Toothpaste is mainly composed of the following parts, that is, friction agents, moisturizers, foaming agents, thickeners, preservatives, fluorine-containing substances, etc. These are the ingredients that every toothpaste will have. Let us first understand their role.
1. The main ingredients of toothpaste
Friction agent
Definition: Insoluble in toothpaste to help physically remove pigments, plaque and food residues
Commonly used friction agents are: hydrated silica, calcium pyrophosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, calcium bicarbonate and so on.
Function: In the process of brushing, the friction agent will be embedded between the bristles and the colored tooth surface. Its hardness is higher than that of pigments, so the pigments can be removed under pressure, and it can also remove food residues and dental plaque, so as to achieve the purpose of protecting teeth.
From this we can also see that the friction agent has a certain whitening function, especially for yellow teeth caused by smoking and drinking tea.
Moisturizer
Commonly used humectants: glycerin, sorbitol, xylitol, polyethylene glycol.
Foaming agent
Main foaming agents: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium 2-acyloxy bond sulfonate, etc.
As the name suggests, it is used for foaming. Some toothpastes are densely foamed because of the foaming agent.
Thickener
Main thickeners: carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, etc.
Main function: Thickener is also called adhesive and adhesive. It can make toothpaste form a stable colloid, which is not easy to disperse.
Preservative
For example, sodium benzoate is antiseptic.
Fluorinated substances
Main fluorine-containing substances: sodium monofluorophosphate and sodium fluoride.
2. Featured ingredients of toothpaste
The above ingredients are the ingredients of every toothpaste. For toothpastes with different functions, they will contain unique ingredients, which make them stand out in some respects and can alleviate some dental problems~~~
Anti-caries toothpaste
First of all, let’s look at the cause of dental caries. The main reason is that the acidic substances produced by bacteria multiply corrode the teeth and demineralize them.
Therefore, in order to prevent dental caries, we can on the one hand inhibit the growth and reproduction of cariogenic bacteria, on the other hand, protect the teeth and enhance the remineralization of the teeth, so as to achieve the purpose of protecting the teeth from cavities.
Regarding the first situation, fluoride ion is currently the main component that inhibits the growth of cariogenic bacteria, and can also accelerate the remineralization of the tooth surface to a certain extent. Almost all adult toothpastes contain more than 1% of fluoride.
Anti-allergy toothpaste
Let’s first understand what tooth sensitivity is. In fact, the outer layer of the tooth is enamel, but there is no nerve. Tooth sensitivity actually means that the dentin is stimulated by cold and heat. Therefore, we can use the dentin to reduce the sensitivity of the teeth. sex.
The current mainstream strategy is to reduce the excitement of nerve fibers through potassium ions, and at the same time can significantly increase the degree of calcification of the dentin surface, promote the formation of restorative dentin, and can block the dentin tubules to isolate external stimuli.
Whitening toothpaste
Let’s first analyze why the teeth turn yellow:
The glycoproteins in saliva form an acquired film on the surface of the teeth. This film is a hotbed of bacteria, various bacteria will adhere to it, and food residues and pigments will also be deposited. Bacteria use saliva and food residues to grow and multiply to form dental plaque. If we do not deal with it in time, dental plaque will calcify and form difficult-to-clean dental calculus.
Therefore, we want to whiten teeth, one is to inhibit the formation of dental plaque, and the other is to clean up the pigment in time to prevent its deposition on the teeth. In fact, all toothpastes contain friction agents, namely hydrated silica and other ingredients, which can remove dental plaque and pigment to a certain extent.
Toothpaste for removing bad breath
Let’s take a look at why the oral cavity emits this gas (the main analysis here is oral halitosis)
Bacteria in the oral cavity (mainly anaerobic bacteria) decompose the protein in saliva and food in the anaerobic environment formed in the oral cavity to form volatile sulfur compounds (mainly methyl mercaptan and hydrogen sulfide, which are the rotten eggs in high schools). The smelly one) is the main halitosis gas. At the same time, poor oral environment, such as various oral diseases, are prone to cause bad breath.
Therefore, we can eliminate bad breath from the perspective of inhibiting the growth and reproduction of bad breath bacteria; we can also maintain a healthy oral environment through good brushing habits.
General toothpaste contains zinc citrate or various plant extracts, which can clean the mouth well and temporarily remove bad breath.
Conclusion
Toothpaste is a kind of cosmetics and cannot be used for treatment.
If you want to have a good mouthful of teeth, you still need to pay more attention to it. Don’t put your hope on using a toothpaste to solve the problem.
