Choosing a toothpaste should be simple, but supermarket shelves can make it surprisingly confusing. There are toothpastes for whitening, sensitive teeth, gum health, enamel protection and dry mouth, as well as charcoal, herbal, fluoride-free and prescription-strength products.
For most people, however, the most important feature is much simpler: choose a toothpaste containing the right amount of fluoride for your age and dental needs.
Flavour, texture and branding are largely personal preference. The best toothpaste is one that provides appropriate protection against tooth decay, suits any particular dental problems you have and is comfortable enough that you will use it consistently twice a day.
What Is the Best Toothpaste for Most Adults?
For most adults in the UK, a standard toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 parts per million (ppm) fluoride is an excellent everyday choice.
Fluoride is the ingredient with the strongest established evidence for helping prevent tooth decay. It helps make the tooth surface more resistant to acid and encourages remineralisation when enamel begins to lose minerals.
According to current UK preventive dental guidance, adults should brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day:
- Last thing at night or before going to bed
- On at least one other occasion during the day
After brushing, spit out the excess toothpaste but do not rinse with water. Rinsing immediately washes away much of the fluoride that would otherwise remain around the teeth.
Why Is Fluoride in Toothpaste So Important?
Every time you eat or drink something containing fermentable sugars, bacteria within dental plaque can produce acids. These acids cause minerals to leave the enamel surface — a process called demineralisation.
Saliva helps reverse some of this process naturally, and fluoride makes remineralisation more effective while making the repaired tooth surface more resistant to future acid attacks.
Regular exposure to fluoride toothpaste can therefore help:
- Prevent new tooth decay
- Slow or arrest very early decay before a cavity forms
- Strengthen enamel against acid challenges
- Protect exposed root surfaces that may be particularly susceptible to decay
UK Government guidance concludes that toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride prevents tooth decay in both baby and permanent teeth, with standard adult toothpaste generally containing 1,350–1,500 ppm.
Is Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Just as Good?
If your main goal is preventing cavities, fluoride-free toothpaste does not currently have the same established evidence base as fluoride toothpaste.
Some fluoride-free products contain alternative ingredients such as hydroxyapatite, herbal extracts or mineral compounds. Research into some of these ingredients is developing, but current UK public-health guidance continues to recommend fluoride toothpaste as the standard method of preventing dental caries.
For most people, there is therefore no dental advantage to deliberately choosing a fluoride-free toothpaste.
If you have been advised to avoid a particular toothpaste ingredient for a specific medical or dental reason, discuss suitable alternatives with your dentist.
What Fluoride Strength Should I Look for?
Look on the ingredients panel or packaging for the fluoride concentration, normally shown as ppm F or parts per million fluoride.
- Most adults: 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride
- Children under 3: at least 1,000 ppm fluoride, using only a smear
- Children aged 3–6: at least 1,000 ppm fluoride, using a pea-sized amount
- Children aged 7 and over: generally 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride
- People at higher risk of tooth decay: a dentist may recommend prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste
The type of fluoride can vary between toothpastes. Common forms include sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate and stannous fluoride. Current UK guidance states that there is insufficient evidence to recommend one form universally over another for preventing decay; the fluoride concentration itself is particularly important.
What Is the Best Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth?
If ice cream, cold water, hot drinks or sweet foods cause a sudden sharp sensation in your teeth, a toothpaste specifically formulated for sensitive teeth may help.
Sensitivity often occurs when the dentine beneath the enamel becomes exposed. Dentine contains microscopic channels that communicate with the nerve inside the tooth, allowing temperature and other stimuli to trigger discomfort.
Sensitivity toothpastes use different active ingredients depending on the formulation. These may include substances such as:
- Stannous fluoride
- Potassium compounds
- Other ingredients designed to block or reduce transmission through exposed dentinal tubules
Use the product consistently according to its instructions. Sensitivity toothpaste often works progressively rather than providing an instant permanent result.
However, do not automatically assume sensitivity is simply sensitive enamel. Pain can also be caused by tooth decay, a cracked tooth, a failing filling, gum recession, tooth grinding or other dental problems.
If one particular tooth suddenly becomes sensitive, symptoms are worsening or the sensitivity persists, arrange a dental examination rather than relying indefinitely on sensitive toothpaste.
You can also read our detailed guide to sensitive teeth and tooth sensitivity.
Does Whitening Toothpaste Actually Whiten Teeth?
