# toothpaste **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691 "2001-08-29T13:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/21 "2001-08-31T14:38:43Z")
Isn’t that whats in shampoo? ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/22 "2001-08-31T15:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jonfromdenver \* > \*\*beware of “Tom’s from Maine” toothpaste. while it is by far the healthiest choice because it is all-natural, i’ve never met a person who liked the taste of that stuff. \*\* > > i]Originally posted by epolo\*\*\* > You could also try the “Tom’s of Maine” brand. > They’re all natural, come in a variety of flavors (including my personal favorite: Fennel), with or without fluoride, no saccharine or other sweeteners, and it even comes with a list of ingredients for those of you who want to know just what it is that you’re putting in your kids’ mouths. \*\* Jon, meet epolo…and me. Tom’s of Maine is the best! Fennel and their Cinnamint are yummy. Give it a try Vanilla… -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![lather\_rinse\_repeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@lather\_rinse\_repeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lather_rinse_repeat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/23 "2001-08-31T15:12:03Z")
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is commonly found in shampoo, as well as in toothpaste. ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/24 "2001-08-31T20:04:40Z")
just for the record, i tried mint-flavored Tom’s of Maine toothpaste when i was a kid, and i can still remember how horrid it was, and everyone i know who has tried it has thought the same. but hey, i could be wrong, i haven’t ever tried this “fennel” stuff. i don’t think i could bring myself to do it though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/25 "2001-08-31T20:21:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tomcat \* > \*\*Jon, meet epolo…and me. Tom’s of Maine is the best! Fennel and their Cinnamint are yummy. > \*\* And me! I love the Fennel and the Peppermint with Flouride-I will only use other brands in an extreme toothpaste emergency-they now taste like they are made of sugar. I didn’t like Tom’s the first time I tried it, but I quickly learned to love it, and started trying other flavors. Give it a try…you know you want to. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![enPhantBlanc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2acd7d/32.png) [@enPhantBlanc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enPhantBlanc)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/26 "2001-08-31T20:45:14Z")
Tom’s rocks. They make a kiddie-paste with child-approved flavor, and you don’t have to make a special trip to the hippie store to get it–they have them in many groceries and most pharmacies where I live. Plus? One time I was watching _Sesame Street_ and they had one of those “A Visit to the Factory” segments in a toothpaste factory, and it turned out to be Tom’s toothpaste factory. How can you not buy your kid a toothpaste featured on _Sesame St_? And the flavor is topnotch. I started with spearmint and then moved to the peppermint w/ baking soda. The freshness! It is unbelievable. I wish Tom’s would make mints without sugar or fakey-nasty sweetner. I would eat them all day. (I swear I don’t work for the company.) ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/27 "2001-08-31T22:25:30Z")
what the hell is this? that toothpaste is disgusting! doesn’t anyone agree with me? please, someone who has never tried it, do it, and post on this board. the kind i tried was mint with baking soda, and i nearly puked. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/28 "2001-08-31T23:22:36Z")
I use Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, not because I’m a health freak, but because nothing else makes my teeth feel cleaner. I would be wary of their claim to be “all-natural,” since the term is almost meaningless. Among the the ingredients (Spearmint flavor) are glycerine, xylitol, and yes, even sodium lauryl sulfate. Their definition of **natural** > [@](#): > > By _natural_ we mean that the product contains no artificial preservatives, artificial dyes, or artificial sweeteners (like saccharin) and is created with minimally processed ingredients originally sourced in nature There are a great number of chemicals that might fit that definition that I wouldn’t put in my body. One of Cecil’s columns is somewhat relevant: [How can companies get away with calling processed foods “natural”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_046.html) ---
**Author:** ![enPhantBlanc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2acd7d/32.png) [@enPhantBlanc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enPhantBlanc)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/29 "2001-09-04T14:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jonfromdenver \* > \*\*the kind i tried was mint with baking soda, and i nearly puked. \*\* Well, see that might be the problem. The peppermint is a very sophisticated paste. What you probably want to do, you want to start with the the more user friendly green kind, the spearmint, and get used to it. After that you can, with great caution, attempt the peppermint w/ baking soda. Jonfromdenver, there is a period of adjustment with any serious gustatory foray you make in life. To get anything out of a dentifrice, you need to be willing to make a committment. You can’t just jump in and expect things to go smoothly with no effort on your part, jonfromdenver. Remember when you first flossed? Was that _easy?_ Was it “hip?” Was it _fun?_ All things worth putting in your mouth–wine and slimy French cheese, among others–demand that you suffer through an initiation period before you find the joy. Learn to say yes to toothpaste, jonfromdenver, lest you say no to joy. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/30 "2001-09-04T14:11:46Z")
toothpaste isn’t necessary. If you brush long enough & right, you don’t need it at all. Frankly, I don’t even know what its for but I use it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/31 "2001-09-04T14:17:53Z")
