The toothpaste you use is very important, but when you go to the store to pick up toothpaste, there are so many to choose from. How do you choose?
Brand, box color, neat looking, fluoride, whitening, sensitive, or another reason? It is so hard to know. This post will help you understand what is happening with different kinds of toothpaste and what you can do to make a good decision. Our doctors and hygienists are going to give you their favorites and why to help you make your decision.
Our staff’s favorite kinds of toothpaste revealed
Scarlet’s Favorite
My favorite toothpaste is a hard choice because there are so many options and so many good ones. If I were to only use one toothpaste, it would be Colgate Total paste, not gel. I like the way it leaves my mouth feeling clean long after I brush. It has fluoride to protect and remineralize my teeth and being a paste; it leaves my teeth clean and white. Sometimes I do like to add baking soda to it to help get the pH of my mouth back to neutral. Especially if I have eaten something really acidic, such as watermelon sour patch kids or coffee. It is also the only toothpaste that contains Triclosan, which helps fight gingivitis and periodontal disease. I really appreciate that it has all the ingredients that I look for in toothpaste.
Ashley’s Favorite
My favorite toothpaste has been the same for years. I use Crest 3D White Enamel Care. It has tiny particles within the paste that are abrasive enough to remove the surface stain caused by coffee and wine, but still gentle enough on your enamel to use daily. You get a beautiful white smile, and Crest 3D white has fluoride to protect your teeth from getting cavities. Plus, I love the fresh mint flavor of the paste. This is my secret weapon for a Hollywood white smile! Give it a try, and I think you will like it.
Kristin’s “KP” Favorite
I would have to say my favorite toothpaste is Arm & Hammer baking soda toothpaste. It contains fluoride, baking soda, and leaves my teeth feeling freshly polished and white. I have had a lot of restorative work in my mouth over the years, so I do take my choice in toothpaste very seriously to protect my investment. Arm & Hammer saves me the extra step of adding baking soda to another toothpaste, and as a mother of two boys, I need all the help I can get! Speaking of children, this is also the toothpaste that they use. It took them a while to get used to the flavor, (Arm & Hammer does not come it bubble gum or a fruity flavor) but the anti-cavity benefits are worth it! My kids love soda and candy, and the brushing habits of the two boys are not ideal. Especially in the summertime!
Dr. Mark’s Favorite
My favorite toothpaste is hard to figure out because I like different kinds of toothpaste for different reasons. I guess if I had to choose just one it would be Colgate Total because I like the one-two punch of the fluoride coupled with the triclosan. I think tooth and gum tonic toothpaste is amazing for our patients with gingivitis. It really knocks out the gingivitis, and it comes in a fantastic mouth rinse as well. Our patients love this stuff! It is incredible for bad breath as well. I love Prevident 5000 in all the forms it comes in such as “sensitive, dry mouth, booster.” Prevident 5000 is a prescription product so maybe this is cheating, but it really is great stuff. I have this in my medicine cabinet and use it a couple of times a week.
A More Natural Approach
These toothpaste tablets are very popular at McOmie Family Dentistry. They work in a different manner than other toothpastes. In fact, they are actually tablets and not paste. They have Argentine in them derived from Cranberry extract. They don’t remineralize teeth. Instead, they treat decay by specifically killing the bacteria that cause decay. The idea is, if you can kill the specific bacteria causing the decay, then you won’t get decay. This also has calcium lactate in it to remineralize teeth and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to help neutralize pH. We have used this in our practice with great success over the years. Call us to find out if they are right for you. You can buy them here at McOmie Family Dentistry at the cost of $5.
MI Paste is another “different” toothpaste that can be used in an effective dental health strategy. It has recaldent in it. Recaldent uses a casein protein to place the calcium ion back on the demineralized tooth. Caesin or casein is derived from milk protein. We have used this very effectively for many of our patients.
Tooth and Gums Paste is probably the most holistic thing on the market today. We stock both the paste and the mouth rinse for our patients. The mouth rinse is wildly popular. Everyone seems to love it! The thing about this toothpaste and mouth rinse is that it is all-natural. The active ingredients are all herbs and essential oils. This seems like some type of joke to many people who don’t believe in such a thing. In real scientific studies, it has gone head to head with fluoride products and other products from the mainstream and beaten most of them. This product was #1 in a halitosis (bad breath) study, which surprised the researchers. Give it a try! You will like it! This is available at our front desk as well.
Prescription Toothpaste Is That Really A Thing?
This is Prevident 5000. It comes in three forms; Booster Plus, Sensitive, and Dry Mouth. This is a prescription product. Most toothpastes have 850 parts per million (PPM) in it. This product has 5000 PPM. So, you can see it is much stronger than an over-the-counter toothpaste. We use this for people who have decay problems, sensitivity, and dry mouth coupled with decay. Dry mouth leads to decay. Therefore, this toothpaste can really be a lifesaver or a tooth saver. Dr. Mark is the only ones who put you on this toothpaste, and it works great in certain situations.
What About Kids Paste?
Kids pastes are many and varied in what they contain. The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry now recommends all kids use a fluoride toothpaste. At first, a rice-sized dab of toothpaste is all that is needed. A school-age child should use no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and should spit it out after brushing. Since most of the toothpaste for kids we find at the stores in Chattanooga contain the same amounts of fluoride, choosing a flavor that appeals to your child is fine. Choosing options such as a flavor of toothpaste that makes your child want to brush is a good thing. Dr. McOmie always says, “Do what it takes” to get your kid to brush. A fun brush, iPad app, fun flavored toothpaste; anything goes if it helps get the job done. With younger children, setting the expectation and habit early will instill healthy habits that last a lifetime.
More About Toothpaste Then You Ever Wanted To Know
After reading this post you are now a toothpaste expert. As always if you have any questions text or call our office at 423-899-1112. We love hearing from our patients and love helping you with anything dental related.
