The Bad Breath Blog

Toothpaste Basics and Commonly Available Options

Toothpaste or dentifrice refers to a substance, such as a paste, gel or powder, used for cleaning and polishing teeth. Dentifrice is the most commonly used consumer product for maintaining the aesthetics and health of teeth in children and adults (1, 4). It has multiple functions, including removing plaque, limiting halitosis and  applying fluoride to the tooth structure.

Certain active ingredients in toothpaste also impede tooth disease and gingivitis (1, 4). Used in conjunction with a toothbrush, toothpaste enhances the mechanics of brushing, cleaning and polishing with a toothbrush and enables it to reach accessible teeth surfaces (1, 4).

The History of Toothpaste

Research suggests the ancient Egyptians began using toothpaste for oral hygiene around 5000 BC. At nearly the same time, Roman and Greek residents started using toothpaste. Around 500 BC, the populace occupying the regions of India and China also gravitated to the practice of using dentifrice. Like modern humankind, these people used the earliest forms of toothpastes for cleaning their teeth and gums, and eliminating halitosis.

The ingredients in early toothpastes differ from culture to culture. The Egyptians used a combination of  ingredients, including burnt eggshells, ox hooves’ ashes and water. Various powdered mixtures prevailed up to the early 1800s. The modern era of toothpastes began when soap was added to the product, giving it a paste form.

In the 1850s, consumers could buy toothpaste packaged in jars; Colgate started this method of packaging its product in 1873. In the 1890s, Colgate transitioned to selling toothpaste in tin/lead tubes– similar to the toothpaste dispensers used today.

In 1914, manufacturers started adding fluoride to toothpaste. During World War II, a shortage of lead/tin, and leakage of the metal alloy into toothpaste, caused a switch to plastic tubes. Soap remained an ingredient in toothpaste up to 1945. Subsequently, it was replaced with sodium lauryl sulfate.

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Please note: if you have already been lucky enough to win one of these bloggers giveaways, please refrain  from entering in order to allow others to win. Thank you!

Healthy Housewife Files has posted her TheraBreath Review. This busy wife and blogger was ideal for testing our products. In her review, she writes “As many of you know, I work as a special education teacher for preschool children with special needs. Specifically, my job is to work with them one-on-one on skills that they are struggling with. They come to my office and sit with me at my table while we work/play. This calls for very close contact. Those of you who have children or who are around them often know that they say whatever is on their minds. They will not hesitate to tell you, ‘Your breath stinks.’” Were our TheraBreath toothpaste, oral rinse and mouth wetting lozenges her savior or a waste of her time? You’ll have to go here to find out.

Kimberley Moments has posted her TheraBreath review and giveaway. She too tested out our toothpaste, lozenges and oral rinse. She had various opinions on our products, one she didn’t like very much at all and we appreciate her honesty. Luckily, someone else loved it. “My fiance Timothy used it and loved it. So it all is based on preferences. He was like ‘Babe i’m keeping the mouthwash K?’ I was like ‘Go at it!’” It’s great to see someone in her family did like it! She also was very sweet and shared our lozenges with her uncle.  “As soon as I was eating one I was thinking OMG, my uncle Nathan might benefit from these mints. What made me think of that is he is in remit-ion from cancer and having radiation in his mouth killed his saliva glands. His mouth gets super dooper dry. I gave him a handful to try and he was happy about them. They truly did help with his dry mouth while sucking on one.” We’re so glad that we could help Uncle Nathan with his dry mouth! Go here to read the entire review and to enter her TheraBreath giveaway too!

Are you a blogger located in the United States and interested in reviewing TheraBreath products?  Just go to http://www.therabreath.com/blogger and fill out the form to let us know. Please note, we do not pay for reviews but will send the products to try at no cost.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, do you know the difference between a cold sore and a canker sore? They are also known as mouth ulcers and cause that unbelievably annoying, pain that can affect your ability to eat, drink and just enjoy your daily life. Canker sores: occur only inside your mouth, they aren’t contagious or caused by a virus. Click here to see a chart display the differences and to learn even more about canker sores in-depth.

What causes a canker sore? Canker sores are typically caused by damage to the oral tissue in your mouth. This is often due to sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) – an all too common foaming agent that is an ingredient in most of the toothpastes that are on the market. But NOT TheraBreath toothpaste!

You hopefully already know that here at TheraBreath, we are big believers in only using the best quality ingredients and eliminate any unnecessary or potentially harmful chemicals, flavors or detergents.

