The reality is that you don’t need that much toothpaste at all. In fact, you just need a small amount of toothpaste, around the size of a pea, to reach maximum efficiency.
Brushing your teeth seems like such a simple task and one that you probably believe you are doing in the most effective way possible. You’ve been doing it multiple times a day for years! But, are you doing it right? According to studies, one of the most basic aspects of brushing your teeth is often overlooked. That is the amount of toothpaste that a person should use on a daily basis. As consumers, we are used to seeing commercials in which there is usually a large amount of toothpaste on the toothbrushes.
Toothpaste was created to freshen your mouth and does not provide many more benefits. The main role of cleaning your teeth and making you healthier actually comes from the toothbrush. The paste you add on your toothbrush is just a cleaner that allows you to remove bacteria from your teeth in an efficient manner.
There are some negatives to using too much toothpaste. The more toothpaste used, the more “foam” that will be created in your mouth. Studies have shown that most Americans will only spit once during the brushing process. If their mouth fills with foam very early in the brushing sessions, they are more likely to spit and terminate the session before all the brushing was finished. This leads to the problem of duration while brushing. Again, studies show that it takes at least two minutes of “targeted brushing” to clean the teeth properly and only 16% of Americans will actually brush their teeth for this long. This is another reason that electric toothbrushes have become so popular in the last decade. An electric toothbrush can accomplish eight minutes worth of brushing results in just two actual minutes compared to a manual brush.
Additionally, if you suffer from canker sores, then you need to be aware that the most toothpaste includes sodium lauryl sulfate that can irritate and expand the surface area of a sore. Avoiding toothpaste with this ingredient is highly recommend if you suffer or are prone to getting sores in your mouth. If you can, you should try to use toothpaste that includes fluoride, as this includes many antibacterial elements that will help you remove bacteria from your mouth and lead to a much better result from your brushing. This is especially true if you are suffering from ailments such as gum recession or sore teeth. In this particular case, fluoride toothpaste can provide you with relief in both of these categories.
Using the right amount of toothpaste is part of the formula that will help set you up for ideal oral hygiene. Most people don’t consider that there is such a thing as using TOO much toothpaste, but as you can see, there are negative side effects. Stick with just a small pea size amount and make sure to brush with a purpose for at least two minutes, twice a day for optimal results!
