The best toothpaste is the one that carries the ADA Seal, includes fluoride, and suits your teeth and gums well enough that you use it twice a day. No single tube is right for everyone. We explain how to choose one that supports your oral health, from sensitive teeth to whitening.
By Dr. Eric Lernor, DDS, Family Dentist, Lernor Family Dental
Many people ask us for one number one pick. We understand the appeal, but the best toothpaste depends on the mouth using it. A good one cleans away plaque (the sticky film of bacteria that builds up on teeth), helps protect enamel (the hard outer layer of each tooth), and tastes pleasant enough that you brush with it every morning and night.
Colgate, Crest and Sensodyne are names you will see on nearly every shelf, and each sells more than one formula. We do not rank brands. We read the label: does the tube carry the ADA Seal, does it include fluoride, and does it fit what your teeth and gums need right now? A list of the top 10 toothpastes in the world cannot answer that, because it has never looked inside your mouth.
Toothpaste also has limits. In Dr. Lernor's words, home care removes only about 80% of the causes of dental disease at best, and professional care gets that close to 100%. Good dental care does take time, but that prevents the need to redo it later.
What Makes the Best Healthy Toothpaste?
The best healthy toothpaste does four jobs well, and you can check each one on the tube in under a minute.
Look for the ADA Seal
The American Dental Association (ADA) awards its Seal of Acceptance to products after reviewing the evidence behind their safety and effectiveness claims. A tube with the Seal has passed that review. A bold claim on the front of a tube has not.
Does Toothpaste Need Fluoride to Protect Your Teeth?
For most people, yes. Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens enamel and helps it resist the acids that lead to cavities, and the ADA recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Some products use sodium fluoride and others use stannous fluoride, and both forms appear in toothpastes that carry the ADA Seal. Limiting sugary drinks and sipping water after meals adds to that protection, and the daily habits that protect enamel work alongside fluoride rather than replacing it. Your dentist can tell you whether a different approach makes sense for your mouth.
Choose Gentle Abrasives
Abrasives are mild gritty particles that polish plaque and surface stains off your teeth. Too little leaves stains behind, and too much can wear down enamel over time. A paste that carries the ADA Seal has met the ADA's requirements, so it is a safer bet than an unreviewed, gritty formula.
Pick Flavors and Ingredients You Can Live With
Mint is the classic choice, and other flavors range from cinnamon to fruit. Choose the one that keeps your twice-daily brushings going for the full two minutes. Skim the ingredients too. If a paste leaves your mouth sore or irritated, stop using it and tell us at your next visit.
Matching Toothpaste to Your Situation
| Your situation | What to look for on the label |
|---|---|
| Everyday care for adults | ADA Seal, fluoride, a flavor you like |
| Coffee or tea stains | A whitening toothpaste with mild abrasives |
| Sensitive teeth | A formula made for sensitivity, plus the ADA Seal |
| Gum concerns | ADA Seal and fluoride, then an exam to check your gums |
| Prefer a natural toothpaste | Read the ingredients and ask us about fluoride first |
What Is the Best Healthy Toothpaste for Adults?
For most adults, the answer is a fluoride toothpaste with the ADA Seal. That is the best healthy toothpaste for adults who want one simple, dependable choice they can fine-tune later.
Brushing cleans your teeth, gums and tongue, and plaque left along the gumline is associated with gingivitis (early gum inflammation), which can progress to gum disease. Brushing along the gumline supports gum health, but toothpaste cannot tell you whether you have gum disease. Only an exam can. When we find gum problems, we offer periodontal (gum) therapy, including scaling and root planing.
Want a brighter smile? A whitening toothpaste removes surface stains from things like coffee and tea, usually with mild abrasives or polishing agents. It generally does not change the natural shade of your teeth. The best toothpaste for whitening is a gentle whitening toothpaste that also carries the ADA Seal. For a bigger change, we offer teeth whitening with custom take-home trays and pre-loaded whitening trays, and we can tell you at an exam whether it suits your teeth.
What Toothpaste Is Best for Sensitive Teeth?
Sensitive teeth zing with cold air, ice cream or hot coffee. Worn enamel and exposed roots are common culprits, and the causes of tooth sensitivity range from brushing too hard to a cavity or a cracked tooth. The best toothpaste for sensitive teeth is a formula made for sensitivity that also carries the ADA Seal. Sensodyne is one brand that makes such formulas, and they often use ingredients like potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride. Use one consistently for a few weeks. If your teeth still zing, see us, because sensitivity sometimes points to a problem that toothpaste cannot fix.
Natural and European Toothpaste: Are They Worth It?
What Is the Best Natural Toothpaste Without Fluoride?
We cannot name one, because fluoride is the ingredient with the strongest track record against cavities, and every toothpaste that carries the ADA Seal contains it. Some people still prefer to skip fluoride. That is a conversation for an exam, where we look at your cavity history, your enamel and your gums. If you choose a fluoride-free natural toothpaste, make sure it is not gritty, keep up your cleanings, and tell us what you use.
What Is the Best Natural Toothpaste Without Chemicals?
No toothpaste is free of chemicals. Water, minerals and flavorings are all chemicals, and 'natural' has no single standard meaning on a toothpaste label. A natural toothpaste can still be a reasonable choice if its ingredients are gentle and it does the basics: it cleans plaque, it does not irritate your mouth, and ideally it includes fluoride. Read the ingredients list rather than the claims on the front.
Is European Toothpaste Better?
Not by default. Toothpaste sold in Europe follows different rules than toothpaste sold in the United States, so the mix of ingredients, abrasives and flavors can differ. That difference does not make an imported tube better or worse. The same short checklist applies: fluoride, gentle abrasives and a review of its claims. The ADA Seal is a U.S. program, so imported tubes usually do not carry it. If you like a European toothpaste, bring the tube to your exam and we will read the label with you.
Which Toothpaste Do Dentists Recommend?
Dentists most often recommend a fluoride toothpaste that carries the ADA Seal, then match the details to the patient. That is why you may hear different answers from different dentists. The ADA's list of accepted toothpastes is a good place to start, and your own enamel, gums and sensitivity decide the rest. We do not endorse one brand.
What Toothpaste Should You Stay Away From?
Skip a toothpaste that:
- Claims it can replace dental visits or fix gum disease on its own.
- Feels gritty enough to leave your teeth or gums sore.
- Irritates your mouth after a week or two of use.
- Makes dramatic whitening promises without a clear ingredients list.
How Do You Know When to Switch Toothpaste?
Switch when your mouth tells you something changed. Common signs include new sensitivity to hot or cold, stains building up faster, soreness or irritation, or a recommendation from your dentist after an exam. Your needs shift over time, so the best toothpaste this year may not be the best toothpaste next year.
Give a new paste a couple of weeks of daily brushings before you judge it, and change one thing at a time so you know what made the difference. Moving from one ADA Seal paste to another, say Colgate to Crest, is fine. Bleeding gums or lasting bad breath are reasons to schedule an exam, not to buy another tube. Bring your toothpaste to your next visit, since cleanings, exams and digital x-rays are part of our General Dentistry care, and we can check how it is working for your oral health.
Talk Toothpaste With Dr. Lernor at Your Next Visit
Since 2003, patients in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Cave Creek and Paradise Valley have come to Lernor Family Dental to find out what their teeth and gums need, and a new patient exam with x-rays is $49. To talk toothpaste with us, call 602-485-4747 or send a form through Request an Appointment.