What's the deal behind Colgate Gum Revitalizing Toothpaste

May 14, 2021 12:12 PM

I noticed some ads and they claim it'll fix early gum issues. But then on the website it says the only active ingredient is stannous fluoride. So is this just marketing, slapping a new label on an old product?
posted by storybored to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

I've wondered about the same thing. Also, Colgate total (whitening, gingivitis, sensitivity) and Crest 3D White (deep clean, anti-stain, prevents future stains). Both products===active ingredient==sodium flouride.
I'll be watching for a good answer.
posted by H21 at 12:39 PM on May 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

It looks stannous fluoride is not the most commonly used type of fluoride in toothpastes, and it has antimicrobial properties in addition to anti-cavity action, compared to sodium fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate, which are only anti-cavity. The most basic formulation of Colgate uses Sodium monofluorophosphate.
posted by drlith at 12:50 PM on May 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

I just looked it up, and it seems that there are some studies out there that show that patients with gingivitis and gum bleeding using stannous flouride had 20% reduced gingivitis and 33% reduced gum bleeding than sodium fluoride toothpastes over a period of 6 months.

Note, that typically, introducing flossing 1x a day to your dental regime will have a 40% reduction in gum bleeding. So it seems like for gum issues the stannous flouride might be a leg up (if you're not already flossing), but I see no studies that involve or discuss flossing in the program.

TLDR: floss if you have gum issues.
posted by nobeagle at 1:23 PM on May 14, 2021

Stannous fluoride will stain some people's teeth. The stains are harmless and a dental hygienist can take care of them, but they're quite striking, so don't experiment with this right before you're supposed to do a TED talk.
posted by Don Pepino at 3:35 PM on May 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'd take heed of Don Pepino's advice, although since the early oughts, there have been formulations that are supposed to be less likely to stain. The stannous fluoride staining is intrinsic to the tooth structure, meaning it can't be removed with a dental cleaning. The stannous type of fluoride does have antimicrobial properties, making it useful for people with dry mouth, but regular old toothpaste is probably suitable for almost everyone.

As a heads up, other oral care products, like mouthwashes and toothpastes which are marketed specifically at consumers with "gum health" concerns, use cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as an antimicrobial. CPC can also stain some people's teeth, but those stains are removable with a dental cleaning, though it may mean a longer stint in the dentist's chair.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 8:05 AM on May 15, 2021

In regards to your "active ingredient" question, my understanding is that toothpaste is highly regulated in the US as a drug (don't know about Canada but there's no doubt a lot of crossover), therefore it follows the same active/inactive ingredients convention. The only "drug" usage is for a specific use - against cavities - which are the only possible active ingredients. The other claims are not regulated or tested.
posted by meowzilla at 3:21 PM on May 15, 2021