Dentifrice Ingredients Guide to Patient-Specific Recommendations

Categories: Dental Hygiene

Author(s): Dr. Howard Strassler, DMD, FADM, FAGD, Nisha Ganesh, DDS, MAEd

Course Type: Self-instruction journal and web based activity

Target Audience: Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienist, Dentists from novice to advanced

Educational Objectives

A Clinician's Guide to Dentifrices

At the completion of this program, the participant will

• Describe the importance of using dentifrices to maintain oral health
• Be able to list and describe ingredients in dentifrices
• List the different broad categories of dentifrices
• Understand the misconceptions about dentifrice abrasives
• Compare the differences in abrasives in dentifrices
• List the therapeutic agents in dentifrices
• Understand the basis for dentifrice recommendations to patients

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Abstract

Patients have a variety of oral conditions that will require the dental professional to provide recommendations for dentifrices based upon the product’s ingredients.  Dentifrices contain active ingredients or additives that perform specific functions.  These ingredients and additives include abrasives, fluorides, remineralizing agents, desensitizing agents, antiplaque agents, and anti-tartar ingredients.  Toothpastes also contain detergents, humectants, thickeners, preservatives, flavoring agents, sweeteners, and coloring agents.  This article will review the common ingredients in toothpastes and the role abrasives play in plaque and stain removal.  Also, abrasives in toothpastes can have an efficacious role in the treatment of gingivitis and caries prevention.  It is the responsibility of the oral care professional to understand the ingredients in dentifrices so that patients can be provided specific recommendations based upon their individual needs.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORTER: This course has been made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Church & Dwight.