What Is The Best Toothpaste?
What is the best toothpaste you ask? We think you'll love this easy answer...
It doesn't matter! :) Not one bit! Just pick what tastes good to you!
In the big picture, it's all about brushing and flossing the gross, live, acid-secreting bacteria off of your teeth MECHANICALLY. There really are no magical ingredients in any toothpaste products that are going to replace the actual REMOVAL of that plaque.
Our everyday toothpastes have a little bit of fluoride here and there, a little bit of fishing line in some...
Yes, you heard me correctly. One of the well-know toothpaste brands that you "know and love" was actually putting blue sparkles into their toothpaste for a while there...and it was PLASTIC!!
Do you think plastic has ANY benefit whatsoever on your dental health? You guessed it…NOPE! It was purely marketing, advertising, and designed to take your money. Those blue sparkles ended up getting lodged in patients' gums, with some patients even scheduling appointments and coming into the office with serious gum inflammation.
We could only imagine what it may have be doing down in their intestines. After all, we usually swallow some of our toothpaste and therefore some of those sparkles!
The big box stores were selling it by the bazillions too, so we were picking blue sparkles out of our patients’ teeth for months!!!!!! It just floors me what companies will do for profits.
So....don't be fooled. You're smarter than those convincing commercials.
Just like your food, choose a toothpaste that is made with the most natural ingredients that you can find.
Xylitol is amazing stuff. It’s a natural sweetener that is found in birch trees, and has been found to help slow the growth of plaque (acid spewing bacteria). Toothpastes with Xylitol in them get 10 stars from SODA!
We’ve seen charcoal and baking soda help to whiten teeth, but pay attention to be sure that your teeth don’t get too sensitive. Charcoal and Baking Soda are both abrasives and shouldn’t be used too aggressively…maybe not even every day. Of course, consult with your honest dentist if any concerns arise.
You can even brush your teeth with coconut oil. Just stick a dab of it on your brush and brush away! The natural healing world even recommends “oil pulling” for dental health. (Click on the link to see if it would be right for you)
I, personally, like to dip my toothbrush in Listerine, ACT, SCOPE, or other mouthwashes. It’s great if you love that fresh breath feeling. My teeth always feel cleaner dipping in mouthwash vs using toothpaste. It’s similar to the “dry brushing” that many dental hygienists recommend, but with a minty bonus.
I DO use toothpaste though too (click here to see MY personal cleaning routine that I do everyday)
Otherwise, brushing with good ol' water works perfectly fine too! Honestly! Just be sure to make a pattern while you brush, so that you brush well, for 2 minutes at least, and you'll be golden!
If your teeth are sensitive, we recommend using a fluoride mouthwash such as ACT, over any of the sensitive toothpastes. Though they have “sensitive” in their names, we have seen patient after patient continue to suffer with tooth sensitivity while using them. Those same patients have found relief after switching to a fluoride mouthwash.
To narrow the search down for you
Here is a list of toothpastes that we have come to love and respect over the years, because of their dedication to incorporating ACTUAL beneficial ingredients:
DōTERRA, OnGuard Natural Whitening (My current toothpaste of choice. The On Guard oil also supports immune health and I’ve actually seen “On Guard” reduce tartar in some patients )
Spry (my kids favorite. They have graduated to the minty, fluoride, adult version)
Young Living Thieves (pretty much the same toothpaste as Doterra OnGuard, just a different brand)
Colgate ORIGINAL (my husband’s go-to)
We sure hope this answered your toothpaste questions! If not, please find us on social media, and we’ll do our best to help!
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. Nobody knows it all! We do claim honesty though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
Thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
