Is toothpaste acidic or alkaline? Is toothpaste with fluoride or without fluoride better?

We all need to brush our teeth every day, so we need to use toothpaste. There are many brands of toothpaste on the market, but many people still don’t know much about the properties of toothpaste. So is toothpaste acidic or alkaline? Is it better to have fluoride or non-fluoride toothpaste?

Is toothpaste acidic or alkaline?

Toothpaste is weakly alkaline. The main ingredient of toothpaste is calcium carbonate. Although there are many kinds of traditional whitening toothpaste, except for the different tastes and effects, their whitening ingredients are almost the same. Most toothpastes are weakly alkaline, which can neutralize the acid in our mouth to a certain extent, thus killing the bacteria living in our mouth. In addition, whitening toothpaste can only remove a very small amount of stains and exogenous pigments on the surface of teeth. It has basically no effect on teeth with endogenous stains such as tetracycline teeth and fluorosis. Therefore, it is basically impossible to whiten teeth simply by toothpaste. If you really need to completely whiten your teeth in a short period of time, it can only be done through methods such as dental veneers, wearing porcelain crowns, laser whitening and cold light whitening.

Is it better to have fluoride or non-fluoride toothpaste?

Whether it is better to use toothpaste containing fluoride or not depends on the specific situation of the teeth. If the enamel of the teeth is underdeveloped, it is easy to cause tooth demineralization. Clinically, chalky changes in the surface of the teeth are common. In this case, it is recommended to use fluoride toothpaste to promote tooth remineralization and increase the resistance of teeth to acid. If the child is born in a high-fluoride area, the excessive fluoride content in the drinking water is likely to cause fluorosis. In this case, non-fluoride toothpaste must be used to avoid aggravating the symptoms of fluorosis. If there is obvious fluorosis in the area where you live, you cannot choose fluoride toothpaste when choosing toothpaste. Fluoride in toothpaste can effectively prevent tooth decay. If the fluoride content in the area is low, it is recommended to use fluoride toothpaste. The key to preventing tooth decay is the correct brushing method.

Is toothpaste a cosmetic?

Toothpaste is not only a cosmetic, but also falls into the category of "ordinary cosmetics". According to the regulations, cosmetics refer to daily chemical industrial products that are applied to the skin, hair, nails, lips and other human surfaces by rubbing, spraying or other similar methods for the purpose of cleaning, protecting, beautifying and modifying. At the same time, the regulations also divide cosmetics into special cosmetics and ordinary cosmetics according to the degree of risk. The state implements registration management for special cosmetics and filing management for ordinary cosmetics. Cosmetics used for hair dyeing, perming, freckle removal and whitening, sun protection, anti-hair loss and cosmetics claiming new functions are special cosmetics. A relevant person in charge of the Cosmetics Supervision Department of the State Food and Drug Administration said that in the next step, the drug supervision department will study and formulate corresponding supporting documents based on the characteristics of toothpaste and actual conditions, and report them to the State Council's market supervision and management department for review and release.

Do you need to dip toothpaste in water to brush your teeth?

The question of whether toothpaste needs to be dipped in water before use cannot be generalized, but depends on the type of toothpaste. If you are using ordinary toothpaste on the market, it is recommended to dip it in water, because the foaming agent in the toothpaste can only play the greatest role under the action of water, so it can clean the teeth more effectively after dipping it in water. However, if you are using functional toothpaste, such as anti-gum bleeding, whitening toothpaste, etc., it is not recommended to dip it in water. Because functional toothpaste contains a large amount of active ingredients, they will be quickly decomposed after contacting water, and at the same time affect the efficacy. Therefore, whether you need to dip the toothpaste in water before using it depends entirely on the type of toothpaste people use, and it must not be ignored.