But, the invention of toothpaste and its application has made our life better in many ways. We should feel lucky that we didn’t have to live the age where people had to brush their teeth by using fibres from twigs and bamboos and toothpaste was out of imagination. The incorporation of fluoride and other medications in toothpaste has made it possible that regular brushing will not only clean your teeth and give you a fresher breath, will strengthen it by remineralising it and prevent developing caries.
Recently, we have been hearing about toothpastes
that can heal even the cavitated carious lesions after a month of use! Let’s
see what essentially is present in the toothpaste.
Abrasives: In
dental jargon, toothpaste is often called dentrifice. They help in removing
food debris and plaque by facilitating the use of toothbrush. As the main
purpose of the dentrifices is to remove the plaque formation on the tooth
surface, all toothpastes contain significant amount of abrasives as their
component. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) , Silica, Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), calcium
hydrogen phosphates,hydroxyapatite, zeolites, etc. are the most commonly used
abrasives. They polish the teeth and remove the plaques which minimizes the
tendency to develop caries. Almost all toothpastes contain about more than
fifty percent of abrasives.Fluoride:Another important ingredient of modern day toothpaste is fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent dental caries by converting the hydroxyapatite crystals of enamel and dentin into fluorapatite which is much more resistant to acid demineralization as compared to hydroxyapatite. Fluoride is supplied most commonly in the form of sodium fluoride (NaF). Stannous fluoride (SnF2) and sodium monofluorophosphate (Na2PO3F) are also used. Generally, 1000-1500 parts per million (ppm) fluoride is used in standard toothpaste products. Use of fluoridated toothpaste has been recommended to prevent dental caries and also to revert the incipient caries.
Surfactants:
Toothpaste also contains some foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate which
are also called surfactants. The main function of these surfactants is to lower
the surface tension and help spread the toothpaste material all over the oral
cavity, including the embrasures, deep sulcus and gingival col region. These
agents help reduce proximal caries or class II caries which generally occur at
the contact areas of posterior teeth.
In addition to these, various coloring agents,
flavoring agents, sweeteners, hydrating agents, etc. are added in toothpaste.
Antibacterials like triclosan and zinc chloride are added to reduce gingivitis.
Strontium chloride and potassium nitrate added in some toothpastes are believed
to treat sensitivity (dentin hypersensitivity). Similarly, glycerol, sorbitiol
and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are added to hydrate the paste and prevent it
from drying turning into powder. Toothpastes are flavored like mint, neem, orange, vanilla, cinnamon,
lemon , ginger, etc. to make them more
appealing and desirable.
Next time
you buy your toothpaste, make sure it has added fluoride and some of the medications.
If you want some teeth whitening paste, select the one having large amount of
abrasives or the one having two or more abrasives. If you suffer from
sensitivity, see whether the paste contains potassium nitrate/strontium
chloride or not. Great! Now you can choose your toothpaste as per your needs.
Take Care!