Do You Know What Is In Your Toothpaste?

Everyday, we squeeze toothpaste onto our toothbrush.  Have you ever wondered what is in the toothpaste that makes it clean our teeth?  With so many varieties and flavors of toothpaste they do share common ingredients.

1. Fluoride:  Fluoride “remineralizes” tooth enamel by bonding to areas of decay and attracting other minerals, like calcium, to the damage.  Fluoride stimulates the production of fluorapatite, a type of tooth enamel that is highly resistant to acids and bacteria.  Fluoride cannot reverse cavities that have already been established but it can slow the rate at which they develop.  Mary Rose recommends you brush with a fluoride toothpaste and floss twice daily for cavity prevention.

2. Detergents: Detergents makes our toothpaste foamy when you brush. The most common detergent is sodium lauryl sulfate.

3. Abrasives: Abrasives like calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels and hydrated aluminum oxides scrub and polish the surface of the teeth.

4. Humectants: Humectants keeps your toothpaste from drying out and becoming crumbly. A common humectant, sorbitol, traps water in the toothpaste to get a nice, smooth paste when you squeeze the tube.

5. Flavors: Our toothpaste needs fluoride, detergents, abrasives, and humectants but without flavoring our toothpaste would not taste pleasant.  Toothpaste flavors like saccharin and sorbitol is added to make the toothpaste taste sweet.  The good news is that the toothpaste does not contain sugar, so it won’t cause tooth decay.

Questions about which toothpaste to use?  Dr. Mary Rose, Melissa and Lucie would be happy to answer any questions you have and make recommendations.  Call today and schedule your hygiene appointment.