Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with toothpaste

Smells like Teen Spirit

asockpuppet — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:44:16 -0800

How/when did floral, citrus, pine, and mint become associated with cleanliness?

Can my toothpaste be causing my sore throats?

cheapskatebay — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:27:29 -0800

Can my toothpaste be causing my sore throats? I had my tonsils removed in early January. It was not a fun surgery, but very much worthwhile. I appreciated the honest and very helpful threads I found on AskMe about the recovery process.

I've had very mild sore throats since the surgery - nothing compared to the pre-op problems I had, but a nuisance nevertheless. There's a burning quality to them that differs considerably from the dull, throbbing tonsil pain I've been used to. Very recently, I realized that these sore throats seem to flare up after I've brushed my teeth. (I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake!) I'm theorizing that more of my toothpaste (Colgate Total - Whitening paste) is getting into my throat than was the case pre-op and is the source of the pain. I've tried using a little less toothpaste when I brush, but that doesn't really help.

I'll see my dentist in 2 weeks and I can see my otolaryngologist if necessary. For now, though, I thought I'd query the hive mind to see:

1. If anyone else has experienced anything similar; and

2. Before I start blowing my budget by experimenting with various toothpastes, if anyone can recommend a toothpaste that might not inflame my throat to the same extent. I've used Colgate products my whole life but I'm certainly willing to try something new.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Are the different varieties of toothpaste really all that varied?

wondercow — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:37:17 -0800

The major toothpaste brands offer either cavity protection OR tartar control...do I really have to pick one feature and sacrifice the other? I ran out of toothpaste yesterday and headed to the drugstore, where I found myself with way too many options for toothpaste. Both of the major C brands (Colgate and Crest) have about 10 different types each, most of which seem to be some variation on a whitening formula. Not being overly concerned with this, my eyes moved to the bottom shelf where prices were a little lower and the claims on the box were a little more basic. Both Crest and Colgate offer a "cavity protection" toothpaste as well as a "tartar control" formula. Is there really any difference between these (besides flavor)? Am I sacrificing my toothpaste's ability to control tartar if I pick the cavity protection one, or vice versa? Do I honestly have to pick only one method for protecting my teeth without splurging for the cavity protection/tartar control/whitening/fluoride rinse/mouthwash/denture cream/laser cleaning toothpaste on the top shelf?

Help me find a new toothpaste.

snugglebunny — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:19:41 -0800

Burt's Bees toothpaste filter: what alternative toothpaste are you using since they have discontinued this product? I love Burt's Bees lavender mint toothpaste. I know it was discontinued some time ago, but I have still been able to buy some on the Internet. However, I know these supplies will go away at some point. For those of you who used any of the Burt's Bees toothpaste varieties, what are you using now?

Wither the ADA's blessing?

bruceo — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:45:22 -0800

Why do Crest, Colgate, etc. no longer display the ADA seal of approval? Since the '70s, almost all toothpaste brands have sported a "Seal of Approval" from the American Dental Association. I've been accustomed to the cute little ADA logo appearing on all the boxes in my store's toothpaste aisle. In my head, the seal means "Has fluoride and won't dissolve your enamel."

Recently, I noticed that Crest and Colgate and most other brands no longer display the ADA seal/logo on their packaging. I'm not sure when this happened. AIM still displays the seal, but I could not find any others.

Is it possible that the ADA has withdrawn their approval of these brands? Or do the toothpaste companies feel that the ADA seal is no longer necessary or useful?

Toothpaste from ages past

gimonca — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:50:01 -0800

Another entertaining product expiration thread! Now with 50% fewer cavities.... So I open this sample tube of toothpaste, one of those little ones the dentist gives you for free. Squeeze a little out onto the toothbrush, it seems a little strange, like it's separated into solid and fluid a little.

I start brushing my teeth, idly turn the tube over, and see printed EXP17NOV95.

So, have at it, folks. Am I gonna die (sooner rather than later)? I'm still feeling fine, 30 minutes later, and my mouth feels almost unnaturally clean and tasty.

(If I get through this, I might even stash a few tubes of toothpaste in the basement with the wine bottles til they're aged to perfection.)

Because I want to drink orange juice after brushing my teeth.

chorltonmeateater — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:13:07 -0800

Where can I buy Euthymol in Oxford? I could buy it in Morrisons in Manchester, but it doesn't seem to have made its way down South. I'm finding it hard to go back to mint-flavoured toothpaste!

Sonicare Vibrates Toothpaste Right Off of It ...

WCityMike — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:32:06 -0800

I recently bought a Sonicare. I like how it makes my teeth feel cleaner than they had been, and anecdotal evidence from others suggests it's going to help my gums. But I really can't figure out how the toothpaste works with this thing. I put it on the toothbrush, position it at the gumline, and turn it on. The entire glob of the toothpaste seems to immediately come off and position itself on my gumline.

I can go ahead and kind of "dip" into it to try to spread it around, but I usually end up doing one of the "quadrants" of my mouth nearly toothpasteless.

