Dentist Near Normanhurst
Toothpaste is a paste or gel when used with a toothbrush helps assist and aid to clean and protect your teeth. The use of regular toothpaste when brushing helps remove dental plaque and food particulars from your teeth. It also helps suppress the bad breath, gum disease and dental decay.
With so many toothpaste on the market it can get confusing which one to get. Dentist in Normanhurst and dental hygienist should be able to give you some guidance and also provide the patient with some samples for different needs. Around Normanhurst there are a few dental practices, supermarkets and pharmacies that can help assist in getting the right toothpaste for the individual.
Toothpaste usually has two ingredients, active and inactive. Active ingredients help improve oral hygiene such as fluoride that actively prevents tooth decay by strengthening the tooth’s enamel.
Other active ingredients may include anticaries agents, which are fluoride containing compounds. This agent helps strengthen teeth to prevent dental decay and remineralise the tooth enamel for early stages of cavities.
Desensitizing agents is another active ingredient that helps reduce hypersensitivity within the mouth. There are three commonly used desensitizing agents for sensitive toothpastes, potassium nitrate, stannous fluoride and strontium chloride. Potassium nitrate uses potassium ions to depolarize the nerve and in effect helps reduce sensitivity. Stannous fluoride reduces sensitivity by blocking the dentinal tubules with a tin-rich surface layer. While strontium chloride also blocks the dentinal tubules, however there is less evidence on showing how it actually works.
The last active agent is antimicrobial agent which helps to reduce gingivitis and build up of calculus.
Inactive ingredients typically contained within toothpastes are flavouring, detergent, thickening, peroxide and abrasive agents. Flavouring agents are used to give an enjoyable taste and encourage people to use the product. It can range from bubblegum, apricot to peppermint and leaves a pleasant aftertaste in your mouth.
Detergent agent is the foaming effect while you’re brushing and may help with removing the plaque quicker. Thickening agent is to hold the toothpaste formula together, while humectants are used within toothpaste so the formula won’t dry out.
Peroxides are the same ingredient found in tooth bleaching gels and are used in toothpaste to help reduce surface stain and claims to whiten teeth. However the amount within the toothpaste is very minor and usually is paired with abrasive agents.
The abrasive agents are insoluble particulars designed to plaque and calculus on the teeth. It also performs a small amount of enamel erosion, by polishing the teeth and removing the stain providing that whiter look.
There are also other brands of toothpaste that take on the naturotherapy approach and use herbs and natural ingredients. The common ingredients found within these natural toothpastes are baking soda, aloe vera, eucalyptus oil and plant extract.
Sadly most of the natural toothpastes do not include fluoride, and there is insufficient evidence that aloe vera or charcoal provides any effectiveness on reducing plaque or improving oral health. However if you are allergic to normal toothpaste, natural toothpaste would be your alternative.
Hence it is best to see Hornsby Dental which is a dentist near Normanhurst to discuss which type and brand of toothpaste is suitable for your condition.