Practitioners of Dental Health Care in Vancouver WA strongly encourage their patients to brush two or three times a day or at least soon after waking up and just before going to bed. They also recommend using a toothpaste containing fluoride, which is particularly important for preventing cavities in children’s teeth. Kids are more prone to developing cavities, but adults can experience problems with tooth decay as well.
Toothpaste Product Lines
The product line for toothpaste is not nearly as large as for many other personal care products, but consumers can still find a wide array of choices. Several are standard options that have been around for many decades, although those brands are now available in numerous specialties, like pastes with whitening additives and tartar prevention attributes. Toothpastes produced as natural alternatives also can be purchased, although they typically do not contain fluoride.
Types of Packaging
Toothpaste tubes used to be made entirely of metal, and people of a certain age will remember how easy the tubes were to roll up as the paste was gradually depleted. Now, toothpaste tubes are nearly always made entirely of plastic. Some stand on end and have pumps, similar to a bottle of hand lotion. The packaging almost always includes a cardboard box so stores can easily stack the products. Before the invention of the toothpaste tube, the pastes and creams for cleaning teeth were sold in jars.
Other Substances for Cleaning Teeth
Historically, people who didn’t want to buy commercial products relied on substances like baking soda, salt, and even soap. Many of the substances technically cleaned teeth but were not all that useful for preventing tooth decay. Fluoride, as practitioners of Dental Health Care in Vancouver WA suggest, has distinct protective effects for enamel. It can even help rebuild enamel after tiny amounts of decay have occurred.
Fluoride in Tap Water vs. Toothpaste
There is much disagreement about whether fluoridated tap water has any positive effects for teeth. Some municipalities that used to add fluoride to the water have discontinued the practice. However, research has confirmed the exceptional benefits of fluoride in toothpaste, as can be explained further by a practitioner at a clinic like Lewis Family Dentistry. You can also connect them on Facebook.