So I imagine seasoned Sonicare users have figured out the best way to get around this little weirdity, and can perhaps make a suggestion ...

Long in the tooth, down at the mouth: What's become of KEP/KEEP toothpaste?

carmicha — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:17:43 -0800

During the late 1980s, when I lived in Los Angeles, I found a toothpaste that I loved. The brand name was Kep, with a bar over the "e" to give it a long sound like "keep." In the early 1990s, the name changed to "Keep." Whither this tasty toothpaste? Does anyone else remember this toothpaste or know what became of it? If you used it, what substitutes have you found? Could it have been acquired by another company and had its name changed again? Any web sites devoted to obscure brands you might recommend? I've been striking out .

The packaging labeled it as a smoker's toothpaste but it never seemed too abrasive. The toothpaste was pink with stripes, IIRC, but I think the box was white with red letters. It tasted clean and friendly, but not overtly minty or citrousy.

Kep was hard, but not impossible, to find. In LA I bought it at a convenience store in a Westwood office building run by a Vietnamese family (my coworkers all loved it too). Elsewhere I would find it in family-owned pharmacies and only rarely in the chain stores. I haven't seen it in at least 8 or 10 years.

Thanks for your help!

Kids' toothpaste for a big baby

twine42 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:46:38 -0800

What's the difference between adult and kids' toothpaste? I hate mint favours, and it's one of several contributing factors to the awful state of my mouth.

The only non-mint, non-fennel toothpaste available in the UK seems to be toothpaste aimed at kids, which is normally strawberry flavoured.

Other than flavourings, are there actually any differences between adult toothpaste and the brands aimed at kids? Will they have any adverse effect on my teeth?

[As a US reference, it's pretty easy to get hold of Toms of Maine Strawberry "for kids" toothpaste.]

Did the toothpaste make my teeth hurt?

arnicae — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:00:49 -0800

I have bad teeth. So how come the flouride toothpaste my dentist prescribed to decrease cavity formation and problems is making my teeth actually hurt? I have really bad teeth. I usually get 2-5 cavities fixed a year and for a pretty young person with good oral hygiene history, I've had an astonishing number of problems (2 root canals before the age of 24).

My new dentist told me that some people have a toxic element to their saliva- it is breaking research, she told me, so breaking that I couldn't find it alluded to on google scholar, but she thought we could cut down on the number of cavities I experience by giving me a fluoride toothpaste (as well as six fillings)

I don't typically have mouth pain, but about a week after I went home and started using the toothpaste, I started experiencing pain in my mouth. Low-level, (hitting around a 4/10) it also resulted in increased sensitivity to heat, cold, and sweets around where I had the fillings. Not too big a deal, but at night when I'm trying to sleep or concentrate, the throbbing, omni-present pain bugs me.

Last night I decided to try going back to my old toothpaste, Sensodyne. Today the pain is totally gone. Here's my question: every source I've found online says that fluoride should promote health, less pain, and basically good tooth hygiene. So did my prescription fluoride toothpaste make my teeth hurt? I don't get it!

Shiny white teeth in just 7 days?

Solomon — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:34:00 -0800

I'd like some more info on this new Colgate Weekly Clean toothpaste, but I'm loathe to ask the manufacturer, because they'll obviously be biased. So, is it as good as they make out? I'm all for making my smile better, and this looks like it's going to be a good way to do that. However, it's been several years since I had a scale and polish (I haven't had the money or the inclination, nor will I in the near future), and I drink coffee at least once a day. So, despite not smoking, and using a whitening toothpaste, my teeth aren't exactly glowing white.

Is this product liable to help undo all the mugs of black coffee and restore my teeth to their initial brilliance, or will it probably turn out to be a waste of money (and what seems like excessive packaging)?

Slimy Saliva

FuManchu — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:55:15 -0800

What is making my saliva congeal? Crest ProHealth + Act mouthwash = slime within 15 minutes. Gross! -- I can pull out strands of slime that are 2in long. It happens only after brushing my teeth. Is it a pH imbalance? Some other chemical reaction? Something that I'm eating reacting with them?

Minty fresh puke

klangklangston — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:39:20 -0800

Help me stop puking in the morning (toothpaste). I looked here, but there didn't seem to be an answer. I'm a guy, so I know it's not that I'm pregnant.

But I've tried switching toothpastes, and all of them seem to give me this thick coating of mucous in my mouth. I've always been sensitive to mucous, and when it gets to the back of my throat, I start to gag and then inevitably vomit.

It sucks, and I don't want to do it anymore.

Variables I've controlled for:

Eating/not eating. Eating a little something that doesn't include dairy, bread or fruit seems to be better than not eating anything, but finding a breakfast food that includes none of those things is kinda tough. Salty stuff makes it worse, as does dairy.

Coffee: Coffee does not have an appreciable effect (sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse, I've been unable to control for variations in the coffee enough to tell if that has a significant effect).

Variables that seem to have an effect that I have not yet been able to isolate:

Cold weather: This seems to happen more as it has been getting colder.

