Ingredients to Look for In Toothpaste

You’ve heard it since you were able to talk: one of the best— and easiest—  things that you can do for your dental health is to brush your teeth after every meal. However, as something that you’re hopefully in the habit of doing multiple times a day, the last thing you are likely thinking about is what you are putting on your toothbrush. With so many different types of toothpaste to choose from, it is hard to know what ingredients to look for and what each ingredient does. Read on to learn more.

Fluoride
Although you can find fluoride in most drinking water supplies, it’s still an important ingredient to look for when shopping for toothpaste. In fact, fluoride is so important for your dental health that you will have a difficult time finding an over-the-counter toothpaste that doesn’t have it in it. By strengthening your tooth’s enamel, fluoride works to prevent tooth decay. Additionally, if taken at a young age, fluoride can help to build stronger adult teeth in children.

Hydrogen Peroxide
If you are looking for toothpaste that will whiten your teeth and get rid of those nasty surface stains, then look for toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide. In fact, the American Dental Association says that hydrogen peroxide is one of the best ingredients to look for in a whitening toothpaste because it acts as a bleaching agent.

Baking Soda
Unlike hydrogen peroxide, baking soda is abrasive texture makes it an excellent whitening ingredient. By removing surface stains caused by things such as black tea and coffee, baking soda can help to whiten your teeth in virtually no time at all. Plus, if your toothpaste contains both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, you will get even whiter results. When using baking soda to whiten your teeth, make sure that you either use it in small doses or not too frequently because it can weaken your enamel.

The last thing you likely think of when you are shopping for toothpaste is what ingredients are going into it. However, by learning more about what ingredients are in your toothpaste, you can feel a bit more educated the next time you go down the toothpaste aisle. If you would like to learn more about dental hygiene tips or if you would like to schedule an appointment, contact the experts at Centennial Dental Center.