Posted on: February 1, 2008
Pick a Toothpaste, Any Toothpaste
With a glut of different products promising to save your smile from ruin, a trip down the toothpaste aisle could end up taking hours. But what do those promises really mean?
By Anna T. Hirsh
CTW Features
Whitening, preventing decay, restoring enamel, desensitizing, freshening breath – these are just a few of the claims made by various brands of toothpaste. After mixing in the seemingly endless variety of ingredients, formulas and flavors, a little advice from the experts can definitely brighten the experience of selecting the right brand for you.
“There are a lot of products on the market,” says William M. Henderson, DDS, assistant professor in the Division of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md. “There are pastes, gels, powders, etc., with varying amounts of whiteners, abrasives, desensitizers and, lately, some anti-tartar ingredients.”
When faced with these overwhelming choices, the first thing to look for is the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, advises Henderson. The Seal program is made up of an independent scientific body that uses strict guidelines to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of any claim a product makes. More than 400 dental products carry the Seal of Acceptance, including toothpastes, dental floss, manual and electric toothbrushes, mouth rinse and chewing gum. Although it is strictly voluntary, more than 100 companies participate in the Seal program.
“There are good products out there that have chosen not to submit,” says Dr. Cliff Whall, director of the Seal program, Chicago, Ill. “But if it has the ADA Seal of Acceptance, you know that a product does what it says it does.”
So, given the Seal, what should you want your toothpaste to do?
Ideally you’d like it to help you avoid a long, painful session with a dental hygienist scraping tartar off your teeth. “Toothpaste can’t remove tartar,” Whall says, “but it can help prevent it. Toothpaste helps to remove plaque, a soft, sticky bio-film made up of bacteria that can lead to cavities, gingivitis or worse. If you don’t properly remove plaque, it mixes with your saliva and calcifies into tartar.”
To make it easy on you, all ADA-approved toothpastes help fight plaque build-up, but the key is applying it properly and frequently. Dentists recommend brushing for two minutes twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush as well as flossing once a day. Plaque takes a number of hours to reform, says Whall, so brushing twice a day should be sufficient for protecting your teeth.
But those meager two minutes spent brushing don’t just add sparkle to your smile – brushing also helps maintain the health of your gums, thus aiding in keeping your teeth and their supporting structures in tact and looking good for the rest of your life.
“Cleaning the teeth well makes your gums less likely to recede as you age,” says Marty Zase, DMD, MAGD, an accredited member and past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Madison, Wis. “Your smile looks better because you are less likely to develop spaces between your teeth near the gum line. Don’t forget that your gums are part of your smile, too, since they outline your teeth.”
As to some products’ more specific claims, Whall explains that whitening is usually achieved via an abrasive within the toothpaste that, although it doesn’t alter the intrinsic color of the teeth, is specifically designed to allow for more stain removal without harming the tooth itself. However, he notes, all toothpastes actually contain some version of a modified abrasive or they wouldn’t be toothpaste in the first place; the abrasives are what clean the teeth.
If you’re really looking to polish your pearly whites, toothpastes with desensitizing properties can make professional whitening (bleaching) procedures easier for the patients, Zase adds.
“Most toothpastes have soaps or other types of detergents or cleaners in them which can help keep your teeth cleaner and therefore looking whiter and more attractive,” Zase says. “But in my opinion, whitening toothpastes don’t seem to whiten as much as they clean.”
Many dental experts agree that fluoride is a necessary toothpaste ingredient because it helps strengthen and protect enamel, preventing decay. But, says Henderson, “I have to add that in our practice there are a modest number of patients who use non-commercial dentifrices (baking soda, salt water, etc.) and have excellent oral health. This reinforces my belief that good brushing is more important than what is on the brush.”
Despite all the options, Whall outlines four simple rules for good oral health: First, brush twice a day; second, clean between teeth once a day either with floss or another dental aid; third, eat a balanced diet; and fourth, visit a dentist regularly.
“If you follow these rules, you shouldn’t need fancy ingredients,” Whall says.
So next time you take a trip down the toothpaste aisle, you just have to decide if you prefer classic minty paste, cinnamon gel, green tea swirl or bubble gum sparkles.
