BRUSH UP ON TOOTHPASTE

With so many toothpaste varieties on the shelves, cleaning your teeth has become a complicated business

- KAREN FITTALL

FLUORIDE CONTENT

Fluoride is a mineral that’s commonly used to prevent dental cavities and to treat tooth plaque and mild gum disease.

The usual concentration of fluoride in toothpaste ranges from 1 000 to 1 500 parts per million (ppm).

GONE are the days when cleaning your pearly whites was a simple morning ritual. Whitening, tartar control, enamel protection – there’s such a dizzying array of toothpastes available these days that it can be confusing to know what to use. Here’s what you need to know.

SENSITIVE

Sensitive toothpastes are designed to treat the sensitivity caused when dentine, the layer that surrounds a tooth’s nerve, is revealed due to either thinning tooth enamel or receding gums. They contain a variety of ingredients that work to seal off pores in the dentine – called tubules – reducing sensitivity.

While most sensitive toothpastes take a couple of weeks to be effective, some of the newer ones claim to reduce sensitivity immediately. “Sensitive toothpastes are safe to use permanently, in place of a regular fluoridated toothpaste,” says Professor David Manton of Melbourne Dental School in Australia. “But if sensitivity persists it’s important to determine the cause and a visit to the dentist is recommended.”

WHITENING

A large variety of these are available and, according to Manton, they’re safe for long-term use unless on-pack instructions warn otherwise. If you do choose a whitening paste, it’s important to ensure that it contains 1 000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride as well to help prevent decay,” he explains.