What is the blandest toothpaste?

January 29, 2010 9:35 AM

What is the blandest toothpaste?

I HATE the flavor of toothpaste mingled with my morning coffee or the occasional midnight TUMS tablet. Particularly WINTERGREEN (aka the devil's own flavor.)

But all toothpastes these days seem be labeled "Fresh Mint" or "Sparkling Mint," and I can't tell what "natural flavors" the ingredients label is referring to.

What in your opinion is the least flavored, blandest, neutral tasting toothpaste out there?

Thanks.

posted by jfwlucy to Health & Fitness (43 answers total)

I've always thought that Crest Pro Health tastes like gritty, blue pepto bismol. And toddler toothpaste (the kind that doesn't foam) has almost no aftertaste. But I'm sure people will chime in soon with even blander hippie toothpastes, which might be the direction you want to go in.
posted by phunniemee at 9:44 AM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Spongebob Mild Bubble Fruit Colgate. For some reason, I got a free sample from my dentist and unexpectedly fell in love!
posted by aquafortis at 9:44 AM on January 29, 2010

I think the Tom's of Maine natural toothpastes are pretty bland (See, phunniemee, you were right).
posted by agatha_magatha at 9:45 AM on January 29, 2010

I use cinnamon toothpaste and it doesn't leave me with an aftertaste. Crest Whitening Expressions specifically.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 9:46 AM on January 29, 2010

Flavor free toothpowder or this pediatric toothpaste, which has a mild vanilla flavor?
posted by MuffinMan at 9:47 AM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I feel your problem.

I'm a licorice-ey Colgate guy myself, but any of those natural/healthy baking soda types are quite plain and don't mess with breakfast or coffee flavors. Arm & Hammer makes one that is not bad.
posted by rokusan at 9:50 AM on January 29, 2010

Most baking-soda based toothpastes like Arm & Hammer probably fit the bill.
posted by proj at 9:53 AM on January 29, 2010

Seconding Tom's, which tend to be too bland for my taste but probably would suit yours nicely.
posted by jckll at 9:54 AM on January 29, 2010

Have you considered using just plain baking soda? It's a little salty-tasting, but is definitely not sweet or minty.
posted by cr_joe at 9:56 AM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Tom's of Maine - Spearmint? Though it has "mint" in the name, it's a subtler mint than in most toothpastes.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:59 AM on January 29, 2010

Nthing Tom's. After using it for a while, all other toothpastes are like a kick in the mouth.
posted by zsazsa at 10:00 AM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, Tom's supposedly has flavor, but it is hard to tell. It sounds like it would fit the bill.
posted by Carillon at 10:02 AM on January 29, 2010

try Biotene.
posted by xbonesgt at 10:02 AM on January 29, 2010

Definitely Tom's.
posted by pemberkins at 10:03 AM on January 29, 2010

Japanese bamboo charcoal toothpaste.
posted by hortense at 10:12 AM on January 29, 2010

The difference with Tom's is that it is unsweetened. It's still minty, but more like you're chewing a peppermint plant instead of peppermint candy.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 10:12 AM on January 29, 2010

I've got a Burt's Bees lavender-mint paste that's awesome for this purpose, since you can only taste it when you're using it, and leaves no discernible aftertaste.
posted by scarykarrey at 10:21 AM on January 29, 2010

Tom's is pretty mild, but I never really felt like it was actually cleaning my teeth. After about a week or so of using it, it felt like there was a film on all my teeth.
posted by electroboy at 10:22 AM on January 29, 2010

Tom's of Maine in orange-mango. It sounds gross, but it has practically no taste.
posted by anaelith at 10:32 AM on January 29, 2010

I am a huge fan of Tom's of Maine, I use the paste instead of the Gel though, I am not sure if there is a real difference, but its what I prefer.

The baking soda variants of tooth paste are also pretty mild, and feel a little more soapy but in a good way.
posted by BobbyDigital at 10:35 AM on January 29, 2010

Trader Joe's Fennel, Propolis & Myrrh toothpaste is awesome. You can drink coffee in less than two minutes after brushing.
posted by any major dude at 10:35 AM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I use cinnamon toothpaste and it doesn't leave me with an aftertaste. Crest Whitening Expressions specifically.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta

I agree, except I use the orange, which goes great with OJ, but I'm not sure about coffee.
posted by soelo at 10:36 AM on January 29, 2010

You can go the opposite direction and buy toothpaste that has lots of flavor(s), none of it minty.
posted by about_time at 10:42 AM on January 29, 2010

You could always go to your local natural store and get better flavors. I am using an anise flavored toothpaste. When I drink my coffee it taste like i have a shot of sambuca in it. lol
posted by majortom1981 at 10:53 AM on January 29, 2010

Best answer: Love this thread, I always hate that minty toothpaste wakes me up when I am about to climb into bed. There should be morning and evening flavour toothpastes - mint for morning and something less zingy for evening. Cinnamon and vanilla sound good. I've never seen Crest Whitening Expressions at my local supermarket, is it hard to track down?
posted by Joh at 10:58 AM on January 29, 2010

I use Tom's strawberry. Doesn't taste like much. Doesn't interfere with coffee.
posted by jessamyn at 11:16 AM on January 29, 2010

Most "sensitive" toothpastes have a weird-tasting extra ingredient that cuts the minty-ness considerably. It's kind of gross, but you get used to it after awhile.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:23 AM on January 29, 2010

Doesn't Tom's not have fluoride?