Whitening toothpaste can help remove some surface staining, but it does not work in the same way as professional teeth whitening.
Whitening toothpastes usually contain polishing or stain-removing ingredients that help reduce extrinsic staining caused by substances such as:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Red wine
- Some highly pigmented foods
- Smoking
They can therefore help your teeth look cleaner or return closer to their natural shade.
However, toothpaste cannot significantly bleach the natural colour within the tooth in the way a peroxide-based whitening treatment can. It also cannot whiten crowns, veneers, composite bonding or fillings.
If you want a more noticeable change in tooth colour, ask your dentist about professionally supervised teeth whitening.
Can Whitening Toothpaste Damage Enamel?
Most properly formulated toothpastes are intended to be safe when used according to the manufacturer’s directions. However, some whitening products rely more heavily on abrasive particles to remove stains.
If you already have significant tooth wear, exposed dentine or sensitive teeth, repeatedly using a highly abrasive toothpaste may not be the best choice.
More brushing pressure will not make your teeth whiter either. Aggressive brushing can contribute to gum recession and wear around the necks of the teeth.
Use a soft or medium toothbrush as appropriate, apply gentle pressure and allow the toothpaste and toothbrush to do the work.
What Does RDA Mean on Toothpaste?
RDA stands for Relative Dentine Abrasivity. It is a laboratory measure used to assess the abrasive effect of toothpaste on dentine.
Consumers sometimes see online lists ranking toothpastes according to their RDA value. However, RDA is only one feature of a toothpaste and the figure is not routinely displayed on every toothpaste packet.
Rather than choosing toothpaste solely according to an RDA number, people with enamel erosion, exposed dentine or significant tooth wear should generally avoid particularly aggressive or highly abrasive products and ask their dentist which toothpaste is appropriate.
What Is the Best Toothpaste for Gum Disease?
If your gums bleed when you brush, appear red or swollen, or you regularly develop plaque around the gum line, a toothpaste designed for gum health may be useful as part of your oral hygiene routine.
Some formulations contain ingredients such as stannous fluoride or zinc compounds that can help control plaque and gingival inflammation.
However, toothpaste alone cannot treat established gum disease. The physical removal of plaque from the teeth and gum line is essential.
That means:
- Brushing effectively twice a day
- Cleaning carefully along the gum line
- Cleaning between the teeth with interdental brushes or floss where appropriate
- Having professional assessment and treatment if gum disease is present
If your gums regularly bleed, arrange an appointment with our dental hygienist in Battersea. Persistent bleeding can be an early sign of gingivitis or periodontitis and should not simply be covered up by changing toothpaste.
What Is the Best Toothpaste for Enamel Erosion?
People with erosive tooth wear are often attracted to toothpastes marketed as “enamel repair”, “enamel protection” or “anti-erosion”.
A fluoride toothpaste remains important. Current UK guidance also suggests that specialised toothpaste containing fluoride, or fluoride combined with a stannous-based ingredient, may provide supplementary protection against erosive tooth wear.
However, no toothpaste can compensate for constantly exposing your teeth to acid.
If erosion is caused by frequent consumption of acidic drinks, lemon water, fruit juice, energy drinks or fizzy drinks, reducing the frequency and duration of acid exposure is more important than simply buying an anti-erosion toothpaste.
Read our detailed guide to how citric acid affects tooth enamel for practical ways to reduce erosion.
Should You Wait 30 Minutes Before Brushing After Acidic Food?
You will frequently see advice online telling people to wait exactly 30 or 60 minutes after eating acidic foods before brushing.
While avoiding vigorous brushing immediately after a strong acidic exposure is sensible, current UK preventive guidance states that there is no strong evidence that precise toothbrushing timing is a major determinant of tooth wear.
The more important steps are to reduce repeated acidic exposures, avoid swishing acidic drinks around your mouth, keep them mainly to mealtimes and continue brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
What Toothpaste Is Best for Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is more than simply feeling thirsty. Saliva helps neutralise acids, wash away food debris and support remineralisation, so reduced saliva can significantly increase the risk of tooth decay and erosion.
If you have dry mouth, a fluoride toothpaste is particularly important.
Some people with a dry or sensitive mouth also find strongly flavoured or heavily foaming toothpastes uncomfortable. A mild-flavoured or low-foaming toothpaste may therefore be easier to tolerate.
People with significant dry mouth may have a high enough risk of decay to benefit from prescription high-fluoride toothpaste, but this needs to be assessed by a dentist.
