If the toothpaste is not selected well, there is a risk of cancer? 4 kinds of toothpaste are not recommended to buy, may be potentially harmful
"Promoting tooth growth", "repairing tooth holes", "stabilizing teeth"... Recently, the Guangdong Provincial Food and Drug Administration issued a reminder that toothpastes claiming these effects are deceptive and have no scientific basis.
People's Daily Online once released news that a 10-year-old girl had only a slight decay in one tooth at first, but the girl's parents purchased a toothpaste claiming to "repair the cavity" online. After using a few tubes, they went to check. The girl has turned into 6 cavities.
Now more and more types of toothpaste are appearing in front of people, and the price ranges from a few yuan to dozens of yuan. What is the difference between these toothpastes? Expensive must be all right?
1. What is the difference between a few yuan and a few dozen yuan of toothpaste?
The conventional ingredients of toothpaste are mainly friction agents, moisturizing agents, foaming agents, water, etc. Whether it is a few yuan of toothpaste or a few dozen yuan of toothpaste, the main ingredients are friction agents. The most basic function is to clean teeth and maintain oral hygiene. .
Abrasives can increase friction and remove plaque, calculus and other tartar on the surface of the teeth. The main reason for the different prices of toothpaste today is that the function of toothpaste was relatively simple in the past, but now there are many functional toothpastes on the market: whitening, anti-aging Allergy, anti-inflammatory, hemostasis, fresh and so on.
However, the functional toothpastes approved by the health department are actually only three kinds of toothpastes: anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-caries .
Anti-inflammatory toothpaste: It can relieve the symptoms of gingival swelling and bleeding gums to a certain extent. It is suitable for people with periodontitis and gingivitis, but long-term use may damage the normal flora of the oral cavity.
Anti- sensitivity toothpaste: Relieve the pain of the teeth due to the stimulation of cold, hot, sour and sweet, and relieve the symptoms of tooth allergy.
Anti- caries toothpaste: This type of toothpaste contains fluoride preparations, which can prevent caries, but affect the function over time.
It should be noted that toothpaste does not replace drugs, nor does it have the function of treating oral diseases. When buying toothpaste, choose according to your own needs, and you don’t need to pursue the more expensive the better. If you do not live in a high fluoride area, adults can buy fluoride toothpaste, which has been confirmed by many literatures to prevent dental caries.
However, look at the fluorine content before purchasing. The new national standard stipulates that the fluoride toothpaste used by adults is recommended to be controlled between 0.05% and 0.15%, and the toothpaste for children is between 0.05% and 0.11%. Toothpaste with excessive fluoride content not only cannot prevent dental caries, but also has the possibility of poisoning.
Two, 4 kinds of toothpaste, not recommended to buy
The following 4 kinds of toothpaste, don't use it if you can't use it, it may harm your health.
1. Triclosan
Triclosan is often used as one of the ingredients in toothpaste, disinfectant, and mouthwash. It is relatively low in toxicity and has antibacterial effects.
However, this substance interferes with endocrine function, and long-term exposure, even in small amounts, may increase the risk of cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
2. Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide often appears in sunscreens and is also used as a whitening agent in cosmetics. The European Union considers titanium dioxide inhaled to be a second-class carcinogen and prohibits it as a food additive. Some studies have found that nano-scale titanium dioxide can accumulate in the body and may cause harm to the human body.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Patients with oral ulcers are not recommended to buy toothpaste containing this ingredient, because sodium lauryl sulfate can cause oral ulcers to worsen and dry the oral mucosa. In addition, it may also cause the teeth to be allergic to cold.
4. Tranexamic acid
Tranexamic acid, also known as hemostatic acid, is mostly used as an anticoagulant in clinical practice, but this drug is a prescription drug and generally requires a doctor's prescription before it can be used. Improper use may cause diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and vomiting. and other symptoms, and often use this toothpaste, it only seems to work on the surface, but it does not reduce inflammation.
3. Do you really know how to brush your teeth?
When do you usually brush your teeth? Some people think they should brush their teeth before meals, while others think it is better to brush their teeth after meals.
If you have just eaten food with a low pH value or drank carbonated beverages, it is recommended to brush your teeth 30 minutes after meals to avoid damage to tooth enamel. Generally speaking, brushing your teeth after meals can keep your mouth clean in time.
When some people brush their teeth, they think that toothpaste should not be wet with water. In fact, except for some toothpastes that are recommended for dry brushing due to their special ingredients, water or non-stick toothpaste does not have much impact on the brushing effect.
Many ingredients in toothpaste generally need to be dissolved in water to work better. Regardless of whether it is wet or not, the mouth has always been a moist environment, so just follow your own original habits.
When brushing teeth, many people like to use the horizontal saw-type horizontal brushing method, but in fact, this brushing method has many disadvantages, such as poor control of the force, not being able to clean the sides of the teeth, gums and other positions well, and may also damage the teeth due to excessive force. and many more.
It is recommended to use the modified Pasteur brushing method: when brushing the inner and outer sides of the teeth, it is recommended that the bristles and the tooth surface be inclined at a 45-degree angle. First, apply slight pressure in the direction of the root to vibrate back and forth to brush the teeth, and then brush in the direction of the crown.
When brushing the front teeth, move the toothbrush head up and down vertically, and when brushing the occlusal surface, brush back and forth vertically.
It is important to have a brushing sequence of your own to ensure that each tooth surface is not missed. It is recommended that adults brush their teeth at least twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time.
There are many toothpastes on the market, but choosing the right one is more important. It is recommended not to buy toothpaste containing triclosan, titanium dioxide and other ingredients. Finally, ensure good brushing habits and maintain oral hygiene.
References:
[1] "Do you really choose toothpaste? 》. Nutshell.2015-09-18
[2] "Don't buy these 3 kinds of toothpaste, or cause cancer! Hurry up and throw away some at home...". Popular Science China. 2022-02-28.
[3] "The first step of self-oral health care: teach you the correct brushing "posture". People's Health. 2021-09-20.
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