Los Angeles: This seems to have become more frequent since I moved to LA, though I don't know if that's because I need to be up earlier in order to get to my job.

I have tried Tom's (Cinnamon, Peppermint, Spearmint, Mango Orange), Crest (Regular flavor, whitening/non-whitening, kids bubblegum), and just baking soda and water (which seems to have less of an effect, though it is vile).

What next? I know that I need to set up my first meeting with my new doctor soon, I imagine this is something that I should take up with him. There were many folks who seemed to have the same problem the last time this subject was broached—have any of you controlled for variables I've missed? Any success? I spent 15 minutes puking this morning, and I'd like to avoid that in the future.

Mint me!

sLevi — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:43:33 -0800

What is the minty-est cruelty-free toothpaste? I like strong mint toothpaste. I tried Tom's of Maine once, and the baking soda taste was terrible. Unless I accidentally grabbed an unflavored version? Strong cinnamon taste would be an ok second preference...but strong mint is better!

Swallowing toothpaste - a bad thing for adults?

wibbler — Sat, 19 May 2007 15:15:28 -0800

I have swallowed my toothpaste since I was about 5 years old. I know you shouldn't swallow toothpaste when you're young (so it says here and here) but I have strong teeth, with no fillings or problems. does it have any effects later on in life on your body?

Proper gum-brushing technique?

grapefruitmoon — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 21:10:46 -0800

ToothFilter: What's the proper importance of brushing your gums? Surprinsingly, there's - Customers say the darndest things and a couple of days ago, I had a customer who was going on and on about how he had just learned (in some class, I think) the "real" method of tooth brushing and elaborated that the most important aspect is not brushing the teeth themselves, but brushing the gums. He said that the brushing motion brings oxygen to the gums and that the motion involved is much more important than the toothpaste.

Thus far, no one I've asked has any actual information to tell me whether this is true or if this is totally bunk. Or where you take classes to learn about toothbrushing other than dentist school. (I don't think there are any dentistry programs around here, but I really have no idea.) Help me out, MeFites! The teeths, they totally depend on you!

Toothpaste hurts? What the hell?!?

Ookseer — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:58:33 -0800

Why does this toothpaste hurt my teeth? A weird experience to be sure.

I bought some Colgate 2-in-1 Oxygen whitening toothpaste.

I put some on my dampened trusty green toothbrush.

I put it in my mouth, press it up against my teeth.

And my teeth hurt. It feels like across between biting on something really cold and chewing on aluminum foil. It fades in about 2-3 seconds as I continue to brush (yes, I'm a masochist). I sort of forgot about it, but then at night I brush again and it does the same thing! I poked around my mouth for loose fillings and other obvious defects, but nothing. I brushed with a different toothpaste and had no problems.

I do have some old amalgam fillings and a bridge, and I'm somewhat sensitive to cold, but never really had anything like this happen before. Any ideas?

But I just want to feel minty fresh!

denimflavored — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 05:37:14 -0800

Why does toothpaste nauseate me in the mornings? Every morning I get up, shower, brush my teeth, and immediately feel like puking. I have tried switching toothpaste, I have stopped using mouthwash in the morning (because that's even worse), and I have ultimately put off brushing until right before I leave so I can get dressed without needing to sit down.
I am a female, I am not pregnant, and this only happens in the morning. When I brush my teeth at night, I have no problem. Any googling brings up a bunch of pages on pregnancy and morning sickness or the dangers of eating toothpaste.
Does anyone else have to deal with this? Any tips on how to make it stop? Any clue as to why it happens?

Toothpaste quandary

riffola — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 10:23:52 -0800

What toothpaste is the best for the health of my teeth and gums? Please limit your answers to toothpastes that are widely available in the US, not too expensive, made by Colgate, Crest, Close-up, etc.

SLS-free toothpastes?

88robots — Sun, 01 May 2005 11:14:04 -0800

Sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient in most toothpastes, gives me canker sores. But most SLS-free toothpastes are also fluoride-free, which I don't want. Are there any good fluoridated toothpastes, preferably natural, without SLS? The only one I know of is Rembrandt canker sore formula, which I'm sick of.

Why is mint the premier flavour for dental hygiene?

i_am_joe's_spleen — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 23:49:09 -0800

A question from the young 'un I couldn't answer. There are lots of clean crisp flavours out there: why are toothpaste, floss and other dental/oral products stereotypically mint-flavoured, and not, say, clove or cinnamon? Is it simple popularity, or is there a technical reason?

Is toothpaste bad for your teeth?

taz — Sun, 06 Feb 2005 02:30:43 -0800

Is toothpaste bad for your teeth? I recall seeing what was maybe a blog entry by some MeFite on his or her personal site that said (following details are sketchy!): toothpaste is bad for your teeth because of the glycerin, which doesn't allow teeth to "re-enamel". This is just from memory, so I may not have stated it correctly, and I can't find the site again. There was much more information that was very surprising to me (including something about flouride making teeth brittle, and also something about fruit), and I'd like to read more about this. Does anyone here recognize this being from your own site? Has anyone else heard of the toothpaste=bad thing?