Is Toothpaste Really Necessary?

Having clean and fresh breath is an essential part of your day. It makes a difference when you start your day, before you go to a meeting, after you leave the gym, or when you go to bed. Whether you fancy cinnamon, bubble gum, something herbal, or traditional mint, it is your preferred toothpaste that keeps your mouth and your breath fresh and clean.

What is in My Toothpaste?

Toothpaste is an essential preventative oral health product. It will inhibit the growth of hardened plaque, also known as tartar, and gum disease when it is used daily. Toothpaste comes in many different styles, such as powder, paste, or gel. All kinds of toothpaste, however, have comparable ingredients that enable it to work quickly and effectively.

Abrasives: The most notable thing toothpaste does is eliminate undesired material from the exterior of your teeth. Before the invention of toothpaste, people used abrasive materials such as tree bark, brick dust, animal hooves, and charcoal to rid themselves of unwanted particles from their teeth.

Detergent: A foamy substance that helps to remove particles from your teeth.

Fluoride: A mineral that hardens the enamel on your teeth and makes them more immune to decay. 

Humectants: A substance that prevents the toothpaste from drying out.

Flavor: Helps make the toothpaste more palatable without adding any sugar to it.

Is it Possible to Use Toothpaste Incorrectly?

To begin with, you just need a tiny bit of toothpaste on your brush, approximately the size of a pea. Television adverts use toothbrushes loaded with toothpaste so that you use more than you need and run out of the product that much faster.

For your best smile, remember, you are brushing your teeth for more reasons than just fresh breath. Be careful that you brush each tooth and around your gum line. Although it won’t hurt you, try not to ingest any toothpaste.

When selecting a toothpaste, make sure the one you want has seals of approval from both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association. 

Toothpaste is great at limiting plaque build-up on the surfaces of your teeth and preventing infection in your gums, but it simply cannot take the place of professional dental cleaning. Only a trained dentist is able to eliminate built-up tartar. Brushing alone, no matter what toothpaste you use is not enough.

If you would like any additional advice concerning an upgrade in the brand of toothpaste you currently use or you just have a few questions about general dental health and hygiene, our licensed and dedicated team at the Del Mar office of Curtis L. Chan, DDS would be happy to help. 

If you would like any additional information concerning any of our other cosmetic or preventative dental procedures we urge you to schedule an appointment with a San Diego, California cosmetic dentist today by calling (858) 481-9090. 

Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve a beautiful, bright set of teeth in a comfortable, safe environment.