WHAT’S IN YOUR TOOTHPASTE?

It is common for a patient to ask what kind of toothpaste they should use. The concept of toothpaste and mouth washes is pretty old – almost as old as the Egyptian toothbrush. In fact, the earliest known toothpaste was created by the Egyptians. It was said to contain rock salt, mint, dried iris flowers and 20 grains of pepper, all crushed and mixed together to form a powder. It wasn’t until the 18th Century that the next recorded version of toothpaste showed up. That recipe was interesting as well.

The 19th Century saw a lot of toothpaste innovations, although many of them would be repulsive compared to what we are used to today. Charcoal, for example, was popular. Most of the toothpastes of this time were powders that became a paste when introduced to saliva. A lot of these different toothpastes were designed to both clean teeth and give the user better breath.

It wasn’t until the 1900s that toothpastes evolved into what we know now. Colgate, and many other toothpaste companies, worked to design toothpastes that tasted better while cleaning the teeth and not causing gums to bleed. Many ingredients now show up in toothpastes, with fluoride being one of the most common. There are a wide variety of “herbal” toothpastes as well, which don’t contain any fluoride. The variety of toothpastes available is designed to fit the needs and wants of every type of person out there. This high level of choice is the modern age’s primary contribution to toothpastes.

So, where does toothpaste go from here? Research continues to develop different ingredients that will benefit different problems. One of those ingredients I recently came across is green tea.

The oral health benefits of green tea are getting increasing attention in scientific literature, and now the authors of a new study suggest that it should be added to dentifrices as an active ingredient for managing periodontal disease.

The study authors, who are associated with various medical institutes in India, reported that it is a beneficial adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal (gum) therapy. “Green tea is known to possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities,” the authors wrote. “Antioxidants have a protective effect on periodontal tissues by reducing the oxidative stress in periodontal tissues.”

The study compared the effectiveness of great tea vs. triclosan. If you remember, triclosan, an antimicrobial which used to be found in some toothpastes, came under scrutiny for its overall safety. It is also found in some hand soaps, skin cleansers and detergents and has been shown to help with gum inflammation. “On comparison with fluoride-triclosan dentifrice, green tea showed greater reduction of gingival inflammation and improved periodontal parameters,” the authors wrote. “This can be attributed to the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of green tea.”

These results showed enhanced outcomes with the use of green tea dentifrice as an adjunct to routine professional periodontal care during the active and healing phases. Long-term clinical trials should be conducted to validate the results of this pilot study, the group added.

The great thing about green tea is that it is a natural product. Something to watch.