I need a mint-free toothpaste
January 12, 2014 10:21 AM Subscribe
I want a toothpaste that has fluoride and isn't minty. This is harder than it seems.
I just can't stand the taste of mint toothpaste. And I've been told I need to brush my teeth a bit better, and obviously if I like the taste, I'll brush for longer, right?
Requirements:
It has to have fluoride.
It has been easily available in the UK.
It has to mostly be mint-free (slight mint with another flavour is fine).
Bonus points for something that doesn't cost a ridiculous amount of money.
Already tried:
Lidl's Herb toothpaste - was mostly acceptable, but now I've gotten sick of the flavour (because it reminds me of the cough syrup you get over here, and now I can't use it without feeling ill).
Dabur Clove Toothpaste - Almost perfect. Great flavour, happily brushing away, but no fluoride.
Lush's Atomic Toothy Tabs - Great for travelling, but the powdery nature makes it a little difficult to use on a regular basis.
Sensodyne Classic - What I'm using now. Decent enough flavour, but no fluoride.
So any recommendations?
I just can't stand the taste of mint toothpaste. And I've been told I need to brush my teeth a bit better, and obviously if I like the taste, I'll brush for longer, right?
Requirements:
It has to have fluoride.
It has been easily available in the UK.
It has to mostly be mint-free (slight mint with another flavour is fine).
Bonus points for something that doesn't cost a ridiculous amount of money.
Already tried:
Lidl's Herb toothpaste - was mostly acceptable, but now I've gotten sick of the flavour (because it reminds me of the cough syrup you get over here, and now I can't use it without feeling ill).
Dabur Clove Toothpaste - Almost perfect. Great flavour, happily brushing away, but no fluoride.
Lush's Atomic Toothy Tabs - Great for travelling, but the powdery nature makes it a little difficult to use on a regular basis.
Sensodyne Classic - What I'm using now. Decent enough flavour, but no fluoride.
So any recommendations?
They have other flavors paired with mint, but I don't know the ratio.
posted by brujita at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014
posted by brujita at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014
Best answer: I'm the same way and now I am a full-on convert to children's toothpaste! It comes in fake-y flavors like "bubblegum" and "berry blast", BUT, if you read the label, many kinds have the same amount of the same flouride as adult toothpaste-- bonus, it doesn't have that harsh whatever it is that's supposed to make your mouth feel 'fresh' and instead makes it feel "scalded by acid", so it's MUCH more pleasant to brush for the full 2 minutes. Dunno what kinds you have in the UK but do check the kid's stuff.
posted by The otter lady at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014 [7 favorites]
Best answer: What about children's toothpaste? They usually come in different, milder flavors like watermelon.
posted by bleep at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 10:33 AM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Have you tried looking in the children's toothpaste area? In the US, at least, there are non-mint flouride toothpastes designed for kids, e.g., Tom's of Maine Mango or Strawberry flavors. Your equivalent might be Jack and Jill Calendula which comes in six different fruit flavors. However, Kingfisher Fennel is probably intended for adults and available from Amazon UK.
posted by carmicha at 10:34 AM on January 12, 2014
posted by carmicha at 10:34 AM on January 12, 2014
Ah, I was going to suggest the Lidl Dentalux, which is basically a knockoff of Parodontax.
Tom's of Maine Cinnamon Clove? Marvis Amarelli? Kiddie toothpaste?
posted by holgate at 10:39 AM on January 12, 2014
Tom's of Maine Cinnamon Clove? Marvis Amarelli? Kiddie toothpaste?
posted by holgate at 10:39 AM on January 12, 2014
Also, Close-Up (ancient brand, usually pretty cheap) is cinnamon-flavored.
posted by The otter lady at 10:41 AM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by The otter lady at 10:41 AM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
It looks like you can get Crest Citrus Splash flavor from Amazon UK. It's orange, rather than mint, flavored, and does have flouride.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 10:57 AM on January 12, 2014
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 10:57 AM on January 12, 2014
If Pepsodent (another ancient brand) is available in the UK, that's what I use; I don't like minty toothpaste, either. I'm not sure what it *does* taste like (toothpaste flavored?! It's mild, whatever it is)--and it very well may be minty--but it works for me.
posted by orange (sherbet) rabbit at 11:02 AM on January 12, 2014
posted by orange (sherbet) rabbit at 11:02 AM on January 12, 2014
"Macleans Mild Mint" tastes, to me, like the candy coating on a mint but not the mint itself. Not sure of UK availability (I'm in Canada; it left the shelves here a quarter century or so ago) but widely available in Australia, including at .com.au stores that are happy to ship internationally.
posted by kmennie at 11:12 AM on January 12, 2014
posted by kmennie at 11:12 AM on January 12, 2014
Tom's of Maine used to be hard to get in the UK. You might have more luck getting neem toothpaste in the UK (something like Neem Active). Personally, I'm not wild about neem, but it's emphatically not mint.
