Toothpaste is something that everyone will have in his or her home, but apart from cleaning your teeth, do you really know what it does? Every single toothpaste brand likes to promote their product by telling you how it whitens your teeth or provides extra protection against cavities. How are you supposed to know which one is the best to buy? Here is everything you need to know about toothpaste.

Fluoride Is the Most Important Part

Fluoride is the single most important ingredient. If toothpaste does not have fluoride, it is not worth buying. Some companies will claim that the fluoride in water is enough and that other minerals and additives in the paste will protect against cavities, but those that have added fluoride are the best.

The only exception to this is children's toothpaste, which will contain less fluoride as recommended by dental experts. Infant toothpaste, for example, is fluoride-free, as your infant will not understand how to spit the toothpaste out.

Whitening Toothpaste Doesn't Always Work

Watch out for the claims on toothpaste bottles. Those claims that you'll have whiter teeth within a week are likely to be lies. Teeth aren't naturally white and will look yellow due to the pulp inside. Sparkling white teeth have had teeth-whitening services performed on them to make them brighter. The teeth whitening toothpastes won't be any better than a regular clean from your dentist.

Check the ingredients before you buy. There are high chances that those "whitening" toothpastes contain the exact same ingredients as the normal, fluoride toothpastes. When this happens, know that you are just paying extra money for a brand name.

Sensitivity Toothpastes Deal with Symptoms

The toothpastes that claim to help with sensitivities can help. They have different formulas that are less likely to affect the reason for the sensitivities in the mouth. The problem is that they only help with the symptoms. You still need to get to the bottom of your sensitivity.

In many cases, your teeth being sensitive is a sign of a cavity. Visit your dentist to get checked out.

Allergic Reactions Can Happen

Did you ever think that you could be allergic to your toothpaste? This is likely to be due to some particular ingredients—the ones used to make your toothpaste foam, sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium hydroxide, which are also commonly used in drain cleaner. They help to keep the toothpaste together while in use, but some people do suffer reactions. They may be the cause of your sensitivity in your mouth!

Check the fluoride levels in your toothpaste and avoid falling into the marketing ploys. Those whitening pastes may not be all they're made out to be.