As a consumer, it can be very confusing which toothpaste to choose, some brands have up to 91 different formulations of toothpaste. There is toothpaste for whitening, gum disease, tartar control, and sensitivity. They come as a paste, gel, or a combination of both, but it all comes down to their ingredients.
Most toothpaste contains the active ingredient sodium fluoride or stannous fluoride. Fluoride remineralizes and protects your enamel from bacterial acid attacks.
Abrasive agents are also used to remove plaque and tartar, polish teeth, and remove stains. Common abrasives include alumina, hydrated silica, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate.
A mix of these two ingredients provides significant caries control since the abrasive agents remove plaque where bacteria harbors and fluoride remineralizes acid attacks from the bacteria. But research shows stannous fluoride mixed with one of these abrasives has shown to offer greater protection against caries.
Stannous fluoride seems to be superior to Sodium Fluoride as it has antimicrobial properties and it interferes with the microbe’s metabolic process which decreases bacteria in the mouth. Therefore, it helps against cavity-producing bacteria and periodontal disease by controlling plaque and stain buildup, it also reduces sensitivity as part of the remineralization process. Examples of stannous fluoride toothpaste are Crest Prohealth Deep Clean and Parodontax.
Another ingredient not commonly used in the USA to treat sensitivity and demineralization of enamel is hydroxyapatite, a compound of calcium and phosphate.
Some natural brands that do not use fluoride but contain hydroxyapatite are RiseWell and Boka. According to research, the concentration of hydroxyapatite in toothpaste should be a minimum of 15% to be as effective as fluoride.
If sensitive teeth are a problem, the American Dental Association provides a list of the following toothpaste ingredients that work in hypersensitive teeth:
- For sensitivity upon tactile stimulus: potassium, stannous fluoride, potassium and hydroxyapatite, sodium fluoride, strontium, or potassium. (Crest ProHealth, Colgate sensitivity, Sensodyne ProEnamel Daily Protection, RinseWell)
- For sensitivity upon cold stimulus: calcium sodium phosphosilicate. (Sensodyne Repair and Protect)
- For sensitivity upon air stimulus: potassium and hydroxyapatite, potassium and stannous fluoride, arginine, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, or stannous fluoride. (RinseWell, Crest Gum detoxify Deep Clean, Sensodyne Repair and Protect.)
When it comes to whitening toothpaste, only a few contain carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient to lighten teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide works by lightening pigments within the enamel and not just superficial stains. This whitening ingredient can be found in a few kinds of toothpaste, such as Optic White Renewal Advanced Whitening, with a concentration of 3% hydrogen peroxide, and in Crest Pro-Health HD Daily Two-Step toothpaste system.
Other toothpastes advertise whitening results, but they do not use hydrogen peroxide, instead, they have tartar control ingredients that help reduce build-up that will get stained from food and drink pigments, these stains are considered superficial.
The tartar control ingredients are tetrasodium pyrophosphate and disodium pyrophosphate. Some examples are Colgate Optic White toothpaste, Colgate Total with Whitening, and Crest 3D White Whitening Therapy with coconut oil.
Which toothpaste you should use?
Whether you are using a whitening or sensitive toothpaste, results are not instantaneous. For sensitive teeth, it might take two to four weeks to feel a difference and for whitening up to six weeks or more. Some factors might affect the efficacy of these toothpastes such as tooth anatomy and wear, acidic diets, coffee consumption, and smoking habits.
Products containing the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance mean the product has been proven to be effective and safe when use as directed.
Now you are ready to choose the best toothpaste that will work for your specific needs. Remember to always read the ingredients since the front labels can be deceiving.
Jennifer Pettit, CRDH.
HQ DONTICS Team.
If you have any questions or need more information, you can contact us!
