How to Choose the Best Toothpaste?

How to Choose the Best Toothpaste

Assess Your Dental Needs

It is essential to assess your specific dental needs before choosing a toothpaste. By identifying your dental needs, you can find a toothpaste that effectively addresses your concerns.

Some common concerns and their corresponding toothpaste types include:

Preventing Cavities: Fluoride toothpaste

Reducing Sensitivity: Desensitizing toothpaste

Control Gum Disease: Antibacterial toothpaste

Increase Teeth Whitening: Whitening toothpaste

Here’s a complete guide to choosing the right toothpaste for you:

Ingredients in toothpaste

You should choose a toothpaste based on your needs; the toothpaste that works best for you may not work best for someone else.

Toothpaste is generally available in two forms: paste and gel.

Despite the many different types of toothpaste, some ingredients are almost the same in all of them. These ingredients include:

• Abrasives: Calcium carbonate and silicates are abrasives that help remove food, bacteria, and some stains from your teeth.
• Artificial Flavors: Saccharin is an artificial sweetener added to toothpaste to enhance its taste. Mint is one of the most famous essential oils added to toothpaste, but other flavors, such as cinnamon, lemon, etc., are also very popular.
• Humectants: Toothpaste formulations often contain ingredients such as glycerol to prevent the toothpaste from drying out.
• Stabilizers: These ingredients help maintain the toothpaste’s consistency and stabilize its formula. Mineral colloids, natural gums, and seaweed colloids are among them.
• Detergents: Sodium lauryl sulfate is one of the most famous detergents that create foam when brushing.

A Guide to Buying the Right Toothpaste

To help you choose the right toothpaste, here is a guide explaining which type is best for each person:

Fluoride Toothpaste

The most important ingredient you should look for when buying toothpaste is fluoride.

Fluoride is a natural mineral that plays a vital role in preventing tooth decay. Bacteria in the mouth feed on sugars and starches that remain on the teeth after eating.

Fluoride benefits teeth in two ways: first, it strengthens enamel, and second, it helps neutralize acids in the mouth. Fluoride can reduce the risk of tooth decay by up to 44%.

Anti-Tartar Toothpaste

Everyone has a layer of bacteria on their teeth called plaque. If plaque is not removed with proper hygiene, it turns into tartar.

Tartar is a type of plaque that is difficult to remove and can build up on teeth and under the gums, eventually leading to gum disease.

Chemical compounds such as pyrophosphates and zinc citrate prevent tartar from building up on teeth. To minimize plaque buildup, use an anti-plaque toothpaste.

Toothpaste for Sensitivity

Some people’s teeth are easily irritated and hurt by hot and cold. There are special toothpastes on the market for these people, usually containing potassium nitrate or strontium chloride.

These types of toothpaste often contain desensitizing agents to reduce discomfort. The pain-relieving effects of this toothpaste may last up to four weeks.

Using desensitizing toothpaste affects the nerves of the teeth and reduces sensitivity to hot substances such as tea and cold substances such as ice cream.

However, prolonged use of this type of toothpaste is not recommended. It is best to consult your dentist about the duration of use of hypoallergenic toothpaste.

Whitening toothpastes

Whitening toothpastes are very popular because almost everyone wants to have white and shiny teeth.

Toothpaste that whitens teeth contains strong abrasives and cleaning agents that clean, whiten, and brighten teeth and reduce stains on teeth.

You may be concerned that the abrasive ingredients in whitening toothpaste may damage your tooth enamel, but research has shown that these types of products are no more harmful to tooth enamel than other types.

Whitening toothpaste can remove surface stains and restore the natural color of teeth. For effective whitening, look for toothpaste with mild abrasives or ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide.

Toothpaste for Smokers

Smoking can cause tooth discoloration over time. If you are a smoker and plan to use a toothpaste designed for smokers, be cautious.

These types of toothpaste contain high levels of abrasive ingredients that may damage tooth enamel, so reduce their use to a few times a week and do not use them every day and continuously.

Charcoal toothpaste

These types of toothpaste contain carbon, have high abrasive properties, and can damage tooth enamel quickly.

Although charcoal toothpaste can remove tooth discoloration, it is not correct to use it continuously.

Charcoal toothpastes typically contain minimal fluoride and offer limited tooth protection, so if you insist on using them, consult a dentist.

The right toothpaste to control gum disease

Choose a toothpaste with antibacterial properties, such as toothpaste containing triclosan or stannous fluoride. These ingredients help reduce plaque and gingivitis.

Kids’ Toothpaste

The right toothpaste buying guide recommends using toothpaste specifically for children. Fluoride-containing toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay in children.

You should watch your children to avoid swallowing toothpaste. Before the age of 3, use a rice-sized amount of toothpaste for children, and after this age, put a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the child’s toothbrush to reduce the risk of fluoride ingestion in children.

Other toothpaste on the market, such as mouth-freshening toothpaste, enamel-strengthening toothpaste, cooling toothpaste, or gum-protecting toothpaste, can also be used according to your needs.

Essential tips for buying the right toothpaste

To have a guide to buying the right toothpaste, it is better to pay attention to the following points:

1. Look for the health authority approval seal on the toothpaste packaging. These approvals mean that the toothpastes comply with the strict requirements of these organizations and are suitable for use to protect teeth and gums.

2. In the guide to buying the right toothpaste, it is essential to note that you should prepare your toothpaste according to your needs and those of your family members; make sure that it contains fluoride.
3. Be sure to read the labels on the toothpaste; for example, some toothpaste is not suitable for children and should not be purchased.
4. Pay attention to the ingredients in the toothpaste. If you frequently suffer from mouth ulcers and sores, it is better to avoid toothpastes that contain SLS because they increase the likelihood of ulcers. You may also be allergic to some ingredients, so it is necessary to read the ingredients carefully.
5. Do not use toothpastes that contain sugar because they increase the likelihood of tooth decay.

Conclusion

This article reviewed the guide to buying the right toothpaste. Different brands and types are available for all ages, and you should buy according to your needs.

A higher price does not necessarily indicate better quality or suitability for your needs.

In fact, toothpaste’s role in oral hygiene is less important than the way you brush your teeth and the frequency with which you do so.

If you brush your teeth properly at least once a day—preferably at night—and floss regularly, the type of toothpaste has a lesser impact on your oral health.

It is recommended that you consult your dentist before buying toothpaste that is suitable for you so that he can provide you with the necessary guidance.

FAQ

What is the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth?

Anti-allergy toothpaste is very effective for teeth that, despite being healthy, are sensitive to cold and heat stimuli and different tastes. Of course, it must be used for at least 2 months for their effect to be sustainable. Therefore, brushing your teeth only once is enough to rinse your mouth, and with frequent rinsing, the positive impact of toothpaste is removed from the teeth. (Like fluoride – anti-allergy ingredients)

Is whitening toothpaste the best toothpaste?

Whitening and anti-plaque toothpaste should be used only for a limited time and under the advice of a dentist because they cause tooth wear and sensitivity.