What Is the Best Toothpaste for You? Your Guide to Toothpaste
Choosing the right toothpaste isn’t easy. There are countless brands, each with dozens of different types of toothpaste. This guide can tell you what’s the best toothpaste in the world and how you can find the right one to make your smile shine.
What’s the World’s Best Toothpaste?
We have to start by saying that there’s no official “best toothpaste in the world”. As much as toothpaste brands claim to hold that title, it’s simply not real.
However, there is a best for you.
Finding the right toothpaste that tackles the most crucial dental problems for you personally is crucial. Discover what qualities of toothpaste are important to look out for, and how you can adjust your toothpaste to maximize your oral health.
4 Crucial Qualities to Look for in the Best Toothpaste
There are four practical things you need to look out for when you’re buying toothpaste:
1. Fluoride Concentration
Fluoride is a crucial part of the best toothpaste. It’s a chemical that protects and enhances your enamel, which is the outermost layer of your teeth. Choosing a fluoride-rich toothpaste is one of the best things you can do to combat tooth decay.
Check the label of your toothpaste for the fluoride content, which is usually called “parts per million of fluoride (ppmF)”. Generally, 1,450 ppmF is the average for over-the-counter toothpaste. Anything lower than 1,000 ppmF is too low to protect your teeth.
2. Specific Needs
If you have sensitive or stained teeth, you can get a toothpaste that targets your specific problems. Choosing the best toothpaste for you really comes down to what you need the toothpaste to achieve.
Do you want it to repair tooth damage or just simply freshen your teeth? How you answer that question will help you pick the right toothpaste.
3. Taste
Don’t underestimate the taste of toothpaste. While most may be minty, others can have a sweet or even salty taste. The best toothpaste for you won’t just protect your teeth. It will also be enjoyable for you to use.
4. Price
Of course, price is a major factor when it comes to buying toothpaste. Generally, buying in bulk can decrease the overall price of your toothpaste.
However, if you find the right toothpaste for you, whatever money you spend on it will be nothing compared to your dental bill if you use the wrong toothpaste.
Best Toothpaste for Enamel Repair
Cavities form when your enamel gets damaged. Usually, the culprit behind this is the bacteria that make up plaque and tartar build ups. This bacteria eats sugar and releases an acid that erodes the enamel.
Since enamel is a non-biological substance, it can’t repair itself. And once cavities form, the damage is permanent.
However, you can strengthen your enamel before the bacteria eats through it with the right toothpaste ingredients.
Fluoride
As mentioned before, fluoride is crucial for your enamel. While there’s some fluoride in tap water, it’s not enough to truly make a difference. Your toothpaste needs to contain fluoride to truly have a positive effect on your teeth.
Calcium Silicate and Sodium Phosphate
Some studies say that silicate and sodium phosphate interact with hydroxyapatite, which makes up your tooth enamel. This can cause minimal regrowth in damaged and eroded enamel.
Best Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
If your teeth hurt or ache when you eat hot or cold foods, you may have sensitive teeth. This happens because a fluid moves between your dentin and the nerve in your teeth. Temperature, pressure, and acid can influence this fluid, causing pain.
Some chemicals can target this specific part of your tooth. They either desensitize the nerves in your tooth or block the path of the fluid. And toothpaste that contains these chemicals are the best for your tooth sensitivity.
Potassium Nitrate
Potassium nitrate is one of the key ingredients of Sensodyne - a toothpaste brand famous for its effectiveness on sensitive teeth. While potassium nitrate is great for desensitization, the downside is that it takes around 2 weeks to take effect.
Arginine
For a more rapid relief, arginine is a great alternative for sensitive teeth. It blocks the path of the fluid, making your teeth less sensitive to temperature changes.
Stannous Fluoride
Stannous fluoride is also great for dentine hypersensitivity. It works similarly to arginine.
Best Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening
There are a lot of misconceptions about teeth whitening toothpaste. The truth is that many don’t live up to their expectations. And that’s often because the expectations are too high.
Everybody wants a polished shining Hollywood-worthy smile. However, that type of tooth color is a result of professional dental whitening. It’s also not as natural as you may think.
There are two types of dental staining: intrinsic and extrinsic.