I've been using Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean for years now because it's significantly less minty than any other toothpaste I've ever tried.
posted by General Malaise at 11:25 AM on January 29, 2010

Some versions of Tom's don't have fluoride.
Some do.

Most versions are pretty bland, either way.
posted by nat at 11:45 AM on January 29, 2010

Of all the Tom's flavors, I think the fennel (paste) or black currant (sensitive paste) are the mildest. I just brushed with the fennel, and by the time I was done brushing the flavor was gone. I actually got a small tube of Crest for times when I want that "Man, my teeth feel clean!" sensation because the Tom's is so mild.
posted by cocoagirl at 12:01 PM on January 29, 2010

I agree with Sys Rq- I've had good luck with the sensitivity toothpastes. I once received a free sample of Rembrandt in a 1st class airplane travel bag that had no flavor at all, and I would pay an exhorbitant amount if I could find that again- but unfortunately, although they are better than other brands, the store-available Rembrandt varieties still have mint flavor. Right now my favorite is the Sensodyne pro-enamel stuff. I can't remember exactly, but I think the flavor might even be called "light mint". Whatever it is, it is a lot weaker tasting than the other major brands.
posted by Eicats at 12:06 PM on January 29, 2010

Monkey Brand Black Toothpaste Powder can be found in many US health stores and is extraordinarily bland. So bland that I needed to brush my teeth with something minty to kill the blandyness.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 12:20 PM on January 29, 2010

Trader Joe's peppermint toothpaste is pretty bland, too, and doesn't have much aftertaste.
posted by sarcasticah at 12:43 PM on January 29, 2010

I use a few drops of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in Baby Mild. Soap is a good tooth cleaner and this particular "flavor" (or "scent?") has no taste at all.
posted by wiretap at 2:58 PM on January 29, 2010

I've never seen Crest Whitening Expressions at my local supermarket, is it hard to track down?
I buy it at Target.
posted by soelo at 3:01 PM on January 29, 2010

The only problem with Toms is that some of the line contains no added fluoride. This is a good thing if you think your municipal water has more than enough, but a bad thing if you know you are already cavity-prone. Read labels closely and choose accordingly.
posted by slow graffiti at 3:08 PM on January 29, 2010

I'll put in another vote for Biotene, which tastes weirdly good with coffee IMO.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:10 PM on January 29, 2010

Breath Palette. Crazy flavors (honey! cola! pumpkin pudding!) and also what they call flavor 0, a true neutral. Expensive and absurd, yes, but actually quite pleasant, from what I've tried.
posted by judith at 3:25 PM on January 29, 2010

None. Brush with a plain (wet) brush. You don't need toothpaste.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 4:36 PM on January 29, 2010

judith beat me to mentioning Breath Palette. I use orange-mango Tom's now, but I used cola Breath Palette for a long time. Good, good, good stuff.
posted by etoile at 6:41 PM on January 29, 2010

Try Thursday Plantation Tea Tree toothpaste. Bonus, it's fluoride-free. It has a very mild taste which does not stay with you after rinsing. I am *very* sensitive to any mint flavour, which seems to stay around as an aftertaste for hours. I just brushed my teeth with the Tea Tree toothpaste about half an hour ago, and followed that with dinner - silly I know but no aftertaste whatsoever. I've been using it for about 3 years, no cavities yet.
posted by humpy at 1:01 AM on January 30, 2010

It's worth noting that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is found in most toothpastes, and while it doesn't directly affect the taste, it significantly changes the *perception* of taste. It's a surfactant that gives toothpaste that distinguishing foaminess, but it also is known to irritate the mouth. Thus the inclusion of SLS contributes to that tingly sensation we typically associate with "being clean" and "minty fresh."
posted by joshua at 2:52 PM on February 1, 2010

Yeah, and as I understand it, it's really the SLS that makes breakfast taste funny afterwards too. Mint itself — fresh mint leaves, for instance — taste just fine with coffee or citrus fruit, at least for those of us who like mint in the first place. It's the aftereffects of filling your mouth with detergent that makes your cup of coffee or your glass of OJ taste disgusting.

My own anecdotal experience backs this up: Tom's makes a quite minty SLS-free toothpaste, and I find drinking a cup of OJ after brushing my teeth with that stuff perfectly agreeable.

But it appears that the OP actually hates the flavor of mint all by itself. So that probably means that non-minty is a higher priority than SLS-free.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:46 PM on February 1, 2010