Re: Type of toothpaste

Hello I am a dental hygienist. Plaque is a film like material made of bacteria that develops on your teeth. Plaque can be removed with a toothbrush and floss. Tater also called calculs if a harder material. Tarter can only be removed at a dentist office. It is hard like stone. You should get yorr teeth cleaned to remove the tarter because it can cause gum disease which most of the time doesn't have noticable symptons and can cause you to loose your teeth. As far as toothpaste it doesn't really matter much as long as you are brushing the plaque off. For the most part they put fancy names on them and say they do all these things to sell them. In my opinion a plain toothpaste is the best. It doesn't matter what brand. Crest, Aquafresh, Colgate, whatever - it should have an ADA seal. Fluoride in your toothpaste is important, but they all have these unless stated otherwise. I would stay away from the baking soda paste because a study is being done that they may be too harsh. the study results are not conclusive yet, but some of my patients that have had sensitivity and quit using baking soda or whitening toothpastes have had the sensitivity go away or improve. Any other questions feel free to email me.