Dentists Can Tell You About Toothpaste

Our mouths are lined with a large amount of mucous membranes. As such a large amount of chemicals and drugs can be absorbed from the things we put into our mouths. This is why spicy food burns and why doctors administer drugs like nitroglycerin under the tongue. They are constantly absorbing and secreting and as such are very prone to chemicals. That is why many dentists will warn you to be careful about the ingredients in the toothpaste you purchase. While many of these drugs are not inherently very dangerous they are not good for the body in large quantities or with excessive frequency. We erroneously assume that just because something is designed to promote health it is inherently healthy. That can be a dangerous mistake that must be avoided. Even toothpaste and mouthwash can cause harm.

The number one chemical to be aware of is fluoride. Fluoride is added to most developed nations water in small amounts in order to combat tooth decay. However, excess fluoride has serious consequences especially for children. It can be fatal if ingested in large quantities but there is cause for concern in even small doses. It is possible to consume too much fluoride resulting in a condition called fluorosis. Many Americans have mild symptoms of this including white spots on the teeth or white streaks. Serious cases cause brown or mottled looking tooth enamel and can be seriously detrimental to aesthetics. It is also possible through excessive exposure to develop a condition that is damaging to the skeletal structure. For these reasons it is important to talk with the dentists about fluoride exposure in children.

Another potentially harmful additive in toothpaste is sodium lauryl sulfate. This is the ingredient that we will all recognize as the one that makes things taste so bitter after brushing. It is added to dentifrice as a surfactant to help remove stains and plaque. It is also used in higher concentrations in soaps and detergents. Sodium lauryl sulfate has been shown to exacerbate and increase the occurrence of ulcers of the mouth commonly called canker sores. It also has been shown to be irritating to the skin after prolonged exposure. These reactions are caused by its tendency to dry out the mucous membranes. This is why it is important to rinse the mouth out and also wipe the face off after brushing to ensure that excess chemical exposure does not occur. Dentists will be able to recommend an alternative if these negative side effects continue.

This list by no means is meant to discourage the use of dentifrice to clean the teeth. On the contrary a clean mouth is an important step in staying healthy and preventing illness. It is however important to talk dentists about alternatives to products containing these chemicals if there is concern that they are doing harm. Because our water is fluoridated it is not as vitally important to get it from other sources. The use of sodium lauryl sulfate to clean teeth is fine but if it causes ancillary damage it should be avoided. Only dentists can determine a proper oral care regimen for their patient.