Hey Dentist, Does Toothpaste Brand Really Matter?

There is an ancient Greek parable about a donkey who is placed between two separate bales of hay. The bales are the same size, they are each the same distance from the donkey, and the hay contained in them looks about the same. Faced with this choice and no outward signs indicating how to make it, the donkey cannot choose and slowly starves to death. 

If there is one place in modern times that we can feel the plight of this donkey it’s in the toothpaste aisle at the local grocery store. It seems like it should be a simple product, and yet there seem to be endless variations promising slightly different results. How do you choose between so many things that seem pretty much the same, and does it even matter in the end which one you use?

Luckily for you, you’re not a donkey, and you needn’t slowly starve in aisle five while trying to choose a toothpaste brand. If you ask your dentist whether or not it matters what type of toothpaste you use, they’re likely to tell you, yes and no. When you brush your teeth, what you’re doing is using friction to break up the biofilm of plaque that has grown on your teeth. Technically, you could do this without any toothpaste at all. But your dentist will also tell you that using toothpaste aids the process by further breaking the film down and killing bacteria, so it does matter.

But what about all those different kinds that line the shelves? Like any type of product, toothpastes and their packaging are designed to stick out so you’ll pick them. To do this, they might throw a bunch of fancy words that don’t actually add up to any extra cleaning power. In a dentist survey 65% of doctors surveyed said that it did not matter what brand of toothpaste you use. Some were quoted as saying that all modern toothpastes will clean your teeth sufficiently. Another dentist was quoted saying that the toothbrush does 95% of the work and that any toothpaste will do as long as its ADA approved. Looks like your hard decision making needs to happen a little further down the aisle at the brushes.

One complication you might face when choosing a paste is the consideration of any special oral hygiene needs such as sensitive teeth, gum problems, bad breath, or tooth discoloration. If you suffer from any of those conditions, then chances are there is a toothpaste that is specifically designed for your needs. Ask your dentist to recommend one, or spend just a little time reading the boxes to find one that will help.