Type of toothpaste

                                                 Type of toothpaste

                                                                                                                By- Dr. ANKIT YADAV

Your nearest supermart is excitedly displaying the varieties of toothpaste stocked and stacked on its shelves and at times you end up being spoilt for choice there. Given the task our teeth are entrusted to do apart from the grace they add to the face, one needs to make an informed choice while buying toothpaste for them. Apart from some fundamental ingredients, every toothpaste has something in it to serve a purpose. So, choosing a toothpaste wisely according to your oral cavities' requirements would be easier after going through the simplified and requisite gyan below:

Desensitising/Sensitivity toothpaste: -

    The tooth is a combination of different layers. The upper layer is known as enamel which is white/light yellow. Dentine is the second layer under enamel which is more yellowish.

 

Cause of sensitivity

 When the enamel chips off from the tooth and dentine is exposed then sensitivity issues start troubling us. Sensitivity can be triggered by hot, cold, and sweetening agents in the food we consume. In dentine, there are dentine tubules that pass the stimulus to the nerve of the tooth and sensitivity occurs.

Some common factors which can lead to dental sensitivity: -

Age - with age, the dentin gets exposed by wear and tear of  the enamel

Brushing too hard- hard-bristled toothbrush with more forceful strokes can lead to wearing of enamel leading to an exposed dentine

Teeth grinding- during stress when we grind our teeth it exerts pressure on enamel and it makes the dentine vulnerable again

Acidic food- regular intake of foods that have low ph or more acidic can lead to the deterioration of the enamel

Caries-dental caries would also result in exposure to dentine

   

Tip for  brushing

Apply the sensitive toothpaste on your finger and apply it to your teeth first. 

Wait for a minute.

Gently use your soft-bristled toothbrush with the correct brushing technique for a maximum of 2-3 minutes.

Brushing twice a day resolves the hot and cold sensitivity within 15-20 days.

 

Whitening toothpaste

  The natural tooth color is a slight yellow. Tooth color changes due to stains it acquires. Stains can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. 

Intrinsic stains are those which are present below the enamel and they are difficult to remove.  These can be there by birth or can come up later with age. It can also occur due to an injury or an accident.

Extrinsic stains are those which are present on the surface of the enamel. They can be removed by brushing and scaling. They are remnants of food items and some deleterious habits like tobacco chewing, coffee stains, tea stains, chocolate, wine, etc.

This toothpaste contains abrasive agents in it like calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, silica, alumina. They remove only the extrinsic stains present on the tooth surface. They don't change the natural tooth color, they only remove the stains. Due to their stain-removing action, teeth look more bright and clean.   

       

Fluoridated toothpaste

These toothpaste contain fluoride in an adequate amount. Fluoride protects our teeth from an early decay of enamel due to caries. When the surface is treated with such toothpaste, they mix with saliva and form a protective layer around the teeth. The fluoride content in toothpaste is sodium monofluorophosphate, sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, and amine fluoride. 

  They mainly work by reducing enamel dissolution, increasing fluoride uptake of enamel, and antiglycolytic activity of plaque.

Herbal Toothpaste

  These toothpaste remain always in vogue and demand. Some of them are fluoridated and many are not. They don't contain sodium lauryl sulfate ( which produces foam and helps in the removal of food debris and also has antimicrobial activity). They are free from chemicals and made up of natural herbs but are not 100% natural. 

Important tips

Visit your dentist every 6 months for a regular full mouth check-up. If you are confused in choosing toothpaste for your family then consult your dentist for an appropriate one. For good oral health, brush twice a day regularly and use other dental aids for a healthy set of teeth and a winsome smile.