THEODENT 300
THE CLAIM: With a gold-decorated flat tube, this is billed as the most expensive toothpaste in the world.
Its ‘revolutionary’ formula is made from an extract of the cacao plant called theobromine. Theodent says this has been proven to strengthen crystals in tooth enamel and increase their size by 400 per cent, preventing erosion.
Its formula is said to be just as effective for strengthening tooth enamel, and protecting against erosion, as fluoride.
VERDICT: Theodent refer to a number of small studies, carried out by scientists at the University of Texas, to back up claims that its compound can strengthen enamel.
But the studies were not performed on people, say experts, but tested on pieces of tooth which had been removed from the mouth.
Robert Hill, professor of dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, says: ‘A test tube is not the same environment as a mouth. There’s no saliva, which contains salts that can affect how minerals are drawn into the tooth. There may also be residual acid or other compounds swilling around that impact the results.’
One key ingredient is also missing: fluoride.
‘Whether you spend £1 or £100, fluoride is the most important ingredient in toothpaste,’ says Professor Damien Walmsley, a dental expert from the British Dental Association.
TASTE TEST: It doesn’t look like any old cheap toothpaste, with a consistency closer to face cream. But the flavour is nothing spectacular – minty with a light aftertaste of chocolate.