What You Didn’t Know About Toothpaste
Finding the right toothpaste can become quite a process with all the different options out there. Marketing may even be the reason you choose a product, but I’m going to discuss which type of toothpaste is actually best. Hopefully this article will help make your next hygiene shopping trip easier!
If you make your decision based on marketing campaigns, then you’re probably looking for something with tartar control, whitening ingredients as well as gum care. Do we need all these? Are they effective?
After reading many studies, I’ve learned that toothpastes that are “tartar control” toothpaste, don’t remove tartar! Don’t worry if you’ve believed that they do remove tartar, because they do prevent additional tartar from building up. The problem is that the tartar that builds up below the gums is not reduced and that’s where gum disease can be caused by the tartar. This is why it’s so important to get cleanings from the dentist.
The next debate is between pastes and gels. Most people believe that gels are softer and less abrasive than paste. Most gels include silica, which is sand like material, which causes them to actually be more abrasive. The good news is that both are safe, so choose whichever you desire.
Gum care toothpastes are another product that is a bit questionable regarding their effectiveness. They are usually made with a stannous fluoride, instead of sodium fluorides. Stannous fluoride is said to help against gingivitis, but it’s lacking in protection against cavities, at least compared to sodium. Any fluoridated paste is better than none!
Toothpaste including baking soda has become more popular over recent years. After searching around, I haven’t seen many studies that prove baking soda drastically reduce cavities in comparison to other pastes. Unfortunately, many of the baking soda pastes do include peroxides which can be harmful to the gums and cause irritation. Peroxide toothpastes aren’t even sold in Canada, so they must know something they don’t like.
Many people deal with sensitive teeth and this problem should be checked out by a dentist. It’s usually called by receding gums, which means your root of your tooth is more exposed. Sensodyne or Aquafresh are two great options and sensitive toothpaste do help about 80% of users.
From what I’ve read, it seems as if fluoride toothpastes should be used twice daily and soft brushes are the best option. Make sure to brush close to two minutes. Always use ADA approved toothpastes, which means they’ve been tested for safety. We only get one set of teeth, so make sure to take care of them!