Just as consumers are eating more organic foods, they’re looking for personal-care products made with natural ingredients too, and the health and beauty industry is going greener. So it’s only natural that interest in natural toothpaste also is growing.
Companies that make natural toothpastes now offer almost as many varieties as Colgate and Crest do.
And while the shelves at Whole Foods are stocked with dozens of “natural oral care” products — with or without fluoride, in minty and fruity flavors, gels and pastes — by brands including Burt’s Bees and Nature’s Gate, products for consumers interested in natural toothpastes are becoming even more widely available.
But a careful look at these toothpastes shows that the definition of “natural” varies. Some may be referring to key ingredients, such as peppermint oil, while others say they don’t use artificial ingredients.
Dr. Eric Shapira of Montara, Calif., a spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, said he believes that many of these products try to attract people who are “mindlessly” looking for green products.
He urged consumers to be cautious — some products marketed as natural and homeopathic have ingredients that may cause allergic reactions or worse.
“Some of the menthols and eucalyptols in these natural formulas can actually burn tissue,” he said.
Dr. Kelly Maguire, director of professional advocacy for Tom’s of Maine, said more people are apparently becoming more sensitive to ingredients — natural or chemical.
“Some people are allergic to the tiniest bit of mint,” she said.
Maguire also noted that Tom’s of Maine, which was purchased by Colgate-Palmolive last year, is the first natural toothpaste to receive the Seal of Acceptance from the American Dental Association.
Dr. Cliff Whall, director of the ADA Acceptance Program, said that just because a product has been granted a seal doesn’t mean it has been officially endorsed.
“It means the product is effective and does what it says it will do,” he said.
For Whall, it’s important that consumers make a distinction between what is commonly considered natural and the ADA’s definition.
“Even in toothpastes that call themselves natural, there are ingredients — fluorides, abrasives and humectants — that go through a lot of processing,” he said. “When we say a product is natural, we mean that it has no artificial color, flavors or preservatives.”
Ultimately, Shapira said, natural and regular toothpastes can be equally effective at cleaning. “Even baking soda and water will work,” he said. But toothpaste is a good way to deliver added ingredients that benefit the teeth, he said, and protect them against potential problems.
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THE RIGHT STROKES
STICK WITH SOFT BRISTLES Hard bristles damage teeth and gums unless they’re used very carefully. Dentists universally recommend using a soft-bristle brush.
SCRUB SOFTLY “Plaque is pretty soft, so if you get the brush in the right place and gently clean in that area, you’ll get it off,” said Dr. Susan Karabin, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “Scrubbing back and forth is definitely not required.”
QUICK AND DIRTY IS NOT THE WAY
People who brush only the chewing surfaces of their teeth, and the front, are missing the places where disease-causing plaque likes to hide: the inside surfaces, the back teeth and the gum line.
BLOOD SCARE
Leaving plaque along the gumline leaves gums swollen and inflamed and apt to bleed. Left untreated, bleeding gums can lead to tooth loss and painful surgery.
[ NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE ]