- Intrinsic discoloration: When the enamel of your teeth (an otherwise white-ish transparent color) becomes thin, and reveals the yellow dentin underneath.
- Extrinsic discoloration: When you eat and drink coffee, soda, and wine, the tannins in these foods stain the outside of your teeth.
While toothpaste can help with extrinsic stains, intrinsic discoloration is harder to overcome. That’s why a lot of whitening toothpaste falls short of its desired effect.
Still, some toothpaste ingredients do have proven whitening effects to a certain extent.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a common whitening agent. In professional teeth whitening treatments, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is usually at 6%. Meanwhile, over-the-counter whitening toothpaste only offers about 0.1% due to legal limits.
Sodium Bicarbonate
The abrasive nature of sodium bicarbonate whitens your teeth by removing the discoloration physically. Thanks to sodium, whitening toothpaste based on this chemical may have a slightly saltier taste. Something to keep in mind.
Charcoal
Undoubtedly a recent trend in dental care, charcoal is a popular teeth whitening ingredient in toothpaste. However, there’s not enough scientific evidence to support the claims that charcoal helps make your teeth whiter.
Toothpaste Ingredients
While the ingredients mentioned above are great for your specific needs, there’s a lot more in each tube of toothpaste than that. Your toothpaste may also include the following ingredients:
- Abrasive: hydrated silica, mica, calcium carbonate
- Thickeners:cellulose gum, carrageenan, and xanthan gum
- Flavoring: limonene, cinnamon, peppermint oil, sucralose, lota carrageenan, sodium saccharin, aroma, and mint flavor
- pH balancers: sodium hydroxide
- Foaming agent: sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
- Colorings: tin oxide (red) and titanium dioxide (white)
- Antibacterial agents: zinc
Natural Alternatives to Toothpaste
Nowadays, more and more people are looking for natural ingredients in toothpaste. If the ingredients of regular toothpaste make you feel uneasy, these organic ingredients may be the best option for you.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has a lot of benefits for your dental health. And it also makes a formidable toothpaste. Coconut oil can effectively reduce bacteria in your mouth.
Crushed Cacao
Believe it or not, cacao is a great addition to toothpaste. It’s the purest form of chocolate we can consume and it’s also one of the highest sources of antioxidants and magnesium you can find.
The compounds in cacao beans promote remineralization more effectively than fluoride. Crushed cacao can also be a safe abrasive to break up biofilm on the teeth, depending on the grain size.
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is a natural polisher that’s rich in minerals. It's not too abrasive and its alkalinity helps reduce the acidity in your mouth. Using the clay helps promote a good balance of bacteria in the mouth, protecting us from illness and promoting tooth remineralization.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a great sweetener for homemade toothpaste. It also helps reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities and tooth decay.
Baking Soda
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda isn’t just a useful toothpaste ingredient when it comes to teeth whitening. Adding baking soda to your toothpaste will help neutralize the acids in our mouths so we can maintain a proper pH.
Essential Oils
When combined with brushing and flossing, essential oils can aid in fighting plaque and gum disease. They also add flavor to the toothpaste, making it more pleasant to use. Popular essential oils include cinnamon, clove, and peppermint.
Even the Best Toothpaste Won’t Protect You From the Dentist
Finding the best toothpaste for you is crucial for great oral healthcare. Yet, even if you, it’s not the end of your dental hygiene journey. Taking care of your teeth needs to include regular checkups and cleanings by a dentist. They’re the most qualified to take care of your teeth.
Still a lot of people avoid the dentist purely because of the cost. But, what if there was a way to visit the dentist and get the same dental treatment for cheaper?
It’s entirely possible with a Carefree Dental Card.
This dental discount plan saves you 15%-50%* off your bill per visit in most instances at participating dentists for just $15.95/month for individuals or $19.95/month for families. As of April 2020, you can find participating dentists at over 262,000 locations nationwide.
Get the same dental care at a lower cost by becoming a Carefree Dental member.
The Carefree Dental blog is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The text and pictures within the content are intended for information purposes only. Readers should consult with a licensed dentist or healthcare professional before seeking treatment.
The Carefree Dental Card is not insurance and Carefree Dental is not an insurance provider.
