Prescription Toothpaste, What's That?
Updated: Aug 13, 2018
I have to be honest, until I started dental hygiene school I had NO idea there was such thing as prescription toothpaste and I think if someone had told me about it, I probably would have laughed in their face, what little did I know, right?!;)
What is Prescription Toothpaste?
Prescription toothpaste is basically what I refer to as high powered fluoride. Why do I say this, simply because that's what makes it different from drug store toothpaste. In the US and Canada, the FDA regulates the amount of fluoride allowed in all toothpastes that can be found in drugstores. The reason for this is because fluoride is one of those things that is a double edged sword! Too little fluoride can ruin you and too much can REALLY ruin you!
The basic action fluoride does for your teeth is strengthen them against acid and candy, however having too much can cause discoloration in teeth, known as fluorosis. Then why would someone want prescription toothpaste? Simple, if you're like me and LOVE candy, then you are what we call 'at risk for cavities' and therefore need to whip out the shield, AKA fluoride and this is why you would be a PERFECT candidate for prescription toothpaste.
What I use?
The truth is that there is no brand that's 'better' than others because they are all required to put in the same concentration of fluoride. In the picture above, I am using 3M ClinPro, but really all of them work.
A few points about it:
Ask your dentist for a prescription
It usually costs about $10-15, but it should last an entire year at least because you only use a TEENY TINY amount
After using it, you're not supposed to rinse with water so it can be slightly uncomfortable, but don't worry! You get used to it!