white elephant: love the last sentence. Sounds like a great sig line. You are poetic, and about toothpaste! Handy: Do you floss? ---
**Author:** ![epolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@epolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epolo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/32 "2001-09-05T20:54:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > **I would be wary of their claim to be “all-natural,” since the term is almost meaningless.** :o Thank you bibliophage, I usually try to be more careful about buying into corporate propaganda (even if it is from Tom’s). As someone who regularly insists that my interlocutors use words that mean something I am duly shamed. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/33 "2001-09-05T21:11:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > toothpaste isn’t necessary. If you brush long enough & right, you don’t need it at all. Cite, please. :rolleyes: … I don’t even know why I’m bothering. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/34 "2001-09-06T01:19:14Z")
Do you also rather, rinse & repeat MsWhatsit? One thing about giving you a site is that its info from tv before the internet but try this one sort of: [http://frugalliving.about.com/library/weekly/aa100300a.htm](http://frugalliving.about.com/library/weekly/aa100300a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/35 "2001-09-06T02:41:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > \*\*I would be wary of their claim to be “all-natural,” since the term is almost meaningless. Among the the ingredients (Spearmint flavor) are glycerine, xylitol, and yes, even sodium lauryl sulfate. \*\* I don’t know about glycerine or xylitol, but sodum lauryl sulfate is a (?derivative or by-product or something?) of coconut…essentially, it comes from coconuts or coconut oil and is, basically, “natural”, in that nothing much has been done to it. The only reason to avoid it, that I know of, is that some people are allergic to it. It is, apparently, a very useful ingredient and can be found in the greater majority of health and beauty products. My mom, who is allergic, reads labels carefully. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/36 "2001-09-06T03:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > Do you also rather, rinse & repeat MsWhatsit? One thing about giving you a site is that its info from tv before the internet but try this one sort of: > [http://frugalliving.about.com/library/weekly/aa100300a.htm](http://frugalliving.about.com/library/weekly/aa100300a.htm) That site doesn’t say anywhere that you don’t need to brush your teeth with toothpaste. It just says that toothpaste manufacturers try to get you to use too MUCH toothpaste, which is an entirely different claim. Try again. Or better yet, don’t. Here’s a page from the American Dental Association’s site recommending that you use toothpaste with flouride, as flouride helps prevent decay: [http://www.ada.org/public/faq/cleaning.html#daily](http://www.ada.org/public/faq/cleaning.html#daily) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/37 "2001-09-06T08:11:34Z")
When flodjunior went in for a check-up at age 6, the dental hygeinist recommended switching him to adult toothpaste. A pea-sized lump, like it says on the tube, and make sure he spits it out. He started having a problem with canker sores inside his mouth. A friend suggested that a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate might help. We were a bit skeptical, thinking of the scare-mail about how SLS will give you cancer, kill your dog, and steal your last TV dinner. But after thinking about it, we figured it couldn’t hurt, so we found one. They’re not the easiest toothpastes to find. Anyway, the sores have gone away. I don’t care if it’s because the sodium whatchacallit was irritating his mouth, if it’s all placebo effect, or if it’s just plain coincidence. The sores are gone and brushing his teeth is much easier on both parties. It’s been my experience that “tartar control” toothpastes have a much sharper mint flavor than their low-tech cousins. Not popular with the young’uns. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/38 "2001-09-06T13:34:41Z")
What did people use before toothpaste? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/39 "2001-09-06T13:55:40Z")
Can I join the Tom’s fan club. I’m a fennel user, too. Before toothpaste–they used tooth powder. Same idea, only powdered. Before that, and before the advent of the commercial toothbrush they used all variety of things. Baking powder on a chewed twig. Just the chewed twig. Or nothing at all. Mainly, they had crappy teeth. Or no teeth at all. But remember, they didn’t eat as much sugar as we do, so tooth decay was less of problem. Also, their life spans were shorter, so they needed the teeth for less time. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691/40 "2001-09-06T14:20:29Z")
MsWhatsit, I did it without toothpaste when I didn’t have any & it was just fine. Thing with the net these days is that everyone thinks that all the information possible in the world is on the net somewhere & that’s not the case. People did learn things before the net came about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toothpaste/78691.md?page=1)