Tips for Choosing the Right Toothpaste

Medical advances and availability of better dental care facilities are allowing more people to maintain their natural teeth throughout their lifetime. You need to floss and brush your teeth regularly if you want to be one of these people keeping their natural teeth.

Dental decay is mostly caused by plaque, which is a colorless, sticky bacterium that constantly forms on your teeth. Fluids, saliva, and sugar combine to form plaque that collects over teeth and where gums and teeth meet. Plaque which does not get removed by regular flossing and brushing can get hardened into tartar. Tartar is a crusty deposit only a dentist can remove. Plaque can also lead to gum disease, which is a serious infection that destroys tissues surrounding the teeth. Flossing removes the plaque settled between teeth. Brushing removes the plaque from the larger surfaces over the teeth and from under the gums also, if done correctly.

Brushing is thus an important factor that contributes to your oral health. So you can see that your choice of toothpaste is important. There are many types and brands of toothpaste available, like tartar control, plaque control, gum care, whitening, polish, sensitive teeth, smokers, etc. Choosing the right one can be difficult. You can consult your dentist for any special brushing needs you have to narrow the choices.

If your teeth have a tendency to build up tartar or plaque quickly, you will want to use a tartar or plaque-control toothpaste. These toothpastes have fluoride and antibacterial agents to impede tartar and plaque formation. Before using fluoride toothpaste for young children, consult your dentist first. Excessive fluoride intake by young children can cause discoloration of permanent teeth. Ensure your child does not swallow the toothpaste during brushing if he or she uses fluoride toothpaste.

If you take coffee or tea regularly, or smoke, whitening toothpaste can be used. But this toothpaste only removes adherent stain. The chemicals that can bleach teeth are not that chemically stable to get included in toothpaste formulae. Use caution when using toothpastes such as 'smoker's toothpaste' or 'tooth polish' as these are intended to remove stains. They may be very abrasive and cause wearing away of teeth and supportive tissues. If you have a smoking habit, you should meet your dentist regularly, because smokers have an increased risk of early tooth loss, gum disease, soft tissue conditions, and oral cancer.

There are toothpastes available to desensitize the teeth if you have temperature-sensitive teeth. As you age, your dental needs may change, so your dentist may recommend a category of toothpaste that you have not used before.

After determining which variety of toothpaste is good for you, choose one that feels and tastes best and does not cause sensitivity or irritation problems. You will brush longer and more frequently when you like the texture and flavor of your toothpaste. Brushing regularly means you will maintain your natural teeth even during old ages

Sources:
http://www.toothpasteworld.com/choosing.htm