8 Things You Didn't Know About Toothpaste
More from Woman’s Day
Faced with dozens of different products promising
to make your teeth fresher, whiter and cavity-free,
it’s no wonder you wander aimlessly down the
toothpaste aisle. To help you pick wisely, we turned
to the pros for the scoop on what ingredients to
look for, whether gel or paste formulas are right
for you and just how much you need to squeeze onto
your brush. It’s never too late to get your pearly
whites in tip-top shape, so read on to find out how!
1. It’s all about the fluoride.
With a host of ingredients in toothpaste, it’s easy
to lose sight of what’s essential. But no matter
what your individual needs are (i.e., tartar
control, whitening, breath-freshening and so on),
dental hygienists agree that fluoride is a must.
According to the Academy of General
Dentistry, brushing with fluoride toothpaste
twice daily can reduce
tooth decay by as much as 40 percent. “Even in
areas where there is
water fluoridation, the added fluoride in
toothpaste has been shown to be very beneficial,”
says Caryn Loftis-Solie, RDH, president of the
American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA).
2. Look for the seal of approval.
While it’s tempting to save some cash with a generic
brand of toothpaste, you may actually be getting an
ineffective—and potentially harmful—product. “You
should always look for the ADA Seal when choosing a
toothpaste,” says Clifford Whall, PhD, director of
the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of
Acceptance Program. “Only those products have the
scientific data to back up their claims and have
been proven to meet our criteria for safety and
effectiveness.” With 50-plus approved toothpastes on
shelves, it’s easy to find a tube that’s right for
you and your budget.
3. Whitening toothpastes work—at least to a
certain degree.
Countless products promise a whiter smile, but do
they really deliver? “Whitening toothpastes—like all
toothpastes—contain mild abrasives to help remove
surface stains on your teeth,” says Dr. Whall. “The
shape of the particles used in whitening products,
though, is modified to clean those stains away
better, so you’ll see a noticeable difference in how
your teeth look.” However, according to Dr. Whall,
these products don’t contain bleach, making it
impossible for them to brighten your smile as
dramatically as professional whitening treatments.
4. Less is more.
Despite what you see on commercials, a brush full of
toothpaste won’t clean your pearly whites any better
than half that amount, according to E. Jane Crocker,
RHD, president of the Massachusetts Dental
Hygienists’ Association. “All you need is a pea-size
amount of toothpaste—yes, I mean the little green
vegetable!” Not only will that get the job done
effectively (by cleaning and removing plaque, stains
and food debris), you’ll also extend the life of
your tube.
5. How you brush is more important than what
you brush with.
You can buy the best toothpaste and toothbrush on
the market, but if you aren’t brushing correctly you
won’t see results. “To do it properly, you need to
position the brush at a 45 degree angle so that you
get some of the bristles in between the tooth and
the gums,” says Dr. Whall. “Move the brush in small
circles in those areas, and then continue on to the
rest of the teeth. This process should take about
one to two minutes to complete.” View the ADA’s
step-by-step guide to brushing and flossing here.
6. Organic toothpastes can be just as
effective as regular.
If you’re willing to spend a little more to go
green, natural and organic toothpastes can be a good
eco-friendly alternative to commercial
brands—provided they contain fluoride. “Natural and
organic toothpastes that include fluoride in their
ingredients are as effective as regular toothpastes
with fluoride,” says Crocker. You’ll also be
avoiding artificial preservatives, sweeteners and
dyes.
7. What’s inside your toothpaste might
surprise you.
You may not recognize the names listed on the side
of the tube, but ingredients like seaweed and
detergent can be found in many fluoride toothpastes.
According to the ADA, common thickening agents
include seaweed colloids,
mineral colloids and natural gums. And for that
quintessential foaming action, most products rely on
detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate—also found
in many shampoos and body washes—that are deemed 100
percent safe and effective by the ADA.
8. Pastes or gels—they all do the trick.
You may have heard that one works better than the
other but, according to the experts, they all clean
teeth equally well. “Other than flavor, texture and
how it makes a person feel, there aren’t any major
differences among the various forms,” says Crocker.
“I think it comes down to personal preference, which
might come through trial and error. I encourage my
patients to use whichever product encourages them to
brush.”