CAN YOU GET AWAY WITH USING CHEAP TOOTHPASTE?

WHEN researchers at the University of Bern tested nine popular fluoride toothpastes, they found that some were no better than saliva.

‘Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste alone is not a magic wand when it comes to preventing enamel erosion; you also need to reduce acid-forming sugary foods and drinks,’ explains dental expert Dr Uchenna Okoye.

Indeed how you clean your teeth is as important, if not more, than what you clean it with, she adds.

‘Patients often ask me if toothpaste is absolutely necessary and the simplest answer is no.’

‘People ask if they can use products such as baking soda, coconut oil, even water.

‘The real key is a good technique and to brush often to remove plaque and reduce bacteria on the gum line.’

But toothpaste’s main benefit is it contains fluoride, which strengthens teeth.

‘Despite the new Swiss findings, dentists still largely agree that regular topical fluoride application in the form of toothpaste helps strengthen enamel and reduce dental cavities,’ says Dr Okoye.

Research has found that as long as a toothpaste has the recommended level of fluoride (1,350-1,500ppm for adults, as found in most products), it will keep teeth healthy.

Although toothpastes now come in a variety of different flavours and make a number of different claims, there’s no guarantee that expensive toothpastes will leave the teeth any cleaner.

So unless you have a specific problem with sensitive teeth, say, your most basic Boots own-brand product for €1.99 will do the job just fine.

But what exactly is in toothpaste anyway? We look at one popular product, Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste . . .

AQUA: One of the main ingredients, aqua, or water, helps make it a paste. GLYCERIN: This lubricant is used to prevent toothpaste drying out, as well as giving the paste a smooth texture.

Glycerin is also found in the liquid in vape pens and is the active ingredient in dynamite. HYDRATED SILICA: An abrasive used to remove plaque as well as whiten teeth. MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE: Extracted from wood pulp, this is used to thicken products such as pre-shredded cheeses, as well as toothpaste. TRICLOSAN: This antimicrobial chemical is used to reduce plaque and heal bleeding gums. Triclosan is currently banned in hand soaps and body wash in the U.S. because of animal studies suggesting possible health risks. SODIUM FLUORIDE: Makes teeth more resistant to decay and the bacteria that cause cavities. Fluoride comes from the mineral fluorite, found worldwide but especially in South Africa. SODIUM HYDROXIDE: A caustic chemical better known as lye or caustic soda. Found mostly in household cleaning products, sodium hydroxide is used to neutralise the acidity caused by the other chemicals in toothpaste that could potentially harm the enamel.