Choosing The Right Toothpaste

“What is the best toothpaste choice for me and my family?”  Honestly, this is one of the most frequent questions we get from our patients. There is an overwhelming number of choices available, and it can be confusing to pick one brand over another.

Old School Perspective

When I was in school we were taught that it wasn’t what you used on your brush, it was how you used it.  Toothpastes were very similar.  They all contained soap, flavor, abrasive, and an anti cavity ingredient (stannous or sodium fluoride).  The key to preventing decay or gum disease was removing the biofilm.  So if toothpaste was just toothpaste, the important thing was how you brush.  We focused on helping patients become better brushers.  When asked for a toothpaste recommendation, I told patients to use one they liked the taste of.  My goal was to increase the chances of them brushing long enough to get the job done… and therefore getting better checkups.

Is There A New Silver Bullet?

Although the logic behind that old approach is still valid (it is all about removing the biofilm), there is an additional approach  we can take to that goal.  There are a couple products that are now widely available which are different than the pastes which rely on mechanical removal.  These products, CloSys and Oxyfresh, contain chlorine dioxide which is an effective antimicrobial ingredient.  The idea is to remove the biofilm by killing the bacteria it’s made up of. This may not be the invincible weapon we’re looking for but it is an additional one!  The research on this ingredient suggests that it may be a game changer in preventing decay, treating gum disease, and managing bad breath.

In the next few posts I’ll write about the advantages that Oxyfresh and CloSys offer in each of those categories.  Check back and learn how it may make a difference for you.