3 Tips To Choose The Right Toothpaste For Your Family

The importance of cleaning your teeth twice a day is something people are taught from a very young age. But, when was the last time you stopped and considered whether your teeth are being brushed as well as they could be? As a busy parent who is also responsible for family food shopping, do you think about what type of toothpaste you buy? Or, do you just pick the one which is cheapest at the time? Here are three tips to help you determine whether you are buying the right toothpaste for your family members.

1. Separate Toothpaste For Kids

If you have children younger than the age of ten, then it is beneficial to buy specific children's toothpaste for two reasons:

1. They are flavoured in a way to encourage a child to clean their teeth; after all, who doesn't love the taste of fairy floss?
2. Some toothpaste, such as ones which contain whitening products, are not suitable for children's teeth

Purchasing separate adult and children's toothpaste means you meet the needs of each range group in your family.

2. Look For Added Fluoride

Fluoride is an ingredient which is proven to harden and strengthen teeth. It is added to the water supply in many Australian towns and cities. To add extra fluoride into your family's mouth, it pays to purchase a toothpaste which has this as an added ingredient. However, not all toothpaste has the same amount of fluoride in them. If there is a family member who has a history of dental decay, then the amount of fluoride they need is more than, say, a younger family member protecting their baby teeth. If you need clarification about which fluoride amount is best for your situation, then have a chat with your family dentist.

3. Whitening Toothpaste

There are plenty of toothpaste options which tout their whitening abilities, but there are two points to remember when you buy these. Firstly, the whitening chemicals can irritate the mouth of young children, so they should not be used by your kids. Secondly, the toxicity of chemicals they do contain are not enough to make a significant difference to the teeth of an adult. Additionally, these toothpaste products sometimes contain abrasive products which are damaging to tooth enamel. Therefore, it is better to have your teeth professionally whitened by your dentist rather than to rely on a toothpaste product to whiten your teeth.

Speak to family dentists if you have any concerns about the toothpaste your family uses as they know your family's teeth well enough to provide useful advice.