What’s in your toothpaste?
You may be surprised what exactly goes into your toothpaste. We often get asked, “Which toothpaste should I use?”. We are often amazed from the stories we receive of people using “alternative toothpastes” and even non-commercial products to keep their teeth and gums healthy. As a general rule, a toothpaste with no Aluminium or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is preferable. The first is a heavy metal often added to commercial toothpastes to make them appear whiter (it has no health benefits and in fact can add to your daily absorption of Aluminim into your body. The other ingredient is SLS which also has no useful properties except as a foaming and soaping agent. We also have many patients who express concern over artficial sweetners and high fluoride toothpastes.
So what should you look for in a healthier toothpaste? Start by searching for well-proven and safe ingredients such as baking soda and herbal extracts of essential oils that are known to be highly anti-bacterial whilst helping to keep the teeth white. We have a range of toothpastes from Red Seal (Baking Soda and Natural toothpastes) that are sold in our dental clinic. Other toothpastes such as Argital range containing green clay are well known to detoxify the mouth and taste great too! We are happy to discuss individual toothpastes after your dental examination to find the one right for you!