The main action of all toothpastes is the mechanical action on tooth enamel. Because of its composition, toothpaste particles are able to clean the teeth of plaque, the main breeding ground for microorganisms that cause various dental diseases. All other effects of the toothpaste depend on the additional ingredients that make up the toothpaste.
The choice of toothpaste depends on both the condition of your teeth and gums and the goals you have for brushing.
Hygienic Toothpastes
The composition of conventional hygienic toothpastes, which do not claim to be therapeutic and preventive, consists of two main components – fluoride and abrasive particles (most often the usual chalk). Hygienic formulas perfectly clean the teeth and refresh the oral cavity, while having no therapeutic or preventive effect. They are suitable for everyone. All other additional ingredients are added by manufacturers rather to create a certain advertisement for their product.
Nowadays, there are many types of products on the market, and the essential differences between them will be observed only in the type of abrasive substances included in the composition. The thing is that the particles of abrasive substances differ in size, and thus have different mechanical effects on the tooth enamel. That’s why when buying tooth cleaners, ask about their abrasivity level. Low-abrasion (fine particle) cleaners are more appropriate for people with sensitive, thin enamel. For people with strong enamel, a cleaner with a higher level of abrasion is more suitable. And yet try to choose hygienic tooth cleaners, which contain as many natural ingredients as possible (herbal decoctions, propolis extracts and the like).
Preventive Toothpastes
But if you need not just to brush your teeth, and prophylactic care for them, then you need to choose the correct preventive or therapeutic and prophylactic toothpaste. Such products contain ingredients that help eliminate existing problems with your teeth as well as your gums. If you have sensitive teeth, then it is necessary to use a product for sensitive teeth with active ingredients that reduce tooth sensitivity and help to strengthen tooth enamel. In this case, it is also very important that the paste is low abrasion.
Whitening Toothpastes
Another type of tooth cleanser that is popular today is whitening toothpastes. If you really want a whiter smile, but your enamel is darkened or not as naturally white, you’re probably hoping to fix it with a cleanser. Unfortunately, whitening products are not able to solve this problem drastically. Even a very expensive whitening compound can only lighten your enamel a little, but not make it whiter. Producers of whitening products promise a miracle, but this is just an advertising ploy.
Only professional teeth whitening at a decent dental office can help you. And as far as tooth whitening products are concerned you really have to be very careful because you are not going to get the desired super-white enamel color but you might as well damage the health of your enamel. The fact is that such whitening compositions contain special oxidizing substances. It is these substances that cause the brightening of enamel, but their use is harmless only in relation to absolutely healthy teeth. In all other cases such whitening compositions cause only harm to enamel. Be extremely careful in their use.
Medical Toothpastes
There is another type of cleansers – the so-called therapeutic toothpastes. By the degree of influence on the enamel therapeutic cleaning products are quite different from the preventive ones, and therefore their use should be prescribed only by a specialist, a dentist. The doctor will be able to assess not only the state of your teeth enamel, but also the health of your gums. And yet, these therapeutic compositions can not be used continuously, the time of their use should also prescribe a doctor. Most often they are appointed in the presence of certain diseases, microcrashes in the mouth, as well as the presence of gum disease. They are great to relieve inflammation and promote healing of wounds.
Therapeutic Anti-carious Toothpastes
And, of course, the most popular today are the so-called anti-carious pastes. They contain special ingredients. As a rule, these are derivatives of fluoride and calcium. These components are able to penetrate into the tooth enamel, strengthening it.
In many dental anti-carious compositions of modern manufacturers add more and flavor additives. That’s okay, because almost all of them are based on a substance called xylitol, which also helps protect against cavities.
