ADA Approved Toothpaste

So maybe you've found a toothpaste brand that promises great cavity protection, extreme whitening, and fresh breath around the clock. But there isn't an ADA seal on the box. How dangerous could it actually be? As a dentist in Columbia, SC and Lexington, SC I use only ADA approved products in my practice. There are many reasons why you're need to be safe and use products with the ADA seal of approval. Just because it is on the shelf doesn't mean that it is necessarily good for your teeth.

The ADA

ADA stands for the American Dental Association. As the largest dental society in the world, they have made it their mission to support the best technologies for cleaning teeth and promoting oral health. The Seal Program is one of their many initiatives to help promote oral awareness. By placing an ADA seal on over 300 oral health products, the ADA has hand picked the items that are best for your teeth.

What's in Toothpaste?

Toothpaste consists of several ingredients that are all important for creating a bright and healthy smile. Usually toothpastes are made out of fluoride, detergents, agents for keeping the toothpaste bound together and long lasting, a flavoring agent, and mild abrasives. Fluoride is very important to help remove plaque as well as reverse decay. (You can read more about Fluoride and it's uses on our article “Fluoride, Fluoridation, and Fluoride Treatments”.) Detergents are what cause the foaming of toothpaste, and they also help to clean and whiten teeth. Agents that are generally found in gel-like foods such as glycol are used in conjunction with binding agents like natural gums to help toothpaste last for years as well as keep it in a gel form. Flavorings such as mint, cinnamon, or lemon are added to give toothpaste a pleasant taste as well as help keep breath fresh. And mild abrasives are mixed with toothpastes because they help to gently scrape plaque from the tooth and also help lighten stains.

Why ADA toothpaste?

ADA toothpastes are going to have each of these ingredients tested and approved for oral health. For instance, you may buy a toothpaste not approved by the ADA that includes flavoring agents that are made with a sweetener like sugar. This would be especially dangerous to your teeth. All ADA toothpastes also have the meet the standard in how much fluoride is included in the toothpaste. Too much fluoride can actually cause dark stains on teeth, which is a cosmetic issue that you don't want to have happen to try a new toothpaste.

What about the FDA?

It is true that in order for a toothpaste to be on the market, the Food and Drug Administration has to approve it. However, the FDA is testing the health hazards that may occur because of ingredients. The FDA is trying to make sure that the toothpastes marketed are not going to irritate allergies or possibly poison customers. But they do not do laboratory tests to find out the effectiveness of toothpaste against plaque.

When you visit your dentist it is important for you to make sure that all items in their office have been approved by the ADA. It is your right to ask questions about any product your dentist wishes to use and it is in your best interest to find out about the ingredients a dentist is about to place into your mouth. If you decide that you want to find out more about ADA approved products, you can do a product search on their website: http://www.ada.org/productsearch.aspx.