Toothpaste

What’s in My Toothpaste? And Why?

Toothpaste is a necessity. Not only does it help disrupt the plaque biofilm and freshen your breath, but it also promotes remineralisation to prevent tooth decay, calculus build-up, and gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.

Many factors can contribute to gum disease and dental decay, but removing food and plaque from our teeth is a key way to prevent these conditions. This is done by disrupting plaque and bacteria through good oral hygiene practices, including brushing with toothpaste (manual or electric) at least twice a day and flossing once daily.

Plaque that remains on our teeth for an extended period accumulates bacteria. When exposed to refined carbohydrates, especially sucrose, this plaque is fermented into acid, which begins to break down tooth enamel.

Ingredients

Toothpaste ingredients typically include an abrasive, humectant, binder, detergent, flavour, preservative, and therapeutic agent.

Abrasive IngredientsThese help remove plaque and debris from the tooth surface. Common abrasive ingredients include:

• Calcium carbonate

• Aluminium oxides

• Silica gels

Humectants and Binders: These keep the toothpaste smooth and prevent it from drying out. Common humectants and binders include sorbitol and glycerol.

Detergents: Detergents help remove plaque during brushing and contribute to toothpaste foaming. A common detergent is:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate (Note: this can cause irritation or dryness for some people)

Flavourings: The most common flavours are peppermint or spearmint. Sweeteners that don’t cause decay, such as saccharin or sorbitol, are often added.

Colourings: Titanium dioxide is added to create the white appearance of the paste.

Therapeutic Agents

• Fluoride: A mineral that strengthens enamel, making teeth more resistant to acid wear and decay.

• Triclosan: An antimicrobial agent that reduces plaque formation.

Whitening Ingredients

• Abrasive agents like calcium carbonate, silica, or charcoal help remove surface stains, but long-term use may be too abrasive.

• Other ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, are often included at low concentrations, which may not result in significant whitening.

Always consult your dental practitioner before using a whitening product.

Toothpaste for Children

Children’s toothpastes are designed for different age groups, mainly differing from adult versions in their fluoride content, milder mint flavour, and lower amounts of sodium lauryl sulfate to reduce foaming and potential sensitivity.

For children under 6 years old, toothpastes typically contain 500ppm fluoride. Some brands include:

• Macleans Milk Teeth

• My First Colgate Junior

• Colgate Dora Sparkling Mint Gel

• Oral-B Children’s Toothpaste

Toothpastes for children aged 6 and older generally contain 1000ppm fluoride, similar to adult versions. Examples include:

• Colgate Spider-Man Sparkling Mint Gel

• Macleans Little Teeth

Some children’s toothpastes contain 1450ppm fluoride, such as:

• Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection Junior

• Macleans Big Teeth

Vegan Options

Some vegan toothpaste brands include:

• Grants

• Dr. Bronner

• Weleda

• Marvis

• Ecostore

• MooGoo

• Lovebyt

• Jack N’ Jill (children’s toothpaste)

Non-Fluoridated Options

Non-fluoridated toothpastes often contain xylitol, a non-fermentable sugar alcohol that bacteria cannot process, helping prevent tooth decay. Xylitol also reduces saliva acidity, boosts saliva production for remineralisation, and aids calcium absorption. Another effective ingredient is calcium hydroxyapatite, found in MooGoo products, which strengthens teeth against acid wear.

To further prevent tooth decay, remineralising products like tooth mousse (applied topically after brushing) can be used. The main ingredients include casein (milk protein) as well as calcium and phosphate—minerals essential for teeth.

All the vegan brands mentioned above offer non-fluoridated options.