Tartar-Control Toothpastes -- These toothpastes help prevent tartar (hardened plaque that may cause gum disease) from forming. The active ingredient in tartar-control toothpastes is usually pyrophosphate.  But, these toothpastes do not remove tartar... Only a professional tooth cleaning can do that.

	First- It only reduces tartar buildup above the gumline, where your toothbrushing technique should be preventing tartar formation in the first place. It doesn’t have any effect on tartar formation below the gumline; to prevent that, you still need to brush and floss, to mechanically remove bacteria before they solidify into tartar.
	It may cause unexplained sensitivity to hot and/or cold in some or all of their teeth. The sensitivity disappeared after you stop using tartar control toothpaste. If you want a good moderately-priced toothpaste with antibacterial action, we recommend Colgate Total. Stay away from anything with sodium pyrophosphate, the tartar-control ingredient that my cause tooth sensitivity.*

Baking Soda -- This mild abrasive has a mythology dating back to the early 20th century that makes it popular today. Many people think it helps fight gum disease and cleans teeth. The reality: it hasn't been shown to have any effect on periodontal disease. Why use a toothpaste with baking soda, then? If you like the taste or feel of toothpastes with baking soda, you're more likely to brush regularly, thus improving your oral health. 
( All sonic toothbrushes should not be used with baking soda and/or peroxide toothpastes.  These toothpaste products should be avoided as they contribute to cracks in the upper portion of the handle.)

Susceptible to decay?  Is your mouth very dry because of medications you take?  Are your teeth unusually sensitive to hot or cold?  You could benefit from a high-fluoride toothpaste.  Colgate’s Prevident 5000+ (by prescription only) and its generic version Fluoridex contain five times as much fluoride as ordinary toothpastes..  These toothpastes can save you many times what they cost by reducing decay. 

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Hydrogen Peroxide -- One of two proven ingredients that whiten teeth (H.P.'s whitening cousin is carbamide peroxide), hydrogen peroxide is found in bleaching systems that dentists prescribe and some over-the-counter bleaching kits. While the efficacy of products that contain either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide has been well proven, some people may have adverse reactions to products that contain these whitening agents. Furthermore, the ADA is concerned about unsupervised use of some OTC kits. Still other kits might contain harmful acids. Also, not everyone is a good candidate for a bleaching procedure. Good candidates are people with coffee or food stains. Poorer candidates are those who have gray teeth or teeth stained from taking tetracycline. 
(All sonic toothbrushes should not be used with baking soda and/or peroxide toothpastes.  These toothpaste products should be avoided as they contribute to cracks in the upper portion of the handle.)

Desensitizing Toothpastes -- The ADA recognizes two ingredients as effective in reducing discomfort associated with sensitive teeth: strontium chloride and potassium nitrate. Both are effective in blocking the tube-like channels that pass through teeth and connect to nerves. When these tubes are exposed, hot, cold and acidic foods stimulate nerves causing hypersensitivity.  Desensitizing toothpastes with strontium chloride or potassium nitrate block the tubes or reduce the ability of the nerves to transmit pain and can be found in Crest or AquaFresh for Sensitive Teeth and Sensodyne. Don't expect these toothpastes to work overnight, though. Most people won't notice any improvement for 4-6 weeks.

For preventing and treating gingivitis (gum inflammation), Colgate Total is excellent.  It contains the anti-bacterial ingredient Triclosan, and comes in several varieties.  This is also an excellent all-around toothpaste for decay prevention

Abrasives -- All ADA-Accepted toothpastes contain a mild abrasive that works with your toothbrush to remove plaque. Generally, these abrasives take the form of silica. It is a myth that abrasives in toothpaste cause enamel to wear away. More likely, enamel erosion occurs as a result of over-vigorous brushing. 

Whiter teeth: Don’t waste your money on “whitening” toothpastes.  Study after study shows that they don’t work.  These toothpastes remove surface stains on teeth (all toothpastes are designed to do this) but have absolutely no effect on the color of the teeth themselves.  If you want whiter teeth, ask us about tooth-whitening we have one-visit in-office bleaching.

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