Essay On Toothpaste

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Introduction

Toothpastes typically consist of:
Mild abrasives to brush off any unwanted particles and light stains. Examples of abrasives include calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts and silicates.
Fluoride to strengthen tooth enamel and remineralize enamel in the early stages of tooth decay.
Humectants to prevent water loss in the toothpaste. Examples include glycerol, propylene, glycol and sorbitol.
Flavoring agents, such as saccharin and other sweeteners improve taste
Thickening agents or binders to keep the toothpaste together. They include mineral colloids, natural gums, seaweed colloids or synthetic cellulose.
Detergents to create foam. They include sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium …show more content…

People vary considerably in their tendency to form and accumulate dental stains and surface debris—as well as in their desire for white teeth. It has been long recognized that brushing with just a wet brush has little influence on stain removal within the typical one to three minutes of twice daily brushing. Depending to some extent upon toothbrush bristle texture and the individual’s oral tissues, longer brushing times merely irritate the gingival tissues without achieving the desired tooth surface cleansing.

The three major categories of toothpaste abrasives are phosphates, carbonates, and silicas.
• Phosphates are used as part of toothpaste formulas because they help the product to leave the teeth looking white and feeling clean.
• Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD)
The Lever toothpaste ad campaign of the 1940s made this material famous with the slogan, “Makes the yellow go away.”
• Calcium pyrophosphate (CalPyro)
CalPyro is used in a toothpaste with stannous fluoride. The calcium pyrophosphate used was heat treated to reduce the soluble calcium ion availability and thus increase the fluoride ion

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