One of the questions people keep asking is how they can identify a toothpaste that will be good for their mouth and teeth. Nearly everybody wants white teeth. Nobody wants to go about with discoloured or stained teeth. So, people are constantly in search of toothpastes that will produce their desired results. This accounts for the reason why people keep trying different toothpaste brands, especially the ones that have been advertised to make the teeth white and their smiles bright.
What is Toothpaste?
Toothpaste is a form of dentifrice that is applied to a toothbrush and used for brushing the teeth with the aim of removing plaque, stains, and to freshen the breath. It is semi solid in nature and used for maintaining oral hygiene..
What Every Good Toothpaste Should Contain
Every good toothpaste must contain these basic ingredients:
1. Abrasives
These are particulate substances in toothpastes that help to remove dental plaque and stains and also whiten the teeth during brushing.
Hydrated silica is a commonly used abrasive in formulating toothpastes. Other abrasives that are used include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate dibasic, calcium phosphate dibasic dihydrate, aluminum hydroxide.
2. Surfactants
They are foaming substances that help to disperse the toothpaste throughout the oral cavity while brushing the teeth.
They make it easy for the paste to permeate different teeth surfaces and enhance the cleaning effect of the toothpaste.
Surfactants also penetrate plaque and play a role in dissolving it, making teeth cleaning effective.
Examples include sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, sodium alkyl sulfate succinate, sodium cocomonoglyceride sulfate and sucrose fatty acid esters.
3. Humectants
These help the toothpaste to retain water and not dry out when dispensed from the tube. They also prevent the toothpaste from hardening within the tube.
Humectants also give the toothpaste its creamy texture.
Examples include glycerol, sorbitol, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol.
4. Solvent
The most common solvent in toothpaste is water. It helps to dissolve the ingredients to form a good mixture.
5. Flavouring Agents
They give the toothpaste a pleasant smell and that cold and refreshing taste when used for brushing the teeth.
Common flavouring Agents used in toothpastes include menthol, spearmint, eucalyptus, and peppermint.
6. Colouring Agents
These are colouring substances which give the toothpaste its attractive appearance. An example is titanium dioxide, which gives toothpaste a white colour.
7. Sweeteners
They give toothpastes a desirable sweet taste. They are used in toothpastes instead of sugar. This is because sugar makes the teeth susceptible to tooth decay.
Commonly used sweeteners are sodium saccharin, sorbitol, glycerol, and xylitol.
There are claims that xylitol also provides protection against tooth decay.
8. Anticaries Agents
These are ingredients that offer protection against tooth decay (caries). Fluoride is the most effective anticaries substance in toothpaste.
fluoride occurs in different formulations. Different brands of toothpastes contain different formulations. The most common form is sodium fluoride.
The fluoride content of adult toothpaste ranges between 1000ppm to 1500ppm (where ppm stands for part per million).
For children, the fluoride requirement is 500ppm.
Dentists recommend you brush your teeth twice daily with a toothpaste that contains fluoride. After brushing your teeth, it is more beneficial if you don’t rinse with water, because it makes more of the fluoride in the toothpaste available within the oral cavity.
There are suggestions that fluoride also has antibacterial action.
9. Preservatives
They prevent microorganisms from growing in the toothpastes. An example is sodium benzoate.
Some toothpastes have been formulated to help treat certain teeth problems. For example, dentinal hypersensitivity can be treated at home using toothpastes that contain desensitizing Agents.
Sensodyne rapid action and colgate sensitive pro relief contain desensitizing agents in addition to the basic ingredients already listed.
It is important to note that desensitizing toothpastes are not made for day-to-day use.
These brands of toothpastes should only be used when there is hypersensitivity. It is recommended that you discontinue use of a desensitizing toothpaste after the shocking sensation has been treated.
The Best Toothpaste for You
Any toothpaste that contains the basic ingredients stated already is good for use. It is now left to you to make a choice based on the brands that are more appealing to you. For example, using their flavour, colour, taste or even consistency. The feeling you get after using the toothpaste will also help to determine if you will continue to use that particular brand or not.
Always Use Fluoridated Toothpaste
Fluoride containing toothpastes are of course better than the non-fluoridated ones because of the health benefits of fluoride.
If you are having multiple carious lesions (tooth decay), apart from adopting dietary changes, it is also important you use a toothpaste that contains the amount of fluoride required.
Tooth decay is the most common dental problem worldwide. That is why it is advised that you use fluoride containing toothpastes for brushing your teeth.
Role of Desensitizing Toothpastes
In cases of tooth hypersensitivity (shocking sensation) what you need as a home remedy is a desensitizing toothpaste.
Apply the toothpaste on the affected teeth for 5 to 10 minutes before brushing with it. Do not rinse with water after brushing. Just spit out the toothpaste
Disensitizing toothpastes work by occluding dentinal tubules and thereby relief dentin sensitivity.
They are not for daily use. You should discontinue use of the toothpaste once the sensitivity is relieved.
Role of Zinc Ions in Relieving Halitosis
For individuals suffering from bad breath, using toothpastes and mouthwashes that contain zinc ions have been shown to inhibit the formation of volatile sulfur compounds, which are foul smelling.
Zinc ions also play a role in preventing the build up of dental plaque and calculus thereby decreasing the amount of bacteria in the oral cavity.
Check the Expiry Date
Using expired products can be hazardous to your health. Always check for the expiry date of any products you are purchasing including toothpastes.
Using an expired toothpaste may pose danger to your teeth and your general body health.
Imagine using toothpaste with expired preservatives, there will be fungi growing in the toothpaste which can cause some serious infections.
Conclusion
There are many brands of toothpaste that are commercially available. Though some brands are better than others in terms of quality, in my opinion no brand is the best. It all depends on what you want. The best toothpaste for your teeth is dependent on what you want to achieve.
The most important thing is that any toothpaste you use must contain the basic ingredients, especially fluoride.
