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Our Members Asked:
Which ingredients should toothpastes and other dental products contain, and which should be avoided?



Answer:
Toothpastes and other oral products can help prevent cavities, reduce tooth sensitivity, reverse and prevent gingivitis (including bleeding gums), reduce bad breath, and help clean and whiten teeth, but there are benefits and risk associated with common ingredients, including tooth staining, irritation, and mucus build-up. In this article, we discuss which ingredients you may want to seek or avoid in your toothpaste. We also explain whether any toothpastes can "restore enamel" and discuss which types of toothpaste are best for veneers and crowns and whether people with such dental restorations should use mouthwash along with brushing.
Sign in as a ConsumerLab member for the details, including examples of toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouth rinses and other oral products from Arm & Hammer, Bazooka, Bioniq, Biotene, Boka, Burt's Bees, CloSYS, Colgate, Crest, Elevate (Allday), Fluoridex, hello, Kinder Karex, Lumineux, Made By Dentists, Moon, OraCoat, Oral B, Parodontax, quip, Redmond, Rembrant, Remin, Risewell, Sensodyne (and Sensodyne ProNamel), Sonicare, TheraBreath, Tom's of Maine, and X-Pur. It also includes our Top Picks among anticavity, desensitizing, antigingivitis, and whitening toothpastes, as well as our Top Pick product for dry mouth and bad breath.
In addition, we discuss anticavity agents (such as fluoride, xylitol, hydroxyapatite - including nano-hydroxyapatite, and theobromine), desensitizing agents (such as potassium nitrate, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, stannous fluoride, strontium, arginine, and fluoro calcium phosphosilicate [BioMin F]), abrasive agents (such as baking soda, charcoal, calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts, sea salt, silicates and diatomaceous earth), whitening agents (peroxides, including hydrogen peroxide rinses), tartar-control agents, antigingivitis ingredients (such as stannous fluoride, triclosan, chlorhexidine, essential oils and salt water rinses), cleaning agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and edathamil, flavoring agents (such as xylitol and sugar), coloring agents such as titanium dioxide, inactive ingredients such as glycerin (glycerol), the safety and effectiveness of "natural" toothpastes as well as tooth powders, and the effectiveness of treatments for dry mouth, including Allday Dry Mouth Spray, Biotene, Colgate Prevident 5000 Dry Mouth, and XyliMelts, as well as possible side effects from chewing gum or candies for dry mouth. We also discuss treatments for bad breath, including CloSYS Sensitive Rinse, CloSYS Silver Multi-Benefit Fluoride Rinse, and TheraBreath Fresh Breath Oral Rinse, as well as details about the safety and effectiveness of nighttime teeth guards ordered online. We also discuss whether people who drink water with low or no fluoride should take a fluoride supplement.
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Latest Research Updates (Clinical Updates)
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Also see our Top Pick toothpaste for whitening surface stains.
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For fluoride to work best, it is recommended that you spit out toothpaste rather than rinse, after brushing. A reader asked if the remaining fluoride poses a risk. Find out in our article about toothpastes and dental products.
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We answered the following questions this week, all of which relate to our article about toothpastes and other dental products:
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If you’re using a toothpaste for sensitivity but find that your teeth are still sensitive, it’s possible your toothpaste is too abrasive for you. Find out which toothpastes have lower or higher abrasiveness in our article about toothpastes and other dental products.
Also find out which types of toothbrushes are most abrasive.
Electric vs. Regular Toothbrushes
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Sonic and oscillating electric toothbrushes may be more abrasive than manual toothbrushes, but there are steps you can take to reduce this. Get the details in our article about dental products.
Also, find out which additional ingredients may help strengthen enamel when included in fluoride toothpaste.
Fluoride Supplement?
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Should people who drink water that has little fluoride take a fluoride supplement? Find out in the Fluoride section of our CL Answer about toothpaste and other dental products.
Should you worry about fluoridated drinking water?
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A recent study showed an increase in dental fluorosis in children in areas with fluoridated water. Should you be concerned? Learn more in the Fluoride section our article about toothpaste and other dental products.
Teeth Whiteners, Coffee & Tea
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Should you avoid coffee and tea after using whitening toothpastes or whitening strips? Find out in the whiteners section of our article about toothpastes and other dental products.
Hydroxyapatite vs. Fluoride
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Did you know that it’s best to wait at least 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth? You should also delay using mouthwash after brushing. Learn why in our article about toothpastes.
