Oral Care
What is Hiding in Your Toothpaste?
We all know that if we regularly brush our teeth, they will remain healthy. In order to brush teeth we all use toothpaste, and it is important to know the ingredients of the toothpaste that we are using. Most of the time toothpastes have a combination of vitamins and herbs, as well as a mouthwash, so that both plaque formation on the teeth and bad breath on the mouth can be controlled.
The ingredients in toothpaste can be useful to give two kinds of effects. Some of them help in strengthening and protecting the teeth from harmful bacteria and they can be considered active ingredients. On the other hand, the inactive ingredients do not play any role in the cleanliness of the teeth, but help in improving the taste and texture of the toothpaste.
Some of the active ingredients are fluoride, baking soda, anti-tartar agents, antibacterial agents, whitening and abrasive agents. Fluoride is the commonest ingredient in all toothpastes, as it fights tooth decay, strengthens your teeth and stops the growth of plaque. Mouthwash with fluoride has the same effect. Anti-tartar agents naturally fight the tartar and baking soda whitens the teeth, by acting as an abrasive.
Antibacterial agents like fluoride fight all bacteria in the mouth and destroy them, also preventing new bacteria from growing. Whitening or abrasive agents can remove the stains on the surface of the teeth and actually makes the teeth whiter because it polishes and cleans them.
The foaming agents are one of the commonest inactive agents in all toothpaste. Due to the foaming action, the toothbrush does not come out of the mouth. For an electric toothbrush, use less toothpaste, as the movement is done by the toothbrush itself, and this could create too much foam during brushing.
The other inactive agents who are directly connected with the toothpaste are the binding agents, the preservatives for the toothpaste, flavor, sweetening agent and coloring agent. These features make the toothpaste look attractive, especially children’s’ toothpaste which is available in different colors, and even in stripes.