Best And Safest Toothpaste For Sensitive Mouth
The ingredients in a toothpaste are a range of ingredients to make your mouth feel fresh and healthy. They also help to get rid of stains, stop tooth decay and enhance bad breath.
There are toothpastes that contain remineralizing substances that strengthen enamel. Some of them can be very abrasive so it’s important to know what one is best for you and your dental.
Fluoride
Fluoride can be used to strengthen your oral health and keep away cavities. It’s naturally found in various sources like water, food and soil. Add it in your water or toothpaste for many reasons.
The primary purpose of this is preventing tooth decay by “remineralizing” teeth. This helps in securing enamel to areas of decay and attracting the strengthening minerals, such as calcium to the site of the damage. This creates a fresh, harder, stronger enamel, called fluorapatite. It’s also more resistant to acids and bacteria.
This is the reason why this is why the American Dental Association recommends brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice per daily. In addition the dentist can recommend fluoride gels or varnishes to apply to your teeth to provide extra protection.
Dental flosses that contain fluoride come in an array of strengths. The majority of commercial brands having at least 1000 parts for every million fluoride (i.e. 0.221% sodium fluoride or 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate).
Children with a sensitivity to fluoride, for children, the American Academy of Pediatrics endorses the use of baby’s toothpaste that contains at least 1000 ppm of fluoride. It is also safe for ingestion. To minimize swallowing risk toothpaste is applied as a fine “smear”, using an extremely small brush. It is also recommended that the toothpaste be slightly inclined downwards so that excess paste does not go down into the throat.
However, too much fluoride may cause a condition called fluorosis. This is white streaks or spots on teeth. There are also stomach problems in kids who consume large quantities of toothpaste containing fluoride. Fluoride has also been shown to increase inflammation and altered neurodevelopment in animals and humans.
SLS
SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate is an ingredient that can be found in numerous personal hygiene products. It can be derived from petroleum or from natural sources, such as palm oil and coconut oil.
SLS is a foaming agent that is used in toothpastes to get rid of plaque, food particles and other irritants that build up on your teeth. SLS can make the particles of your toothpaste more slippery, allowing it to go deeper the gums as well as your teeth.
But, there’s a wide range of toothpastes that are SLS-free and will still do a good job of removing all the grime and plaque from your teeth with no use of the chemical. toothpastes that don’t have SLS are less likely to cause irritation or discomfort during brushing, and will also help maintain your mouth sparkling and clean.
A further concern with SLS is that it can irritate your mouth, especially the skin of your lips and tongue. SLS may slough off or strip away the outer layers of skin cells that line your mouth, making the mouth more susceptible to infections.
SLS can dry out the inside of your mouth, which may result in bad breath along with various health problems. The reason dentists advise using SLS-free toothpastes.
The SLS could cause fluoride be less effective, which could lead to more tooth decay. In addition, SLS can inhibit the effects of whitening in some toothpastes. If you’re allergic to SLS, look for toothpaste made from a gentle and safe alternative such as Decyl Glucoside or Quillaja triterpeneic saponins.
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxideis also known as lye (used for soap production) or caustic sodium, is a potent cleanser employed in toothpastes in order to neutralize acid and keep plaque from mineralising into calculus. But, it could cause dry mouth and irritation and isn’t suitable for children.
Fluoride, commonly present in low amounts in the toothpaste to protect and prevent tooth decay, is the main ingredient. Fluoride is gradually absorbed with time. It is an remineralizing agent that helps to repair damaged areas of the tooth surface and prevent the tooth from becoming sensitive due to tooth decay.
It is mixed with other ingredients such as silica that is hydrated, to assist in removing staining and plaque from the teeth. This mild abrasive is gentler on the enamel and dentin, and it is also less harmful.
This antiseptic aids in preventing and combat gum diseases. The foaming agent boosts the cleaning capacity of toothpaste.
To enhance the effectiveness of toothpaste and keep your teeth strong, there are many fluoride-containing components. For protection against decay, toothpastes for children and adults can include sodium monofluorophosphate, or the stannous fluoride.
Synthetic colors are used in toothpaste to create whiteness. Additionally, they can serve as flavourings. Synthetic colors are usually harmless, but certain colours ones, like yellow #5, have been linked with hyperactivity and anxiety.
The parabens and sorbitols are two other components you should avoid. They are known to cause hormonal imbalances in the body and could cause a build-up, which can lead to illnesses.
Rather than using these products instead, try alternative natural ingredients like the xylitol or stevia that can make your toothpaste sweeter. Xylitol, a sugar alcohol which is naturally present in your human body has shown to prevent tooth decay and stimulate saliva. This can also help lower the levels of bacteria.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
SLS, also known as sodium lauryl silfate, also known as SLS as it is commonly referred to, is one of the most common ingredients in toothpaste and other personal care products. It is made either naturally or synthetically and is the ingredient that gives numerous products a foamy bubbly consistency.
It’s a surfactant that lowers water-oil surface tension for bonding, and lifting off debris such as dirt and grease. Also, it acts as an agent for foaming that makes the products to lather, making it simple for users to spread the product around the mouth.
SLS is used in toothpaste because it helps dissolve plaque, and also prevents staining. SLS is also antibacterial which helps reduce the likelihood of suffering from gingivitis and cavities.
It’s also a fantastic detergent and foaming agent, making toothpaste get more lather and gives a greater clean-up result. Since it assists in removing irritants and makes it easier to clean your teeth, it’s an ingredient that is used in foaming toothpaste and mouthwash.
SLS could cause skin irritation, particularly if employed for long periods of time. SLS may cause irritation to people with sensitive skin or patients suffering from rosacea (an skin condition of inflammation which results in redness, swelling, itching and many other signs).
There are other concerns regarding the health risks that could be posed by SLS as well as its potential to raise the chance of developing cancer of the oral cavity or throat. There is no research-based basis to prove these claims, they have been extensively circulated on the internet and continue to be a cause for concern.
Peppermint
The season of peppermint has become the most popular flavor and toothpaste has been using it for years. The unique flavor and breath-freshening properties of the herb makes it the perfect flavor for toothpaste.
The menthol in peppermint is the reason for the refreshing, cool feeling it gives. Menthol is also an antibacterial substance that fights bacteria that cause harm and also reduces bad breath.
In addition to the breath-freshening properties it also triggers your sensory receptors inside the mouth and on your skin, which produces cool effects. It is a great idea to make use of peppermint toothpaste when you’re looking to preserve healthy teeth and gums, because it may help to prevent tooth decay by strengthening the enamel.
Bob Vogt (Colgate senior flavorist) claims that peppermint is one of the most popular flavors due to its “slightly sweet flavor” as well as its “lingering cooling”. Peppermint can mask off-flavors from other components.
Mint oil has been used for centuries to treat ailments and as a therapeutic ingredient. It’s one of the most widely-used flavors for dental products and mouthwashes in the present. It is easy to see why. Mint oil is an easy to grow, widespread plant in almost all parts of the globe.
The ingredient menthol is antibacterial as well as antioxidant. It’s an excellent option to use in toothpaste due to the pleasant scent. It’s also an excellent choice for kids’ toothpaste because it helps in preventing tooth decay.
If you’re interested in exploring a toothpaste with a flavor of peppermint make sure you choose ones that don’t contain fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate and the triclosan. These toothpastes will provide all the advantages of other toothpastes such as whitening and breath freshening.