Choosing the right toothpaste should be easy, but the choice available can make it a daunting prospect. How can you tell if you need an anti-cavity or anti-plaque toothpaste? Should you be buying tooth-whitening toothpaste, and what about desensitising toothpaste? Then there is the question of age, as any children in the family may prefer a different brand that better suits their taste buds, while older people may have more specific oral health care needs. It's easy to become so overwhelmed that you grab the cheapest option or the brand you always choose, but selecting the right toothpaste can play a big role in your dental health.
When selecting toothpaste, look for a reputable brand that you recognise and preferably has received the Australian Dental Association's approval. Choosing a brand with the ADA's seal of approval ensures you can be confident getting a high-quality product that will work exactly as the manufacturer describes.
Determine Your Goals for Toothpaste
Before making your choice, decide if you have any dental problems you'd like to address, such as cavity control to reduce the risk of tooth decay, tooth whitening to brighten your smile or tooth desensitising toothpaste for sensitive teeth and gums. If you are a smoker, you may wish to choose a toothpaste specially designed for smokers that will help fight plaque and tartar buildup.
Choosing A Child's Toothpaste
If you are buying toothpaste for a child, choose a brand that is age appropriate. Also, getting your child to choose an appealing flavour can be useful as they will be more likely to enjoy using the toothpaste, helping to build better oral hygiene habits.
Be Aware of the Ingredients
Some common ingredients are found in most toothpaste; knowing how to identify these and how they are healthy will help you make a better choice.
Most toothpaste contains sodium laurel sulphate, an ingredient that can be controversial, which helps toothpaste to foam. It can help wash away food particles, bacteria and dental plaque, but some people are sensitive to this ingredient. If you already have sensitive teeth or gums, you may find it helpful to choose a toothpaste free from sodium laurel sulphate.
If you have sensitive teeth look for toothpaste containing strontium chloride or potassium nitrate, as these ingredients can help tooth sensitivity and have a desensitising effect.
Xylitol is an ingredient that helps fight dental plaque buildup, disrupting the activity of bacteria that create plaque. Triclosan is another ingredient that helps fight bacteria, but there is some concern that it increases bacterial resistance.
It's well worth choosing toothpaste containing fluoride; the most common form is stannous fluoride, while the other is sodium fluoride. Some people think stannous fluoride is more effective, but both will help protect your teeth against decay, and the effectiveness is more likely down to properly cleaning your teeth.
Ask Us for Recommendations
If you are still confused or unsure, please ask us for our recommendations, as no one knows your dental health better than your dentist. We can easily suggest a toothpaste that suits your needs based on age and oral health.