Clove is great, but it's a strong anaesthetic, so can hide dental problems if you use it all the time. Also, the scent of cloves from a person (at least where I grew up) was taken to mean "trying to mask a drink problem".
posted by scruss at 11:13 AM on January 12, 2014
Clove is great, but it's a strong anaesthetic, so can hide dental problems if you use it all the time. Also, the scent of cloves from a person (at least where I grew up) was taken to mean "trying to mask a drink problem".
posted by scruss at 11:13 AM on January 12, 2014
I am allergic to mint and use Euthymol. I get it at Tesco/Asda
posted by parmanparman at 12:32 PM on January 12, 2014
posted by parmanparman at 12:32 PM on January 12, 2014
Arm & Hammer toothpastes have fluoride, and many of them have no mint. They are strangely refreshing even without the mint...
posted by mmf at 1:13 PM on January 12, 2014
posted by mmf at 1:13 PM on January 12, 2014
Tom's also has cinnamon clove, which is very mild and not minty at all.
posted by waitangi at 1:32 PM on January 12, 2014
posted by waitangi at 1:32 PM on January 12, 2014
→ “Euthymol”
currently off the market, and always been non-fluoride. Fetching stupid coin on ebay right now because of assorted conspiracy theories.
posted by scruss at 1:42 PM on January 12, 2014
currently off the market, and always been non-fluoride. Fetching stupid coin on ebay right now because of assorted conspiracy theories.
posted by scruss at 1:42 PM on January 12, 2014
I used to get Tom's of Maine at Holland and Barrett in the 1990s -- I'd be surprised if it wasn't widely available in the U.K. Amazon UK has it.
The mango flavour is really sickly and doesn't feel like you've brushed your teeth at all. I'm a big fan of the fennel one, which isn't too strong.
posted by vickyverky at 2:22 PM on January 12, 2014
The mango flavour is really sickly and doesn't feel like you've brushed your teeth at all. I'm a big fan of the fennel one, which isn't too strong.
posted by vickyverky at 2:22 PM on January 12, 2014
I should have mentioned I get a prescription flouride bottle from my dentist. easy to get.
posted by parmanparman at 2:29 PM on January 12, 2014
posted by parmanparman at 2:29 PM on January 12, 2014
You have a tooth powder that works and other than being a powder, you like it ok? Add coconut oil. Voila! It is now a toothpaste.
posted by aniola at 2:40 PM on January 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by aniola at 2:40 PM on January 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
I don't know if it's available in the UK, but I switched to Colgate cinnamon flavor, and I've been very happy with it. (Never cared for mint much myself.)
posted by Wild_Eep at 5:14 PM on January 12, 2014
posted by Wild_Eep at 5:14 PM on January 12, 2014
Use the toothpaste flavor you like, and get a fluoride rinse to supplement instead. Easier to do I think.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:29 PM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:29 PM on January 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
several (though not all) Marvis toothpastes are flouridated and they come in great non-mint flavors such as ginger, licorice and jasmine.
posted by lesalvo at 5:49 PM on January 13, 2014
posted by lesalvo at 5:49 PM on January 13, 2014
Response by poster: So I picked up some Wilkinson's Children's Toothpaste (in fruity flavour), and it's doing pretty well so far, plus it doesn't have the ridiculous shipping costs all the more grown-up toothpaste recommendations had.
It tastes like JuicyFruit gum, which is weird, but it'll keep my teeth clean without that nasty mint taste.
Thanks, everyone!
posted by Katemonkey at 1:55 AM on February 9, 2014
It tastes like JuicyFruit gum, which is weird, but it'll keep my teeth clean without that nasty mint taste.
Thanks, everyone!
posted by Katemonkey at 1:55 AM on February 9, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Jawn at 10:31 AM on January 12, 2014 [8 favorites]