what are you using for toothpaste?

W

WillowJ

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Since Crest bought out Tom's of Maine, I am having trouble finding a suitable toothpaste.

If I were willing to give up fluoride, I could find one, but I think I need that. My teeth are not very good, partly due to neglect especially dating from when I was consistently too ill to brush or floss them (I still find this hard and barely ever floss, but I can brush sometimes now), and also likely from an inhaled corticosteroid for asthma.

I can't find anything to use.
 
One approach is to use a non-fluoride toothpaste but use a fluoride mouth rinse or fluoride tooth gel as well.

My son isn't good at brushing his teeth. But he can more often manage a swish of the fluoride mouth rinse (we get it from the dentist as it isn't in the supermarket here). And there is some gel that can be rubbed on teeth with a finger and left there - so it's something that's easily done in bed. I'm not sure how you would go with sensitivity to the ingredients in either of course.

Regarding flossing - there are alternatives such as the disposable little interdental brushes and plastic holders with a bit of floss on the end that are easier than dental floss. Not great for the environment I know. Again, if they are kept by the bed, they are more likely to be used.
 
My hands are too large to use handheld floss effectively on anything but my front teeth. However, a while back I ran across this (below) (Listerine "Ultraclean" - formerly called "Reach").

The floss units are disposable. They seem resilient enough to be re-used once or twice if rinsed, but I don't know how good of an idea that is. The replacements units (on the right) cost about ~$4 and last a month if you skip a day here and there.

Since using this, my dental hygienist actually complements me on how well I'm taking care my teeth. Trust me - that never happened before.:)

For toothpaste, I use Sensodyne, which seems to be good for sensitive teeth. I often get random nerve sensitivity in a tooth and Sensodyne seems to help.

81xHeIxtI4L._SY679_.jpg
 
Another option if flossing is hard to do are electric water flossers.

Mouth wash is a great addition when you periodically struggle to brush your teeth. At times I have it standing by the night stand so I can access it on days I don’t leave the bed.

There are also toothpaste powders that come in all sorts of eco friendly and allergy friendly varieties. You could check out allergy related websites for tips.
 
If you can’t find anything you can use, what I would do as a temporary solution is to brush with just water and then rinse with salt water. It’s not ideal but it’s a lot better than nothing.

Hope you have some luck finding a new toothpaste soon!
 
there are semi-industrial mouthwashes on amazon. maybe one of them is mostly fluoride?

similar search needed here. i have just developed trigeminal neuralgia and i believe dental issues have something to do with it [even if only triggering].

i want fluoride [or at least i think i do], especially stannous fluoride as opposed to sodium fluoride. but i can't risk glycerin in my case [severe angioedema trigger includes soap; glycerin is a soap product; any chemists are welcome to correct me as i'd like to use glycerin if it is not going to get sensitized like all soaps have].

i have been doing water and salt water. also adding xylitol when possible. i have asked for a thermos for salt water and something i can spit into to rinse after meals.
 
Last edited:
Samuel said:
glycerin is a soap product; any chemists are welcome to correct me as i'd like to use glycerin if it is not going to get sensitized like all soaps have].
Click to expand...
Glycerin is tricky. As best I understand it, it’s a fatty acid that could be used to make soap, and could be a byproduct from soap making. It’s an emollient (keeps moisture in the skin). Possibly it might depend how much you trust the manufacturer to have a clean product.

Not able right now to add links and double check my work.

I would trust your gut.
 
Short answer:

I only use toothpastes without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). I don't seem to have sensitivity to any other ingredients.

Brands that have worked for me include Spry and Sensodyne (Kroger makes a generic equivalent that is cheaper). It can be hard to find a toothpaste that includes flouride and also excludes SLS.

Longer answer:

I have a tendency toward canker sores (mouth ulcers, aphthous ulcers).

Many years ago I discovered that a common ingredient in toothpastes, sodium lauryl sulfate (aka, SLS), is one factor in causing them. It is not the ONLY factor but it makes a difference, at least for me. And I found this on pubMed:

Effect of sodium lauryl sulfate on recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A systematic review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30839136

Mouth ulcers are often caused by irritation (eg, biting your inner lip or cheek). But I used to get them all the time for seemingly no reason at all.

I now know that, for me, SLS is one of the main triggers. Now I use only non-SLS toothpaste. I have gotten maybe one or two canker sores over the last 15-20 years! I forgot when I figured this out, and switched toothpastes, so I don't have an exact date.
 
WillowJ said:
Somebody helped me find a baking soda and fluoride toothpaste at Trader Joe’s that’s working out okay.

Thanks everyone. Great ideas, and I hope everybody can find something they can use.
Click to expand...

That’s exactly what I use and can’t use any other toothpaste. It’s called Parodontax.
 
ahimsa said:
Short answer:

I only use toothpastes without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). I don't seem to have sensitivity to any other ingredients.

Brands that have worked for me include Spry and Sensodyne (Kroger makes a generic equivalent that is cheaper). It can be hard to find a toothpaste that includes flouride and also excludes SLS.

Longer answer:

I have a tendency toward canker sores (mouth ulcers, aphthous ulcers).

Many years ago I discovered that a common ingredient in toothpastes, sodium lauryl sulfate (aka, SLS), is one factor in causing them. It is not the ONLY factor but it makes a difference, at least for me. And I found this on pubMed:

Effect of sodium lauryl sulfate on recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A systematic review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30839136

Mouth ulcers are often caused by irritation (eg, biting your inner lip or cheek). But I used to get them all the time for seemingly no reason at all.

I now know that, for me, SLS is one of the main triggers. Now I use only non-SLS toothpaste. I have gotten maybe one or two canker sores over the last 15-20 years! I forgot when I figured this out, and switched toothpastes, so I don't have an exact date.
Click to expand...
I get a lot of mouth ulcers...it’s mainly due to my low folate levels (classic symptom apparently). Have you had your folate levels checked?....just rang a bell reading your post ...could be totally unrelated to your ulcers but thought I would mention it.
 
arewenearlythereyet said:
I get a lot of mouth ulcers...it’s mainly due to my low folate levels (classic symptom apparently). Have you had your folate levels checked?....just rang a bell reading your post ...could be totally unrelated to your ulcers but thought I would mention it.
Click to expand...
I had a vague memory that Zinc deficiency could cause mouth sores too. My old friend google provided me with this unreferenced statement
It has been noted in several studies that canker sores are either caused or triggered further when there is a deficiency of folic acid, zinc, or iron in the human body. Deficiencies of calcium can also cause canker sores, but more than causing them, calcium deficiency can worsen the situation.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry I don't have the energy to find the relevant research references, so I don't know how valid this is.
 
arewenearlythereyet said:
I get a lot of mouth ulcers...it’s mainly due to my low folate levels (classic symptom apparently). Have you had your folate levels checked?....just rang a bell reading your post ...could be totally unrelated to your ulcers but thought I would mention it.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I appreciate the kind thought!

Since my mouth ulcers went away with a change in toothpaste, and they have not come back over the past 15-20 years (versus happening almost every week), I'm gonna guess that sensitivity to SLS in toothpaste was actually the cause for me.

I'm sure I've had my folate levels checked a bunch of times, especially in the early years when they were testing everything and I was undiagnosed. And I've been taking B-complex vitamin supplements from almost the very beginning. I actually had a high B-12 on a couple tests because I was getting B-12 shots. These shots didn't do anything for my energy but I tried a whole bunch of things back in the early days.

Low folate may be a possible cause but I don't think it's very likely in my case.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom