Do you really understand the functions of these functional toothpastes? (Part 2)

The last article talked about three types of functional toothpaste, namely fluoride toothpaste, sugar alcohol toothpaste and amino acid toothpaste. Today we will continue to talk about several other common functional toothpastes.

1 baking soda toothpaste

At first glance at the name, baking soda toothpaste, one can't help but think of the "decontamination" effect of baking soda. Therefore, many people think that baking soda toothpaste should be the king of "stain removal" toothpaste. However, in fact, toothpaste stain removal mainly relies on mechanical friction, and only mineral salts that are insoluble in water can provide the necessary friction. Obviously, baking soda is a mineral salt that is easily soluble in water, so baking soda toothpaste is not the first choice for "stain removal" toothpaste. It can be said that if a toothpaste only uses baking soda as an abrasive, it should be the mildest (no doubt) toothpaste, and it is more friendly to congenitally fragile teeth.

2. Probiotic Toothpaste

Probiotics have always been one of the important gimmicks of health products. The main function of probiotics is to compete with harmful microorganisms, thereby weakening the harmful effects of harmful bacteria on human health. Common oral probiotics are generally Lactobacillus series.

Since Lactobacillus has a certain ability to produce acid, it helps to inhibit the harmful effects of periodontal pathogens on periodontal tissues. Since periodontal pathogens are also part of the cause of bad breath, probiotic toothpaste is more suitable for freshening breath.

For tooth decay, only certain strains of Lactobacillus may be effective. After all, Lactobacillus and cariogenic bacteria are similar in that they are both acid-producing and acid-tolerant. So from a purely antagonistic perspective, neither can be a threat to the other.

3. Calcium carbonate toothpaste

There have been many popular science articles that calcium carbonate toothpaste is "damaging to teeth". But in fact, as an abrasive, calcium carbonate is not really the hardest abrasive, and should even be considered soft. To be precise, calcium carbonate is softer than hydrated silica.

So why do most toothpastes now choose hydrated silica as an abrasive? There are two reasons: first, using hydrated silica as an abrasive can make the toothpaste paste transparent; second, hydrated silica is relatively stable and can coexist peacefully with other ingredients in toothpaste, such as fluoride.

Therefore, there are many requirements for functional toothpaste.