Do not buy another toothpaste before reading this!
Dr Gordon Tam • May 8, 2020
With so many choices of toothpastes in the market, are we choosing the right one for ourselves?
Your choice of toothpaste may be different from your family members. Do not worry about being odd here. You are not alone. It is only right for you to find the correct toothpaste that suits your needs and oral condition.
Likewise if you have young children at home. Their toothpaste is totally different from adults!
We often place emphasis on selecting the correct toothbrushes for ourselves and our family members. It is important to get toothbrushes with soft bristles, so that we can clean more thoroughly, reaching most of the surfaces of our teeth.
The selection of toothpastes is equally important to compliment the importance of maintaining routine oral hygiene.
Selection of toothpaste for young children
There is no problem with the usage of fluoride toothpaste. The issue only comes when young kids swallow them. When young children may not know how to spit out the toothpaste, it is advisable not to use toothpaste containing fluoride. Swallowing excessive toothpaste with fluoride may affect the adult teeth in the future.
Parents should only introduce toothpaste with fluoride when the child is old enough to expectorate.
Dr Gordon recommends mint taste toothpaste for children when they had just converted to using fluoride toothpaste. This will discourage the child from swallowing the toothpaste.
Everyone with different oral conditions require different toothpastes
Some people with good oral health may not come across issues with choosing toothpastes. Any regular toothpaste is suitable. Some of us may have gum issues, experiencing frequent gum bleeding when we brush our teeth. Others may have tooth sensitivity where they often encounter extreme sensations when drinking or eating hot and cold stuff.
There are toothpastes in the market that target different oral conditions. There are toothpastes for gum issues and tooth sensitivity. You may commonly see toothpastes for whitening too!
Types of toothpastes:
- Gum care - The toothpaste for gums are targeting for those who experience frequent gum bleeding. It has antibacterial protection and helps to sooth red, swollen and bleeding gums
- Tooth Sensitivity - It helps to build a protective layer over the tooth, relieving the tooth sensitivity. With low abrasion formula, it helps to protect the teeth and improve gum health over the time
- Whitening - It helps to remove stains and hence teeth look cleaner and brighter after usage. These whitening toothpaste are highly abrasive, containing special chemicals and polishing agents to remove stains. It will wear out and damage the tooth enamel structure over time. Prolonged usage of it will lead to teeth and gum sensitivity. The abrasive index of the whitening toothpaste is very much higher than the other types of toothpastes
- Children - Usually non-fluoride formula is recommended especially before the young children know how to spit out the toothpaste after brushing. These toothpastes for children also come with different flavors to encourage children to cultivate good oral habits
- Organic - It contains natural and organic ingredients, with fewer chemicals and additives. Organic toothpaste is a popular choice for those who are concerned about the ingredients and chemicals used in the typical toothpastes and already been adopting organic stuff into their daily lifestyles
- For smokers -
Smokers tend to leave deep stubborn stains on their teeth where normal toothpastes are unable to remove. Apart from going to the dentist more regularly to remove the teeth stains caused by smoking, they can opt for toothpastes for smokers on daily usage. These toothpastes contain extra strong mint flavor to freshen their breath and the highly abrasive ingredients to remove the stubborn stains.
We do not encourage prolonged usage of toothpastes that contain highly abrasive ingredients that are harmful to our teeth. They will wear off the enamel layer of our teeth, causing them to be sensitive. Our teeth structure, once damaged, will not recover like other of our body parts.
If you are concerned about the abrasive ingredients of the toothpaste you are using, you may look up for the ‘abrasive index for toothpaste’ for more information.
With proper daily oral habits and routine dental checkups and cleaning, you are in good hands for healthy teeth and gums.
For more information and consultation, please contact Smile Design Dental Practice at +65 6463 8588.
To serve you better, we are available by Appointment Only.
Please contact us to schedule for an appointment.
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