This is a question that I get almost once a week. Having the opportunity to just go to my supply room and grab my favorite brand makes it too easy for me. I wanted to put together a blog that explains how to select a toothpaste from the drug store aisle. I am going to break this into two articles. The first will cover the majority of the toothpaste in your drug store aisle. The second article will cover the specialty toothpaste that are available.
What a shock to me when I saw the huge selection available to the consumer! When looking at each individual box I realized there are basically only four types to pick from for the consumer. These toothpaste types are the following:
- General Toothpaste with Sodium Floride or other Floride Salts
- General Toothpaste with Stanous Floride
- Desensitizing Toothpaste
- Whitening Toothpaste
Let’s talk about the first two options which is your “Meat and Potatos” of toothpaste, General Toothpaste with Sodium Fluoride or other Fluoride salts. First all a toothpaste is a paste used for cleaning the teeth that are applied with a toothbrush or your finger if you are traveling and forget you toothbrush, which tends to happen to me often. Fluoride was first added to toothpastes in the 1890’s. “Tanagra”, containing calcium fluoride as the active ingredient. In modern tooth paste there are two types of Fluoride available in consumer brands. The majority of toothpaste brands have Sodium Fluoride. Sodium fluoride is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula NaF. A colorless solid, it is a source of the fluoride ion in diverse applications. Sodium fluoride is less expensive and less hygroscopic than the related salt potassium fluoride. Fluoride salts are used to enhance the strength of teeth by the formation of fluorapatite, a naturally occurring component of tooth enamel. So the first category of toothpaste, General Toothpaste with Sodium Fluoride is a paste used to clean off the surface of your teeth with Sodium Fluoride added to enhance the strength of teeth by the formation of fluorapatite.
The next category is General Toothpaste with Stannous Fluoride. Stannous fluoride is in the spotlight of specialists, as part of a new generation of ingredients used in oral hygiene products. Although it was first introduced into toothpaste in 1950, stannous fluoride has ceased to be used because it brings disadvantages in using them as gross instability and low bioavailability, the risk of discoloration. All of these disadvantages have been removed through innovation: combining tin fluoride, commonly referred to commercially as stannous fluoride (SnF2), with sodium hexametaphosphate, a stable system that provides clinically proven safety and decreases the incidence of gingival decay by 22-25%.
In addition to lowering the incidence of caries by 22-25%, stannous fluoride guaranteed effects against plaque, gingivitis and dentin hypersensitivity is the only fluoride that has these cumulative effects. Is recognized as a key ingredient in toothpaste by the American Food Administration and Drugs, which he considered safe and effective in fighting plaque and gingivitis, dentist warns that this combination should not be used by children under 12 years.
What are the benefits of stannous fluoride toothpaste?
- Antimicrobial Properties Over 90% of bacteria present in plaque are destroyed after a single application. “Effective tooth brushing should be at least two minutes. Moreover, clinical studies show that all bacteria are destroyed after brushing with a stannous fluoride
- Reduce dentin hypersensitivity American Dentistry Association recognizes the dentin hypersensitivity only two products: a topical gel and stannous fluoride toothpaste. Dentist says that unlike sodium fluoride (no effect on dentin tubules), stannous fluoride block these effects in decreasing hypersensitivity. Studies conducted over a period of eight weeks shows that stannous fluoride reduce by 44% thermal sensitivity with up to 71%.
- Prevents plaque Bacteria accumulates frequently in small spaces between teeth and gums around the edge. If plaque is not removed, plaque starts forming on it. Bacterial toxins in the plaque cause gum infection swells and becomes soft.
- Prevents gingivitis Remarkable result due to this technology is effective in preventing a protective gingival gingivitis occurrence. Thus, scientific data shows that gingival bleeding is reduced by up to 40%.
At six months after using toothpaste with stannous fluoride, gingivitis observed a significant improvement. According to the American Dental Association, stannous fluoride and sodium hexametafosfatului are ideal for dental hygiene. I have heard from dental hygienist that they have been told in the past not to recommend stannous fluoride due to staining. Current FDA regulations require that products containing stannous fluoride be labeled about their staining potential. But the newer toothpaste that are available to consumers contain a high-cleaning silica and sodium hexametaphosphate to remove and help prevent external stains. This is why I love stannous fluoride! Stannous fluoride is an anti-bacterial agent that’s clinically proven to protect against gingivitis, plaque and tooth sensitivity, while still providing cavity protection. Although sodium fluoride protects against cavities, it doesn’t provide protection from these other conditions.
From your first visit to the completion of your treatment, we treat your mouth like it’s our own. We only use the most up-to-date modern cosmetic dentistry tools. The appearance of your teeth, face, and smile mean the world to us which is why every single patient is treated and evaluated differently; to fit their personal needs.
We want you to be impressed when you enter our office and know you will be when your treatment is complete,
