Dentifrice

Dentifrice is a powder, paste, or liquid, used along with a toothbrush to remove dental stains and food debris, minimize the plaque build-up, strengthen teeth against caries, alleviate sensitivity, and introduce a fresh, pleasantness and clean feeling. Tooth powder was historically used as a dentifrice among the Romans. They made tooth powder from various substances, such as the bones and horns of animals; crabs; oyster shells; and eggshells, sometimes after being previously burnt. Powdered substances made from charcoal, brick, and salt have been used widely to clean teeth in India and Bangladesh’s rural areas. Baking soda has been the most commonly used tooth powder in modern times. Toothpaste is the most frequently used dentifrice that serves multiple oral hygiene functions. The essential components of toothpaste are abrasive, humectant, binder, and surfactant. Abrasive is a dense cleansing material that aids in removing plaque, food debris, and residual stains from the teeth. The humectant consists of one or more liquids that dissolve other dentifrice ingredients. The binder helps prevent the separation of dense and liquid components during storage. The surfactant is used to generate foam and a smooth sensation during use. The flavor is added, which gives a dentifrice good taste and contributes to mouth freshness. Besides, several other agents are added to a dentifrice formulation, including fluoride to decrease the incidence of dental caries, triclosan along with zinc citrate to obtain anti-gingivitis benefits, pyrophosphate to reduce calculus formation, and peroxide as a whitening agent. Potassium nitrate is also added to some dentifrices, which give benefits the sensitive teeth. A good dentifrice offers many benefits. People should choose a high-quality dentifrice that helps solve oral care challenges. [Hussain Md. Shahjalal]