So check the ingredients on you (and your children’s) toothpaste. Do you see sodium lauryl sulfate in it? If so, you may want to consider giving it the boot and getting your very own tube of TheraBreath toothpaste. After all, we have enough to worry about in our busy lives; canker sores shouldn’t be an issue.

What is SLS? It’s SOAP. It’s a surfactant that can cause damage to the lining of the interior of your mouth and dry it out, causing dry mouth, which you probably know by now can lead to bad breath.

Why would oral care companies include this in your toothpaste? SLS creates that foaming action that develops in your mouth when you’re brushing your teeth. While it isn’t actually doing anything to better clean your teeth, gums and mouth, it gives the user the impression that it does. SLS is also used in many shampoos for the same foam-filled experience.

Want to learn even more about canker sores and sodium lauryl sulfate? Then be sure to click here for more fact-filled articles and information.

Please note: if you have already been lucky enough to win one of these bloggers giveaways, please  refrain from entering in order to allow others to win. Thank you!

My Journey with Candida has posted their TheraBreath review and giveaway. This busy blogger used our TheraBreath Multi Symptom Probiotics after doing a cleanse to help with the health of her tongue. “I just finished doing a cleanse.  During the cleanse, my tongue started burning again, this means I need to get back on probiotics.  Not only that, I have terrible sensitive teeth from the candida causing all the bacteria in my mouth.  Hopefully, my teeth won’t be so sensitive after I am finished with this.” What did she think? You’ll have to go here to find out. She posted before and after photos and tons of great information. She also reviewed our TheraBreath oral rinse. She’s also hosting a giveaway, and her prize is a little different. If you’re interested in trying our TheraBreath Gum, you’ll definitely want to enter.

Autumn Blues Review is back and this time has reviewed our TheraBreath Oral Rinse and  Toothpaste. She talks about her experience with our toothpaste – “When finished brushing I noticed my teeth felt really clean and not gritty. I also had no need to spit and rinse many times. A problem I  eem to have after brushing with regular toothpaste, as I feel I just cannot get the toothpaste out of my mouth, especially off my tongue. I followed up with the TheraBreath Oral Rinse…” What did she notice about our oral rinse? You’ll have to go here to find out. Plus, she’s hosting a TheraBreath giveaway! So pay Autumn Blues Reviews a visit and enter for a chance to win some TheraBreath products.

Are you a blogger located in the United States and interested in reviewing TheraBreath products? Just go to http://www.therabreath.com/blogger and fill out the form to let us know. Please note, we do not pay for reviews but will send the products to try at no cost.

Please note: if you have already been lucky enough to win one of these bloggers giveaways, please refrain from entering in order to allow  others to win. Thank you!

Jenn’s RAQ (recently asked questions) has posted her second TheraBreath review and giveaway. This time, she’s reviewed our new Multi  Symptom Probiotics. Jenn was a fan of our toothpaste and mouthwash, but what did she think of our 7 day probiotic treatment? Here are some of her thoughts on oral care probiotics. “I had never thought about using probiotics in this way before!  Of course I have heard of using probiotics in our diet for our gut, but of COURSE we have all sorts of imbalances in our mouths – it makes a lot of sense that this product would be out there to combat the issues that cause oral problems!  I love the work and research that Dr. Katz has put into his product line of oral care products.  They’re innovative and don’t MASK issues – they get right to the root of the issue and help to change your oral health for the better rapidly.” Click here to find out whether or not she liked the product and what results she noticed. Don’t forget to enter her giveaway too!

Sam of Kidsumers has written up a review of “Great products to take care of your body”. We’re very happy that she included TheraBreath in her review. She talks about our Multi Symptom Probiotic. Here’s why she tried our probiotics: “I was interested in trying the TheraBreath Multi Symptom Probiotics because I am prone to canker sores in my mouth and I wondered if this would help prevent them. I actually waited until I had a sore to try it, because I generally get multiple cankers in my mouth at one time and I wanted to see if I developed more sores while using it. I did not get any new canker sores during the time I used the probiotics, and that is very unusual for me. I have always thought the cankers were due to stress or anxiety, but now I am rethinking that. This product is beneficial for a variety of symptoms.” But that’s not all, go here to read the rest and find out what other products she suggests.

Let’s Start Saving Now is hosting a TheraBreath review and giveaway. Her and her husband put our TheraBreath toothpaste, oral rinse and mouth wetting lozenges to the test. Go here to read the entire post and to enter her giveaway. She addresses her husband’s bad breath, and smoker’s breath. “My husband and I both smoke.  It takes care of smoker’s breath.  If you have a hard time with getting rid of bad breath, these products are for you.” It’s worth the read, so start by and Let’s Start Saving Now.

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