Take a look down the dental care isle of any supermarket or drug store and the options for toothpaste seem a little overwhelming. Most of the products you are likely to find on the shelf fall into a few categories. Whenever possible, look for a toothpaste with the ADA seal of approval on the box. A product with this seal has undergone thorough evaluation for safety and efficacy. Below is a brief description of each basic category of toothpaste.
1. Anti-hypersensitivity: these products have one or more ingredients which lessen sensitivity. Most traditional formulations use a specific ingredient to fight sensitivity. Newer products may claim to have this benefit based on the activity of the active fluoride component. They all work to some degree but you may have to experiment to see which works best for you.
2. Whitening: these products typically whiten teeth by removing surface staining. Most of these products use a filler particle designed to scrub the surface of the tooth to actively break up and remove the stain. They can be rather abrasive depending on the filler particle material and size used. Look for the ADA seal and consult your dentist if you plan on using one of these products for more than a few weeks.
3. Anti-givitis/Anti-plaque: these products traditionally had an ingredient like Triclosan in them to fight bacteria responsible for gingivitis. New guidelines require the removal of this ingredient from several home care products, including toothpaste. Newer toothpastes advertising these benefits are relying on a particular type of fluoride that has mild bacteriostatic effects, thereby lessening plaque buildup and gingivitis. The best way to fight gingivitis and plaque buildup are regular and effective brushing and flossing.
4. Tartar Control: these products are closely related to the anti-plaque products mentioned above. Depending on the brand and formulation, there may be a specific ingredient included to inhibit tartar formation. Other formulations rely on the type of fluoride to help prevent plaque buildup, which leads to less tartar.
That is pretty much the range of products out there once you boil it down. All the apparent variation beyond this amounts to flavoring and package design/branding. Let me know of anything I forgot!
Have a great new year and thanks for your time!
Chad Versluis