What else goes into your toothpaste? The combination of ingredients is designed to provide the right texture and taste, to help the product do it's job and be palatable for you: Killing off all of the bacteria in your mouth on a regular basis isn’t recommended, so gentler antiseptic formulas can be a healthier choice. May cause teeth staining The single most important thing you can do to reverse early gum disease, and to slow down progression of periodontal disease, is thorough cleaning. That includes:

But, bear in mind all fluoride toothpastes provide some protection against enamel erosion, and fluoride is the basis of many an enamel repair claim, as it works to harden or ‘remineralise’ enamel. Even cheap toothpastes contain this, so you don't necessarily need to splash out. If you suffer from enamel erosion, talk to your dentist too. They may suggest alternatives, such as changing your diet or brushing technique, using fluoride mouthwashes separately to brushing, or professional application of fluoride varnish. Nothing feels worse than when you get tooth pain from drinking something that is too cold, too sweet, or just from living life. "Teeth sensitivity is a result of excessive teeth wear and gum recession which exposes the softer underlying dentine (sensitive area)," Dr. Luong explains. Taste: If toothpaste tastes terrible, you won't want to use it twice per day. In testing, we liked those that had a clean and fresh taste that got rid of morning breath rather than specific non-mint flavors (except for kids), and leaned towards items that weren't exceptionally strong.

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Colgate Total SF Whitening Gel lifts surface stains, fights gum disease and cavities, and doesn't leave your teeth or gums feeling sensitive like other whitening toothpastes. Maintenance of good oral hygiene is the key to the prevention of dental diseases. The primary etiological factor for dental diseases is dental plaque. The formation of plaque on the tooth surface is characterized by the progression from a limited number of pioneer microbial species to the complex flora of mature dental plaque. This progression involves initial adherence of bacteria to the salivary pellicle and subsequent accumulation by growth and inter-bacterial adherence. Ultimately, the tooth surface gets coated with a dense, complex micro-community that ends up in the destruction of hard enamel tissue. 2 An ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is used in some toothpaste and oral rinses to create a “foaming” action in your mouth.

Nayak PA, Nayak UA, Khandelwal V. The effect of xylitol on dental caries and oral flora. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. 2014;6:89-94. doi:10.2147/CCIDE.S55761 When saliva, food, and fluids combine in your mouth, they produce the nutrition that allows plaque bacteria to grow and produce harmful toxins. This can be especially damaging at the gum line where the teeth and gums meet. Over time, excessive build up can lead to bad breath, inflammation, weakened tooth enamel, and ultimately, gum disease. If you don’t have these sensitivities or concerns, it’s likely that you won’t experience this side effect. May cause dry mouth The activities of oral microflora being responsible for mouth odor and most oral diseases are not in doubt. The need to keep these oral organisms to a level consistent with oral health by antimicrobial agent inclusion in dentifrice has been stressed. 12 When these substances are added to oral products, they kill microorganisms by disrupting their cell walls and inhibiting their enzymatic activity. They also prevent bacterial aggregation, slow multiplication and release endotoxins. 13 Several clinical studies have demonstrated the inhibitory effects of antimicrobial dentifrice on oral bacteria and gingiva. 14 Mouthwashes that contain bright dyes are more likely to cause staining than dye-free mouthwash. May be linked with increased cancer risk

The most common side effect of using mouthwash, according to a review published in 2019, was teeth staining.

Zinc is able to prevent plaque hardening into calculus. By preventing calculus build up, gums are easier to clean. Overall this means less bacteria buildup and therefore the gums are less likely to be affected by bacteria induced gingivitis. So as long as you don't have expectations that a whitening toothpaste will change the underlying colour of your tooth enamel, there may be value in buying a toothpaste which makes whitening claims, as it could contain stain-removing ingredients that a standard paste won't have. There have been some innovations in this area in recent years and there may be good reason to choose a toothpaste targeted at repairing enamel. Using interdental cleaning aids daily – interdental brushes, floss, and water flosses are all options available. In India, as in other developing countries, a very significant proportion of dental problems are due to microbial infections. Dental problems are of three types, formation of dental plaques, dental caries and periodontal diseases. 1

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Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, can be added to toothpaste and has been shown to have antimicrobial effects at high doses. Stannous Fluoride Some side effects of mouthwash aren’t related to whether there is alcohol in the formula. May remove your healthy oral microbiome Another method for whitening is the use of a film that coats the teeth to provide an optic whitening effect. Blue covarine is a typical optic brightening ingredient, though more recently the trend has turned towards purple toothpastes. Charcoal, in some higher strength formulations, can also be too abrasive, which could wear down tooth enamel over time. Furthermore some charcoal toothpastes are also fluoride-free, which our experts would not recommend. Hydrated silica, mica and calcium carbonate

But I should point out that this additional abrasiveness may cause further irritation to gums which are already sore and so you may want to avoid them. Is there a difference between gingivitis and periodontitis? Alcohol is used as a preservative ingredient and as a carrier for the other active ingredients in mouthwash, not as an antiseptic ingredient. Then there are some other agents that might be beneficial, including Novamin, which bonds to the surface of the tooth to protect sensitive areas, and Triclosan, which some studies show is an effective antibacterial agent. Arginine or Calcium Carbonate have been shown to have some neutralising effect on plaque acids. But don’t get too caught up with revolutionary new compounds. Provided the fluoride content is high enough, which toothpaste you use is less important than how and how often you use it, not to mention how long and carefully you brush. Are whitening toothpastes worth it? In this post I explain the various options available to you, and what you should do when brushing your teeth.Crest Gum Detoxify is a brand-new line of toothpastes that is clinically proven to neutralize the harmful bacteria around your gum line. When you brush, it produces a cooling foam that cleans deeply, penetrating hard-to-reach areas your toothbrush can’t always get. Gum Detoxify uses an active ingredient known as stannous fluoride (or SNF2) which binds to the toxic bacteria, not only killing it, but neutralizing its effect on your gums. Periodontal diseases are bacterial infections that affect the supporting structure of the teeth (gingival, cementum, periodontal membrane and alveolar bone). The endotoxins, hydrolytic enzymes and toxic bacterial metabolites are involved in this disease. Gingivitis, an inflammatory condition of gum, is the most common form of periodontal disease. Serious forms of periodontal disease that affect the periodontal membrane and alveolar bone may results in tooth loss. Streptococci, spirochetes and bacteroides are found to be the possible pathogens responsible for the disease. Evidence has shown hyaluronic acid to be anti-inflammatory, anti-oedematous, and anti-bacterial. Experiments on HA toothpastes show reduction in bleeding gums. In fact, analysis of the data confirms “0.2% Hyaluronan containing gel has a beneficial effect in the treatment of plaque induced gingivitis”. Peptides