Persistent dry mouth can be caused by medication, medical conditions, dehydration and other factors. If it continues, mention it during your dental examination so the underlying cause and your individual decay risk can be considered.
What Is High-Fluoride Toothpaste?
Standard toothpaste sold over the counter in the UK contains up to approximately 1,500 ppm fluoride. Stronger fluoride toothpastes are available on prescription for people at increased risk of tooth decay.
The two commonly prescribed strengths are:
2,800 ppm Fluoride Toothpaste
This may be considered for people aged 10 years and over who have active tooth decay or a particularly high risk of developing cavities.
5,000 ppm Fluoride Toothpaste
This is available for people aged 16 years and over who have a high risk of tooth decay.
It may be considered for people with problems such as:
- Repeated or active tooth decay
- Root surface decay
- Significant dry mouth
- A highly cariogenic diet
- Certain medications that increase decay risk
- Some complex medical or dental situations
High-fluoride toothpaste should be used exactly according to the instructions supplied by your dentist and the specific product. Do not give prescription-strength toothpaste to another member of your family simply because they also experience cavities.
What Toothpaste Should Children Use?
Fluoride toothpaste should be introduced as soon as a child’s first teeth begin to appear.
Children Under 3 Years
Brush twice daily using only a smear of toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
The tiny amount is important because young children may swallow toothpaste rather than spit it out.
Children Aged 3–6 Years
Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
Children who have a higher risk of decay may be advised to use toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride.
Children Aged 7 and Over
A standard family toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride is generally appropriate.
Parents should continue supervising brushing until children have developed sufficient ability to clean their teeth effectively themselves. Many children still benefit from supervision and encouragement beyond the age of seven.
After brushing, encourage children who are able to do so to spit out the toothpaste rather than rinsing with water.
For more advice about keeping young teeth healthy, visit our children’s dentistry page.
Do Children Need Special Children’s Toothpaste?
Not necessarily.
The colourful packaging and mild or fruity flavours of children’s toothpaste may make brushing easier, but the important number to check is the fluoride concentration.
A toothpaste marketed specifically for children is not automatically better for their teeth.
Current UK guidance actually encourages introducing young children to a mild mint-flavoured toothpaste where possible, because they will eventually need to transition to ordinary family toothpaste.
If your child strongly dislikes mint or has sensory sensitivities, however, finding a flavour and texture they tolerate can be more important than insisting on one particular type.
What About Charcoal Toothpaste?
Charcoal toothpastes are commonly marketed as natural whitening products, but they should not be assumed to be healthier or more effective simply because they contain charcoal.
Some charcoal products work mainly by physically removing surface stains. Depending on the formulation, this may also make them relatively abrasive.
More importantly, some charcoal toothpastes contain little or no fluoride.
If you choose a charcoal toothpaste, check the fluoride concentration rather than relying on the whitening or “detox” claims on the front of the packaging.
For most people wanting genuinely whiter teeth, professional assessment followed by appropriate teeth whitening is more predictable than repeatedly using abrasive toothpaste.
Are Herbal and Natural Toothpastes Better?
Words such as “natural”, “herbal”, “organic” and “chemical-free” are largely marketing terms rather than indications that a toothpaste provides better protection against dental disease.
Some people simply prefer the taste or ingredients of these products, which is perfectly reasonable. The important point is to check whether the toothpaste still provides the fluoride concentration appropriate for you.
If an alternative toothpaste does not contain fluoride, you may be giving up one of the most effective parts of your daily cavity-prevention routine.
Does Toothpaste Need to Foam to Work?
No. The amount of foam a toothpaste produces is not a measure of how effectively it prevents cavities.
Foaming agents help spread toothpaste around the mouth and provide the familiar sensation many people associate with cleaning, but some people find excessive foam unpleasant.
Low-foaming products can be useful for people with:
- Sensory sensitivities
- A very dry or sensitive mouth
- Difficulty swallowing
- Certain disabilities or medical conditions
The key is still to choose an appropriate fluoride toothpaste and clean every tooth surface effectively.
What About SLS-Free Toothpaste?
Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is a common foaming ingredient in toothpaste. Most people tolerate it without difficulty.
However, some people find strongly foaming toothpaste irritates their oral tissues, and people prone to mouth irritation sometimes prefer an SLS-free or low-foaming alternative.
