Navigating the (ridiculous) toothpaste jungle
How do you choose a toothpaste? What’s the difference between Sensitive Professional Repair and Expert Protect Dual Action and which one’s best for my teeth? Here’s my attempt to navigate the excessive toothpaste range.
My dental hygienist told me to use a toothpaste that’s specifically made for sensitive teeth. Her product recommendations? Elmex Sensitive Professional and Sensodyne.
Elmex Sensitive Professional. Wow. So I’m a professional tooth brusher now. I guess you amateurs just can’t keep up with that. Professional or not, I don’t like the way this toothpaste tastes, so I want to give Sensodyne a go, too.
Sensodyne Clinical Repair. Sounds good – like specialists at a renowned hospital. «Starts to repair sensitive teeth in 2 minutes.» I’d actually be more interested in knowing when it finishes the repair work rather than when it starts, but hey, but you can’t have everything. It also says «new» on the product. New is always good.
But wait a minute. Sensodyne Repair & Protect doesn’t only repair, it also protects my teeth. Surely, that has to be even better. After all, why would I only want to repair my teeth if I can protect them, too? Plus, this toothpaste doesn’t cost any more. So why does the other one even exist?
Dental care products
Quantity discount
EUR6,32 per piece for 4 units EUR84,27/1l
Sensodyne Proschmelz Zahnpasta
75 ml
I have no clue what «Pronamel» means, but I guess it means I’ll get enamel like a pro and never have a toothache again. The best part: one litre currently only costs 64 francs. Please fill my tank full! If I order 50 litres right now, I can use the money I save to pay for my next holiday – or, with a bit of luck, even complete a Panini World Cup sticker album.
Although filling a Panini album might not be realistic after all. And anyways, health is more important than money. So maybe I’ll go for the Sensodyne Rapid after all. This toothpaste promises quick relief. Wait, does quick mean more or less than two minutes? And isn’t repair better than relief?
Maybe Sensodyne Repair & Protect Whitening is the one for me. Haven’t we discussed this one before? No, that was just Repair & Protect, without «Whitening». Why would I do without whitening if I can get the same one with whitening effect? Does the other one only exist to make this one look better? However, whitening products are said to wear down tooth enamel. That wouldn’t be a good idea, since I already have sensitive tooth necks. But if it repairs and protects at the same time, am I safe to go for whitening after all? Is this the Holy Grail of the toothpaste industry? There is, in fact, an index for the abrasive effect of toothpaste: Relative Dentin Abrasion (RDA). But it’s not specified on this tube.
Dental care products
Quantity discount
EUR7,90 per piece for 4 units EUR105,34/1l
Sensodyne Proschmelz Repair
75 ml
Oh and then there’s Pronamel Repair, too. Again, why is there a Pronamel version without «Repair»? Are there people who insist their tooth enamel mustn’t be repaired? And if so, why would they buy Pronamel toothpaste in the first place?
Dental care products
Quantity discount
EUR9,98 per piece for 4 units EUR133,07/1l
Sensodyne Sensitivity and gums
75 ml
Sensodyne Sensitivity & Gum. Isn’t this what we’ve been talking about all the time? Same, same, but different wording. It’s an antibacterial toothpaste that comes in two flavours: fresh mint and fresh. I get «fresh mint», but what does just «fresh» taste like?
Sensodyne MultiCare Deep Clean Toothpaste with Fluoride. Don’t blame me, I’m just reading what it says on the tube. Does it even matter which one I go for? My dental hygienist said any Sensodyne product is fine. So why are there so many different ones to choose from?
Dental care products
Quantity discount
EUR6,06 per piece for 4 units EUR80,80/1l
Sensodyne Multicare Original
75 ml
Sensodyne MultiCare Original. This one seems to be the original. The mother of all Sensodynes. The real deal, so to speak. I guess. What I know for sure: it has long delivery times.
Sensodyne Expert Protect Dual Action. I may be a pro, but I’m not an expert yet. I guess this one isn’t for me then. On top, it costs twice as much. Does that mean it’s twice as good? Who knows?
Sensodyne Complete Protection. Ahhh, complete! So this one covers everything. But wait a minute, it only says «complete protection». There’s no mention of repair. So does this mean all other aspects are incomplete?
Sigh.
I’ve covered a few of Sensodyne’s toothpastes, but not all. There are 44 in total. But that’s enough. More than enough. Too many, in fact.
How to choose a toothpaste: Possible strategies
- Research: I could create an Excel spreadsheet listing all 44 toothpastes, read comparison reviews, enter the specifications, type my fingers sore, work out a value-for-money formula – and then remember the dental hygienist said it doesn’t matter.
- Roll the dice: If it doesn’t matter according to the expert, I could let chance decide. If I get a five, I’ll order the toothpaste in fifth place. To make this strategy work, though, I’d need a twenty-sided dice. At least. Or I could type «random number under 20» into Google.
- Wait: Looks like the toothpaste industry can’t stop innovating, so it might be worth waiting until the Sensodyne Expert Max Pro Ultra Triple Action hits the shelves.
- Boycott: I could use my supposed power as a consumer and punish Sensodyne for its ridiculous product range by not buying anything. That’ll teach them! Of course, I can’t just stop brushing my teeth. Back to Elmex then. They have an even wider range of toothpastes, but at least I know which one I need. Or I could go for one of the countless brands that only offer a single toothpaste – but then I’d most likely end up with some woo-woo product that wouldn’t help me at all.
- Diversify: Whenever you’re in the dark – for example, when it comes to the stock market – diversification is a good way to limit the damage. In other words, I could use a different toothpaste every time. This way, I never use one that’s completely wrong for too long, and every now and then I might even use the right one. Who knows whether there is a right and wrong anyway? In fact, this is the strategy I’ve decided to go with.
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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