Troubleshooting Toothpaste with Arm & Hammer Essentials Fluoride Toothpaste
Since we are out of the office for a few weeks, let’s talk about over-the-counter products. There are so many on the market, which is no doubt overwhelming for our family and friends who are stocking up on pretty much everything right now. With toothpaste, there are a few main components that make it effective. Let’s review some of the important benefits to look for, break down some key aspects of toothpaste and discuss how to talk about them with your patients, families and friends to find the best fit.
Some of the aspects to look for in a toothpaste:
Fluoride- Of course, fluoride is one of the most important aspects of toothpaste. You’ll want to look at what kind of fluoride is in the toothpaste you love and recommend. It will either be sodium fluoride or stannous fluoride. Both have great benefits for caries prevention, and research shows both are effective. Pretty much all toothpastes have the same amount of fluoride in them: either 0.243% sodium fluoride or 0.454% stannous fluoride, which breaks down chemically to the same amount of fluoride released as in sodium fluoride.
Surfactant- The surfactant component of toothpaste is the foaming agent of the paste. Without a surfactant, there would be no bubbling effect to it. Many of our household products contain a surfactant, and we’ve been trained to love that foaming feeling of being clean. Many products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as a surfactant which works by taking water into its chemical bond and making it foam. Many toothpastes are heading away from including SLS as their surfactant due to patients having reactions to it. Since it does pull in so much water, people have noticed it can cause sores or sloughing of the tissue. One toothpaste that’s free of SLS is new Arm & Hammer Essentials Fluoride Toothpaste.
Desensitizing Agent- Most over-the-counter toothpastes have potassium nitrate as an agent to prevent teeth from being sensitive to cold. It works by filling in the exposed microtubules in the sensitive areas of the tooth, and by calming down the nerve that can get irritated from external sources.
RDA Value- So, what’s the deal with RDA value when it comes to toothpaste? Relative Dentin Abrasivity or RDA is all about how tough a paste is on your patient’s teeth and gums. There is a lot of back and forth about RDA, but as of now, the most important thing to know is it must be 250 or lower to get the ADA Seal of Approval. Baking soda has an RDA of only 7, and many Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Toothpastes have low RDA. In fact, the new Essentials Fluoride Toothpaste has an RDA of just 86.
How to Talk to a Patient
The best way to direct a patient to a certain product is to make personal recommendations. For instance, interview your patients and have a conversation about what’s working in their routines and what isn’t. You can also ask about their oral health goals, and offer suggestions and recommendations based on those goals. Are they hoping to reduce the bleeding in their gingiva? Are they looking to use more natural products? Are they trying to prevent caries? Honestly, many times their goals aren’t what we would set for them, and that’s ok! Taking baby steps to enrich patients’ oral health is a huge improvement, and recommending the right products is a great start to helping them reach their oral health goals. So, when we head back into practice, don’t be shy to ask about the over-the-counter products your patients are using. But instead of asking the same OHE questions, mix it up by asking what type of fluoride they are using, what their pain points are in home care, and what you as a dental hygienist can do to help.
A huge thank you to Arm & Hammer for helping us with some research on toothpastes! You can check out our Instagram TV post where Jessica explains RDA, plus learn more about Arm & Hammer’s new Essentials Fluoride Toothpaste (available in two options: Healthy Teeth & Gums and Whiten & Strengthen). If you have a patient who is looking for something new, this may be the product for him or her! With a low RDA, a mild mint flavor and safe, effective clinically proven benefits, your patients will love this toothpaste that’s just the “right amount of natural!”