SLS-free toothpaste is not inherently healthier for everyone. If you choose one, check that it still contains the appropriate fluoride concentration.
What Is the Best Toothpaste if You Have Braces?
Fixed braces create additional areas where plaque and food can collect, increasing the importance of excellent oral hygiene.
A fluoride toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride is generally appropriate for teenagers and adults with braces unless their dentist or orthodontist recommends something different.
Pay particular attention to cleaning around brackets and along the gum line. Interdental brushes can also help reach areas that an ordinary toothbrush cannot clean effectively.
People who develop repeated decay or are considered particularly high risk during orthodontic treatment may receive additional fluoride recommendations from their dental team.
Should I Use Mouthwash After Brushing?
Not immediately.
Using mouthwash straight after brushing can wash away the concentrated fluoride left by your toothpaste.
If a fluoride mouthwash has been recommended, use it at a different time of day from brushing — for example, after lunch — unless your dentist gives you different instructions.
Is Expensive Toothpaste Better?
Not necessarily.
A relatively inexpensive supermarket toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride can provide excellent protection against tooth decay.
More expensive products may contain additional ingredients for sensitivity, staining, gum health or erosion, but a higher price does not automatically mean better everyday dental protection.
For someone without a particular dental problem, standard fluoride toothpaste may be all that is required.
How Much Toothpaste Should Adults Use?
Adults should follow the instructions supplied with their toothpaste and use enough to clean all tooth surfaces effectively.
The often-repeated advice to use only a “pea-sized amount” primarily applies to young children to limit the amount they may swallow. Prescription-strength toothpaste also has its own specific dosing instructions.
Regardless of the amount used, avoid swallowing toothpaste and spit out the excess after brushing without rinsing.
Quick Guide: Which Toothpaste Should I Choose?
- Most adults: 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride toothpaste.
- Sensitive teeth: fluoride sensitivity toothpaste containing an appropriate desensitising ingredient.
- Tea, coffee or smoking stains: a whitening toothpaste can help with surface staining, but professional whitening produces a greater colour change.
- Bleeding or inflamed gums: a gum-health toothpaste may help, but effective plaque removal and professional assessment are more important.
- Dental erosion: fluoride or specialist anti-erosion toothpaste can provide additional protection, alongside reducing acidic exposures.
- Dry mouth: fluoride toothpaste is particularly important; a mild or low-foaming formula may be more comfortable.
- Frequent tooth decay: ask your dentist whether you need prescription 2,800 ppm or 5,000 ppm fluoride toothpaste.
- Children under 3: smear of toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
- Children aged 3–6: pea-sized amount containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
- Children 7+: usually 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride.
- Charcoal or natural toothpaste: check the fluoride concentration rather than relying on marketing claims.
When Should You Ask Your Dentist Which Toothpaste to Use?
Most people can choose a suitable everyday toothpaste themselves. However, personalised advice can be useful if you experience:
- Repeated tooth decay
- Persistent sensitivity
- Dry mouth
- Significant gum recession
- Bleeding gums or gum disease
- Dental erosion or excessive tooth wear
- Frequent mouth irritation
- Difficulty brushing because of disability or sensory sensitivities
- Problems maintaining oral hygiene around braces or dental restorations
At Glow Dental, a routine dental examination allows us to assess your individual risk of tooth decay, gum disease and tooth wear. Our dental hygienists can also show you how to improve your brushing and interdental cleaning technique and recommend products appropriate for your mouth.
The Bottom Line: Which Toothpaste Is Best?
There is no single brand of toothpaste that is best for everyone, but for most adults the starting point is straightforward: choose a toothpaste containing 1,350–1,500 ppm fluoride and brush thoroughly twice a day.
Specialist products can then be selected according to your individual needs:
- Sensitivity toothpaste for sensitive dentine
- Whitening toothpaste for surface stains
- Gum-health toothpaste alongside effective plaque control
- Anti-erosion toothpaste for people susceptible to tooth wear
- Prescription high-fluoride toothpaste for selected patients at high risk of decay
Most importantly, brush last thing before bed and on one other occasion each day, clean every tooth surface and the gum line, and spit rather than rinsing after brushing.
If you are unsure which toothpaste is appropriate for you or your child, contact Glow Dental in Battersea for personalised advice.
For independent evidence-based guidance, you can also read the UK Government’s guidance on fluoride and toothpastes.
Written by:
Glow Dental
Published:
Last updated:
