Toothpaste?!!

I bought an expensive toothpaste that is supposed to be good for my gums. Unfortunately it tastes vile, slightly fishy! But I suppose I'll stick with it and get my money's worth.

When my best friend left school in 1964 she went to work for Unilever, developing new toothpastes. They used to work with extracted teeth delivered from the local dentists. When she got married she had a beautiful wedding ring made from gold fillings she had collected.

Sensodyne Sensitive Repair & Protect is what I buy. It's got Novamin in it which is better in studies than the competition if you have sensitivity.

It's the best one for me by quite a long way.

Not cheap. £3.80 I think last time.

I buy by price. At the moment, I’ve 2 tubes on the go (no idea how I’ve done that) so it’s a Colgate Deep Clean at night and an OralB gum health one in the morning.

My dentist gave me a prescription for some toothpaste and it’s really good I have really noticed how much better my teeth feel but when I went online to buy it it’s between £11 and £15 a tube and says to only use it for 90 days so I guess that’s it

Just buy the one that tastes nicest and is on special offer and cheaper than any other.

All these claims for whitenss plaque beating etc etc stand on very doubtful foundations and are just selling come-ons.

I like Oral B artic white and buy it when it is on offer if I can and yes I don’t rinse out and use tepee brushes daily but prefer an ordinary toothbrush rather than a battery one much to my dentists dismay!

Thanks all. To scared to Google now Silverbrooks!

Depends what the toothpaste is. Some do have a chemical component that binds to exposed dentine e.g. Novamin in Sensodyne, but most toothpaste is just a combination of chemical substances that I don't want in my mouth any longer than necessary.

Just Google "ingredients of toothpaste and dangers". Sores, inflammation, hormone disruption, antibiotic resistance, gut bacteria imbalances, increased blood glucose levels, fluorosis, carcinogens and microplastics.

At 70, I still have very good teeth and gums so I must be doing something right.

Silverbrooks spit out - but don’t rinse away!
My hygienist told me years ago, leave it on the teeth (after spitting out at the end of brushing) to continue to do its job’. 😁

I have sensitive teeth and back in the day could tolerate nothing but Sensodyne, which was expensive at the time. Now there are loads I can use, for which I’m very thankful. I really don’t know what all the differences are, but I just pick up a cheap or discounted “sensitive” one. In fact I bought a healthy gum one recently forgetting to check whether it was for sensitive teeth, and it was fine too. Years ago I’d have hit the roof! Perhaps my teeth have mellowed with age.

I just go for the offers. No matter what you spit it out anyway.

Cavity protection and sensitive gums protection are my priorities. Not bothered about whitening effects, etc.

You’re right though Aveline, the choice is bewildering. All the brands have different ones - so confusing.

I have to use expensive toothpaste as I have sensitive teeth and I notice the difference within days if I stop using my Sensodyne. There are so many different ones with different formulas with Sensoyne too, so I stick to the same one. If a £1 tube of toothpaste dudnt hurt my gums, I would use that,

I would not think of paying much for a toothpaste. I also go for the cheapest but would choose cavity protection before whitening.

I also take a few freebies and they do last.

I buy Tesco Cavity Protection toothpaste with fluoride.

50p a tube 100 ml.

Seems to do the job.

Cavity protection is the most important. That’s where the damage starts.

My favourite for taste is Oral B Minty Gel, but frankly, as toothpaste is just something abrasive you brush on your teeth and gums for two minutes (say) twice a day, and then rinse away, the claims of magical properties are transient. You could just as well use baking soda.

So I'll buy Minty Gel if it's on offer but otherwise anything for £1 is fine.

I have a dental plan. The surgery gives me a handful of samples each visit which can last for weeks. You only need a pea-sized blob to clean the teeth effectively.

Most of the toothpaste brands have versions which suggest they do all the things on your list for about £4. I wait until the supermarket has a sale and buy three or four tubes, often getting one free.

On my dentist's advice I started using interdental toothbrushes a few years ago. Since then every time I go to the dentist they comment on how well my teeth and gums are.