Choosing the Right Toothpaste for Your Family

All the different varieties of toothpaste at the grocery store can be overwhelming! There are gels, pastes, different flavors, and empty promises abound - whiter teeth, healthier teeth, cavity-fighting formulas! It’s hard to know which of these choices are best for your family.

We’ve put together a guide to help this decision be a little easier for you!

Fluoride 

 Fluoride can strengthen tooth enamel and has proven to be the best ingredient for helping your family’s teeth stay healthy and beautiful, even your kids. Experts have argued in the past over whether children should have fluoride, but the answer is yes. But, since kids tend to swallow toothpaste, make sure you aren’t giving them more than a pea-sized amount.

Tartar Control 

The thing you need to realize about tartar control toothpaste is that, while it will prevent further tartar from building up on your teeth, it won’t help reduce the tartar buildup that already exists on them. Keeping appointments for routine dental cleanings and checkups is the best way to control tartar buildup.

Whitening 

Whitening toothpaste will help wash away stains on your teeth, but if you’re looking for magically white teeth overnight, you’ll be disappointed! These kinds of toothpaste are way overhyped. No toothpaste on the market has been proven to change the color of your teeth. Professional teeth whitening options are available to you at our office, but you won’t find whiter teeth in a tube of toothpaste – don’t get taken advantage of!

Sensitive Teeth 

Toothpaste made for sensitive teeth has an ingredient that can block the parts of your mouth that connect your teeth to their sensitive nerves. These kinds of toothpaste have proven to help ease mild or moderate tooth sensitivity. But it won’t work immediately; you’ll need to be patient and give the toothpaste a few weeks of use to notice the difference. It’s also important to know that if your tooth pain is caused by gum disease or a dental cavity, toothpaste will not help the pain. You’ll need to come in for an exam to find the source of the pain.

If your child is experiencing tooth sensitivity, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Ben Kwok, our kids’ dentist in Kilbourne, Ohio. For more information, contact Little Smiles of Delaware today!