

What is the toothpaste pregnancy test?
How do you take the toothpaste pregnancy test?
How does the toothpaste pregnancy test work?
How accurate is the toothpaste pregnancy test?
When should you take the toothpaste pregnancy test?
How to read toothpaste pregnancy test results
What does a positive toothpaste pregnancy test look like?

Google "home pregnancy test" and you’ll find lots of DIY hacks using ingredients like salt, sugar, soap, bleach or baking soda. There’s one more substance in your medicine cabinet that can supposedly tell you whether you’re pregnant: toothpaste.

But can you really find out whether you're pregnant using a tube of toothpaste? Here's what you need to know about the toothpaste pregnancy test, including how it works and how accurate it is.
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What is the toothpaste pregnancy test?

The at-home toothpaste pregnancy test involves adding a few drops of urine to a bit of toothpaste. The resulting chemical reaction purportedly tells you whether you’re expecting, although it’s not scientifically sound.
How do you take the toothpaste pregnancy test?

Here's how to take the DIY toothpaste pregnancy test, according to some video tutorials on YouTube:

Squeeze a layer of white toothpaste so it fills the bottom of a small cup.
Add a few drops of urine (how many drops seems to be up for debate).
Stir the mixture.
Watch to see if the toothpaste foams or changes color.

How does the toothpaste pregnancy test work?

In theory, the acids in a pregnant woman’s urine could cause toothpaste to foam. The acidity of a non-pregnant person’s urine, however, could have the same effect — making this little experiment interesting but not dependable.

Here’s how: When you’re pregnant, your body begins producing human chorionic gonadotropin, aka hCG. This hormone, which is made up of amino acids, is what regular home pregnancy tests and your doctor are looking for in your urine and blood.

Toothpaste, in turn, contains a chemical called calcium carbonate. It’s used as an abrasive to scrub the surface of the teeth.

When the calcium carbonate in the toothpaste combines with the amino acids of hCG in urine, it could theoretically produce carbon dioxide gas. In other words, it foams.