Toothpaste isn't as boring as you may think it is.
Using toothpaste when you brush your teeth is an essential part of keeping your teeth healthy and free of tooth decay.
Top 5 Facts About Toothpaste
1. Don’t rinse your mouth too soon after brushing.
Don’t wash out your mouth with water directly after brushing your teeth as it will wash away the remaining toothpaste. This remaining paste has preventive effects but you must allow the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste to have chance to work.
2. You should brush for 2 minutes.
Brushing your teeth correctly with a toothbrush and toothpaste should take around 2 minutes. Brush all surfaces of your teeth, including the inside and outside surfaces of your teeth. Don’t brush too aggressively or over time you could wear away your gums.
3. Children don’t need to use children’s toothpaste.
Children don’t need to use toothpaste that’s labelled as ‘children’s’. Children of any age can use any type of toothpaste, as long as it contains 1350-1500 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride. Children under the age of three should only use a tiny amount though.
4. Fluoride is your secret oral health saviour.
Fluoride was added to toothpaste in 1956 and is now an essential ingredient that helps to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. In many parts of the UK, it’s also an ingredient in our water supplies. In some parts of the country, small amounts of fluoride are naturally present in the water but in other parts, the fluoride is added artificially. The fluoridation schemes across the UK help to protect your teeth from tooth decay, whether you’re aware of fluoride in your water or not.
5. Toothpaste is as old as braces.
The first known recipe for a toothpaste was written by an Egyptian scribe in the 4th Century AD, who called it “a powder for white and perfect teeth”. Although early forms of braces date back to the Ancient Egyptians, both toothpaste and toothbrushes have been around in one form or another for hundreds of years.
Using toothpaste and the correct type of toothbrush will help to lower your risk of gum disease. If you’re not sure what type of toothbrush is right for you, take a look at our blog ‘How Well Do You Look After Your Teeth?’.
Looking after your teeth correctly is just one way of getting an impressive smile. To get a brand new smile that you’re proud to show to the world, find out more about Invisalign.