Also, learn if you should use toothpaste made with sea salt or hydroxyapatite.
Nano-hydroxyapatite Toothpaste
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Are toothpastes that contain nano-hydroxyapatite safe to use? Find out what research suggests in the Hydroxyapatite section of our CL Answer about toothpastes and other dental products.
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Find out how abrasive Sensodyne Pronamel Mineral Boost Toothpaste is and whether we think it’s a good option for people with sensitive teeth, in our updated CL Answer about toothpastes and other dental products.
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Can oral hygiene practices lead to increased or decreased blood pressure? Find out what research suggests in our updated CL Answer about toothpastes and dental products.
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See our full article about dental products, including tooth whiteners.
Sensodyne
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Colgate for Whitening?
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Is Colgate Ultra Brite toothpaste a good option for whitening teeth? Find out in the Whitening Agents section of our article about Toothpastes and other dental products.
Also see our Top Picks for whitening toothpastes.
Whitening Strips for Crowns and Veneers?
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Can you use whitening toothpastes and strips on crowns, veneers, or other dental restorations? Find out in our article about dental products.
Also see our Top Picks among whitening toothpastes and whitening strips.
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What type of mouthwash is effective for reducing bad breath? See our Top Pick and results of a recent study in the Bad Breath section of our CL Answer about products for dental health.
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A CL Member asked why the label on a popular toothpaste warns that it should not be used for tooth sensitivity for longer than 4 weeks unless recommended by a dentist. Find out why this warning exists in our updated section about our Top Pick toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
Best Form of Hydroxyapatite?
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Some toothpastes include "hydroxyapatite", while others list "nano-hydroxyapatite." A CL member asked us if one form is better than the other. Find out in the Preventing cavities section of our article about finding the best toothpaste.
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Be aware that many products that stimulate saliva production in people with dry mouth can cause gastrointestinal side effects. Learn more in the Salivary Stimulants section of our article dental products.
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Managing Bleeding Gums
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Find out which ingredients can help prevent gum disease and our Top Picks toothpaste and mouthwash for bleeding gums in our updated answer to the question about finding the best toothpaste.
Abrasiveness of Sensodyne Toothpaste
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We've added updated information about the abrasiveness of four more Sensodyne toothpastes, as provided by a company representative. Get the details in our article Which ingredients should toothpaste contain, and which should be avoided?
Whitening Strips Compared
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A recent study compared the whitening effect of a popular Crest peroxide whitening strip to that of two non-peroxide strips promoted as gentler on teeth. Find out which type worked best.
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Does glycerin in toothpaste have any negative effects such as sealing in microbes or preventing remineralization?
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Top Pick for Whitening Strips
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Find out which whitening strips are our Top Pick for reducing deep stains on teeth in our updated CL Answer about finding the best toothpaste.
Also see our Top Picks among toothpastes for:
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We answered the following questions this week as part of our broader article about "Which ingredients should toothpaste contain, and which should be avoided?"
- Can you safely use hydrogen peroxide rinses to whiten teeth?
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New Toothpaste Top Pick
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See our new Top Pick toothpaste for whitening surface stains, and see what we suggest for deeper stains. Also find out why we changed our mind about our previous Top Pick.
Diatomaceous Earth Toothpaste?
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Is diatomaceous earth a safe abrasive ingredient in toothpaste? Find out what research suggests in our updated CL Answer about finding the best toothpaste.
Crown and Veneer Damage from Mouthwash?
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Does mouthwash damage crowns and veneers? Ingredients in some mouthwashes can be problematic. We’ve added information about this to our article about finding the best toothpaste.
Bioactive Glass for Tooth Sensitivity?
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Can toothpaste with Biomin F, a "bioactive glass," reduce tooth sensitivity? Find out in our updated CL Answer about Finding the Best Toothpaste.
Toothpaste for Crowns, Veneers, and More
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Find out which toothpastes we think are best, based on their ingredients, for preventing cavities, reducing tooth sensitivity, or whitening, in our updated answer about toothpaste ingredients.
Toothpaste vs. Tooth Powder
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Is brushing with tooth powder as good as brushing with toothpaste? Find out what research has shown in our answer to the question: Which ingredients should toothpaste contain, and which should be avoided?
Tooth Stains from Toothpaste?
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Mucus From Toothpaste?
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Which ingredients in toothpaste may cause mucus to build up in your mouth after brushing? Find out in our updated answer to the question: Which ingredients should toothpaste contain, and which should be avoided?
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