Toothpaste is made of many ingredients. Each ingredient has a purpose.
Surfactants provide foam during brushing. This helps to spread the toothpaste in the mouth. They also have a detergent action that also breaks up dental plaque and loosens any sticky food particles that are attached to the teeth. As well, surfactants reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
Commonly used surfactants include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (adinol). Sometimes a combination of surfactants are used.
Toothpastes for young children may be made to foam less than toothpastes made for adults.
Most of the cleaning action during toothbrushing comes from the abrasive particles included in the toothpaste. These particles physically remove stains on the surfaces of teeth.
Examples of abrasives included in toothpastes include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate salts, alumina, silica, and magnesium carbonate.
Thickeners are also known as binders. They are added to achieve the desired toothpaste consistency and to prevent ingredients from separating. Without a thickener present, the toothpaste would separate into a liquid and a solid that would need to be mixed before you use it.
Thickeners include mineral colloids, natural gums (e.g. xanthan gum), seaweed colloids (e.g. carrageenan) or synthetic cellulose.
Toothpastes are now available in many different flavours. The best-known flavours are spearmint and peppermint. They can give breath-freshening benefits. Mint flavours are always used together with a non-sugar sweetener, such as xylitol, sucralose, or sodium saccharin, to balance the taste of the mint flavour.
Humectants help to keep water within the toothpaste. This stops the toothpaste drying out. They also add to the overall flavour. Together with some added water they help to hold the other ingredients together as a paste or gel.
Humectant ingredients can include glycerol and sorbitol.
Water is included as a solvent or carrier for other ingredients of the toothpaste. This makes the toothpaste flowable and hydrates the thickening agents. The combination of water and the humectant make up approximately 75% of the volume of toothpaste.
Buffers are added to stop the toothpaste from being acidic. An acidic toothpaste could negatively affect teeth.
Examples of buffers include trisodium phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide and pyrophosphates.
Ingredients such as titanium dioxide make toothpaste white. Some toothpastes contain food colours to give them a special colour.
Fluoride is the key ingredient included in toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay.
There are three types of fluorides you may see listed on toothpaste tubes, including:
- sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP)
- sodium fluoride (NaF)
- stannous fluoride (SnF2).
In Australia, toothpastes for children aged 18 months to 6 years have less fluoride than toothpastes for children older than 6 years and adults. Toothpaste for children 18 months to 6 years have 500 - 550 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride. Toothpastes for children over 6 years and adults usually have 1000 or 1450 ppm of fluoride.
Hydroxyapatite is the main mineral present in tooth enamel. It is included as an ingredient in some toothpastes.
Hydroxyapatite can be added to toothpaste as a source of calcium to help repair teeth. It may be present with fluoride or by itself.
Ingredients added to toothpaste to whiten teeth can include:
- sodium hexametaphosphate to repel stains from the surface of teeth
- hydrogen peroxide to lighten the colour of teeth
- phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP) to lighten the colour of teeth.
Ingredients included in desensitizing toothpastes include:
- potassium nitrate
- arginine
- calcium carbonate
- strontium chloride
- stannous fluoride
- calcium sodium phosphosilicate.
Desensitizing toothpaste work to treat tooth sensitivity work by two main methods.
- The nerves in the teeth are soothed so they are not triggered by stimuli like cold.
- A barrier is created over the sensitive area, which stops it from responding to stimuli.
When dental plaque is not cleaned from the surface of teeth, minerals from saliva enter the plaque and cause it to harden. This is called calculus. It is sometimes called tartar. Calculus must be removed by a professional dental clean.
Ingredients can be added to toothpaste to help to decrease the build-up of calculus. This can include:
- pyrophosphates
- zinc citrate
- sodium hexametaphosphate.
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