Is there a risk of cancer if the toothpaste is not selected properly? 4 kinds of toothpaste are not recommended to buy, they may be potentially harmful
"Promoting tooth growth", "repairing cavities", "stabilizing teeth"...Recently, the Guangdong Food and Drug Administration issued a document reminding 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 a slight cavity in one tooth at first, but the girl's parents bought a toothpaste online that claimed to be able to "repair cavities". The girl has turned into 6 cavities.
Now more and more types of toothpaste appear 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 good?
1. What is the difference between toothpaste of a few yuan and tens of yuan?
The conventional ingredients of toothpaste are mainly abrasives, humectants, foaming agents, water, etc. Whether it is a few yuan toothpaste or tens of yuan toothpaste, the main ingredients are abrasives. 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 teeth. The main reason for the different prices of toothpaste today is that toothpaste used to have a single function, but now there are many functional toothpastes on the market: whitening, anti-aging Sensitive, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, fresh and so on.
However, the functional toothpaste approved by the health department is actually only anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-caries toothpaste .
Anti-inflammatory toothpaste: It can relieve symptoms such as redness and swelling of gums and bleeding gums to a certain extent. It is suitable for people with periodontitis and gingivitis, but long-term use may damage the normal oral flora.
Anti-sensitivity toothpaste: Relieve the pain caused by the stimulation of cold, hot, sour and sweet, and relieve the symptoms of tooth sensitivity.
Anti- caries toothpaste: This kind of toothpaste contains fluorine preparations, which can prevent caries, but it will affect the function as the storage time becomes longer.
It should be noted that toothpaste is not a substitute for medicine, nor does it have the function of treating oral diseases. When you usually buy toothpaste, choose according to your own needs, and you don’t need to pursue the more expensive the better. If you don't live in a high-fluoride area, adults can buy fluoride toothpaste, which has been confirmed by many literatures to prevent dental caries.
But look at the fluorine content first when buying. According to the new national standard, it is recommended that adults use fluoride toothpaste with a fluoride content between 0.05% and 0.15%, and children's toothpaste between 0.05% and 0.11%. Toothpaste with excessive fluoride content not only cannot prevent dental caries, but also has a chance of poisoning.
Two, 4 kinds of toothpaste, not recommended to buy
The following 4 kinds of toothpaste, if you can not use it, don’t use it, it may endanger your health.
1. Triclosan
Triclosan is often used as one of the ingredients in toothpaste, disinfectant, and mouthwash. It has relatively low toxicity and has antibacterial effects.
But this substance interferes with endocrine function, and even trace amounts of long-term exposure 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 in the inhalation route to be a second-class carcinogen and prohibits it from being used as a food additive. Studies have found that nano-sized 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 aggravate oral ulcers and dry out the oral mucosa. In addition, it may cause tooth sensitivity to cold.
4. Tranexamic acid
Tranexamic acid, also known as hemostatic acid, is mostly used as an anticoagulant drug in clinical practice. However, 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, but it 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 that you should brush your teeth before meals, while others think it is better to brush your teeth after meals.
If you have just eaten food with a very low pH value, or drank carbonated beverages, it is recommended to brush your teeth 30 minutes after a meal to avoid damage to tooth enamel. Generally speaking, brushing your teeth after meals can keep your mouth clean in time.
Some people think that the toothpaste should not be wet when brushing their teeth. In fact, except for some toothpastes that are recommended to be dry brushed due to special ingredients, whether it is wet or not does not have much effect on the brushing effect.
Many ingredients in toothpaste generally need to be dissolved in water to function better. Regardless of whether it is wet or not, the oral cavity is always a humid environment, so just follow your original habits.
When brushing teeth, many people like to use the horizontal saw-style horizontal brushing method, but in fact, this brushing method has many disadvantages, such as it is difficult to control the force, it cannot clean the sides of the teeth, gums, etc., and it may damage the teeth due to excessive force and many more.
It is recommended to use the modified Papanicolaou brushing method: when brushing the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth, it is recommended that the bristles and the tooth surface be inclined at 45 degrees.
When brushing the front teeth, brush the toothbrush head vertically up and down, and when brushing the occlusal surface, brush vertically back and forth.
It is important to have your own habit of brushing your teeth in order to ensure that the surface of each tooth 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 a variety of 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 toothbrushing habits and maintain oral hygiene.
References:
[1] "Do you really know how to choose toothpaste? ". Nutshell. 2015-09-18
[2] "Do not buy these 3 kinds of toothpaste, or induce cancer! Throw away some at home...". Popular Science China. 2022-02-28.
[3] "The first step in self-oral oral health care: teach you the correct "posture" for brushing your teeth". People's Health. 2021-09-20.
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