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The Confusion about Toothpaste - Part 2 of 2

This month we will be talking about toothpaste in a two part series with major contributions from our RDHAP, Maggie:

Using the right amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush is very important; probably just as important as what kind of toothpaste you use. Commercials and ads show a long strip of toothpaste covering the whole toothbrush bristles, but this is a common mistake that people make.

If too much toothpaste is used, a few bad things happen. Firstly, you will end up spending more money on toothpaste. Second, you will be almost required to brush your teeth in the bathroom or near a sink because your mouth will foam up quickly; this also will make you want to brush for a shorter time. Lastly, you will be desensitising your tongue. To explain, your tongue will be tasting a bunch of yummy minty toothpaste and won't feel the cavity bugs on your teeth.

These three things (and others) results in less than effective tooth brushing. The recommended dosage of toothpaste is about the size of the tip of your pinky finger for adults, and a pea size for children under the age of 6. And, some dental professionals even recommend brushing without toothpaste for two to four minutes, until your teeth are clean, then introducing toothpaste to freshen breath, add fluoride, and remove stain. Google "two way toothbrushing" if you want to learn more about the dry brushing technique.

But back to toothpaste, the best advice for choosing the right kind of toothpaste would be to become a label reader. Most toothpaste has the exact same ingredients but are marketed differently.

Good luck!

The Confusion about Toothpaste - Part 1 of 2

This month we will be talking about toothpaste in a two part series with major contributions from our RDHAP, Maggie:

There are whole aisles dedicated to toothpaste in stores, as well as hundreds of toothpaste commercials on television. This can make it very confusing to decide which toothpaste to buy.

All toothpastes have a few main ingredients: water, abrasives, surfactants and fluoride.

Abrasives polish teeth by helping to scrape food and some stain off your teeth.

Surfactants are a fancy word for a foaming agent. The foaming helps to spread the toothpaste over your teeth more easily.

Fluoride is the active ingredient in toothpaste. Although controversial, it has been proven in numerous peer-reviewed studies to reduce dental cavities.

Whitening toothpastes are very popular right now, and some can be very expensive. What allows toothpaste to be called "whitening" is that it contains abrasives (which most toothpaste already have) and/or tripolyphosphate, which is an ingredient that helps break down or dissolve stains. Most whitening toothpastes do not actually contain the active "teeth bleaching" ingredient, a form of hydrogen peroxide, in their mixtures.

Tarter control toothpastes are also popular, and the active ingredient in these toothpastes is sodium pyrophosphate. This ingredient does not break down existing tarter that is already attached to the teeth. It does, however, help to prevent new tarter from building up on the teeth by bonding with any unattached tarter and dissolving it.

Most major toothpaste brands also carry sensitivity toothpastes now. The active ingredient in these toothpastes is potassium nitrate, which blocks the tubes that run from the outside environment to the inside of the teeth that contains tooth nerves. It also helps soothe nerve endings inside teeth. Most whitening products and whitening and tarter control toothpastes can cause sensitivity in people, so sensitivity toothpastes are widely used.

So there you have it, the truth about toothpaste ingredients. Stay tuned next month to learn about how using the right amount of toothpaste is critical.

Passing Cavities on to Your Children

January 2012

This month, we are getting more great information from our hygiene team:

So is bad breath contagious? Yes, the bacteria that are responsible for causing cavities are contagious! Saliva, (which is a fancy work for spit) is the watery environment where bacteria live. These bacteria are easily spread and are passed along in many different ways, like kissing your child on the lips, sharing spoons, sharing drinks, and cleaning dropped pacifiers with your mouth. These bacteria thrive and multiply in our mouths and make it much easier for us to get cavities.

In fact, when a baby is born, his or her mouth is basically bacteria free. Babies then acquire bacteria from their caregivers and also from their environment. And although being exposed to different bacteria builds our immune systems, the bacteria that causes cavities does not help build our immune systems.

So, the next time you are tempted to share spoons or cups, please stop and think about what you may be passing along to your children! And remember, visiting your dentist regularly can help you learn the best ways to stay healthy for a lifetime.