Did we catch you by surprise with the topic? Well, there are several pieces of advice on how to brush, the type of toothbrushes to choose, and common tips of what to do and what not when considering your oral hygiene. Nevertheless, there are fewer conversations on what toothpaste to use and what toothpaste you shouldn’t.
There are several types of toothpaste in the market. You shouldn’t use all types. Determining the best that suits you is with a dentist’s prescription. Oh yes! A dentist is supposed to prescribe what toothpaste you should use. Don’t get overwhelmed, while you visit your dentist, remember to ask him to prescribe a toothpaste for you. Remember toothpaste plays a big role in your oral hygiene. So, before you run off to that store and buy just yet another tube, here are certain things to look out for while purchasing or choosing a tube.
Fluoride Contained Toothpaste.
Don’t buy that tube if it doesn’t contain fluoride, read up the pack, and ensure that the fluoride content is well detailed. Fluoride is the essential ingredient in toothpaste and also in the water we drink. It strengthens the enamel and helps it defeat decay. With fluoride, the enamel fights back decay formation.
Whitening Toothpaste.
Toothpaste that contains whitening properties contains compounds to help whiten your teeth. These compounds may include baking soda or other types of abrasive. In a more advanced situation, to remove stains from your teeth, you may need special whitening strips or trays for your teeth whitening procedure to be effective.
It is also important to note that this type of toothpaste may affect some people. As allergy has its own power over our bodies. So, if you make that tooth whitening contained toothpaste and you notice gum swelling, pain or any type of anomaly on your gum kindly stop usage and make an appointment with your dentist for further probing.
Tartar Control Toothpaste.
The word tartar or plaque is not new to anyone. We have given out several measures to defeat tartar in our previous articles. Tartar builds up as a result of neglect to oral health which may subsequently affect your general health as a whole. Unfortunately, you can’t win over tartar with daily brushing and flossing, only a dental professional can help you win over tartar. A dental hygienist would use instruments to pull them off and clean your teeth in a procedure called Scaling and Polishing. On the other hand, if you are prone to tartar, there are certain toothpaste that contains compounds like sodium pyrophosphate and triclosan to kill bacteria from the mouth and prevent plaque from building up.
Just like a paste containing whitening compounds, a tartar control toothpaste can also cause certain allergies. If you find out that there are allergic reactions to your gum, kindly book an appointment with your dentist today.
Sensitive Tooth
Recently, studies have revealed that tooth sensitivity is becoming one of the commonest oral disorders amongst humans. We have written an article detailing the cause, effect, and solutions to teeth sensitivity here. With teeth sensitivity, every hot or cold meal is not enjoyable. There is certain toothpaste that has helped a lot of patients in the past. This toothpaste contains substances that block the exposed part of your tooth nerve. In most cases, we have advised patients to apply these paste on the particular spot of severe sensitivity and leave it there for a period of time. This technique has proven to work faster than the normal tooth brushing method.
Dental Association Approval Seal.
No matter how that toothpaste advert got your soul, ensure that while trying to make the purchase, it has the endorsement from the leading dental association.
Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) is the authoritative national voice of dentistry, a non-governmental and non-profit oriented organization dedicated to the representation and advancement of the profession, nationally and internationally, and to the achievement of optimal oral health.
NAFDAC Seal
It is important that every toothpaste is sealed and approved by NAFDAC. The NAFDAC seal is a sign of safety and the toothpaste is up to standard. If the tube doesn’t meet up with this standard, that advert or recommendation was only done to win your heart but not to make a purchase.
In conclusion, determining the type of toothpaste you should use is dependent on two major factors: your oral goals and what your dentist prescribed. To book an appointment with a dentist, kindly click here.