Toothpastes: A review of types, ingredients and possible side effects

Toothpastes are one of the most widely sold and used dental products, with their use as one of the most popular oral hygiene behaviors in developed countries. A large variety of toothpastes are available on the market for different purpose, making it difficult for patients to select appropriate ones and for clinicians to prescribe the most useful one. This review provides details on the ingredients of toothpastes and their clinical use, trying to assist oral care practitioners in recommending appropriate toothpastes to their patients based on their individual needs. This review was carried out by running a search in various databases, including references books, PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Google search engine from 1973 to 2011 using the terms toothpastes, Periodontics and dental plaque. There are large varieties of toothpastes for different caries prevention, gingivitis prevention, anti-calculus, dentin hypersensitivity prevention and for tooth whitening, with a wide range of active and non-active ingredients, including abrasives, humectants, preservatives, thickening or binding agents, detergents, flavoring agents and therapeutic agents as fluoride, bacteriostatics, pyrophosphates, tooth desensitizing agents etc. Some studies have evaluated the effects, advantages and disadvantages of each ingredient. It is absolutely necessary for dental practitioners to have a sound knowledge of chemical compositions and ingredients of toothpastes to be able to assist their patients in selecting appropriate and efficacious toothpastes.