What’s in Your Toothpaste?

When is comes to choosing a toothpaste, there are many options available. So how do you know what type or brand is the best choice for you?

All toothpastes with the ADA seal of approval contain an active ingredient, usually fluoride. Fluoride is a proven way to protect your teeth because of all the things it can do: it helps prevent cavities, lessens tooth sensitivity, and reduces gingival bacteria.

The Types of Fluoride:

The three most common types of fluoride are Sodium Fluoride, Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride, and Stannous Fluoride.

Sodium Fluoride is the most common and gives all of the benefits without any side effects.

Acidulated Phosphate is a stronger fluoride because it can etch into the tooth structure. Most of the time we use it as a semi annual “treatment”. This is probably what your kids receive when they get a “fluoride treatment “ from the Pediatric Dentist.

Stannous Fluoride has become an increasingly popular trend for some pharmaceutical companies and focuses on bacteria reduction in the gums. An important thing to note about Stannous fluoride: while it helps in reducing bacteria, one of its side effects is a grey-brown tenacious stain usually mistaken for coffee or tea stains.  This fact is not advertised, so patients are frequently surprised to find that the stains are caused by toothpaste.  Known products that contain the ingredient are “Crest Pro Health”, “Crest Gum Detoxify”, “Parodontax” and a few select “Sensodyne” pastes.

To find out what type of fluoride is in your toothpaste, always check the “active ingredient” box before purchase and consult your hygienist to find out which is best for you.

At Cherry Creek DDS, we not only care about your oral/dental health, we care about your overall health. Find out more about our approach to dentistry in Dr. Hagen’s blog post about his idea of Healthy Longevity.