Erythritol Toothpaste: Is It More Effective Than Xylitol for Oral Health Care?
We all understand that it is important to brush our teeth with toothpaste everyday. It is one of those must-do daily tasks that ensure we live a healthy life.
Good oral health involves minimizing your risk of getting bad breath, decaying teeth, and gum diseases—all of which lead to painful experiences in your everyday life. When our mouths are healthy, we are able to enjoy our life, enjoy eating, enjoy talking, and enjoy just being ourselves. But when our mouth becomes overwhelmed with disease and decay, a whole string of health problems start trickling in. What started out as gum disease could actually lead to a heart attack one day—we’re not exaggerating!
The condition of our mouth gives clues to what is going on in the rest of our body. If something is not quite right when it comes to our oral health, there may be underlying issues in other places of the body or our health that need to be addressed. And it doesn’t just have to do with cavities!
If our mouth has unnatural amounts of saliva, frequent cold sores, or painfully sensitive gums, it may be clues to a much larger issue at hand.
One of the best ways to combat these health issues is by prioritizing your oral health care. It may sound simple and is something that too many of us often decide to neglect, but it really can impact our daily lives for better or for worse.
But the good news is, oral health care is something you can master—starting with the right kind of toothpaste!
In general, oral health care encompasses a large variety of aspects that include investing in a good toothbrush for your specific type of teeth, all-natural toothpaste that matches your individual oral hygiene care needs, and a healthy balanced diet that has limited amounts of sugar.
What to Look for in Your Toothpaste
The type of toothpaste you brush your teeth with has a real impact on your oral health. Not all toothpaste is created equal.
There is fluoride toothpaste, kid-specific toothpaste, natural herbal toothpaste, and fluoride-free toothpaste (though our all-natural fluoride-free toothpaste checks multiple boxes by being made with herbal extracts while being safe for kids!). In addition to that, there is toothpaste that is made with erythritol as a key ingredient versus xylitol as a key ingredient.
For many people, they view toothpaste as toothpaste, no matter what the brand is. And in one sense, they are correct, as all toothpaste is designed to help keep your mouth healthy and clean.
In this sense, there are some shared factors that you will find in the majority of good toothpaste:
- Gel or paste form: The type of binding agent determines if your toothpaste will be in a gel form or a paste form. Both work well when it comes to oral care.
- Abrasive agents: This is what gets the actual plaque off your teeth. Normally these agents are a material that is a bit rougher and has calcium carbonate in it, which further helps get rid of your tooth stains.
- Flavoring: Because toothpaste needs to taste good! There is a range of different types of sweeteners that are used, including erythritol and xylitol. Our toothpaste flavors all use xylitol, and include Mint, Cinnamon Tea Tree, and Bubble Berry!
Erythritol vs. Xylitol
Even with similarities, the details of toothpaste vary greatly and can have different results for your oral health—so pay attention to the details of your toothpaste ingredients!
Erythritol is a natural sweetener used in many types of toothpaste. While it is a sweetener, erythritol does not lead to any type of tooth decay—it just makes toothpaste taste better. In fact, erythritol is commonly used as a processed sugar substitute in a range of healthy foods to encourage people to make better food choices. Erythritol is found in a range of fruits and vegetables like mushrooms. There is also no aftertaste from erythritol, which is preferred by many people.
In comparison, xylitol is another common sweetener used in toothpaste and is our natural sweetener of choice for our own all-natural toothpastes. Xylitol, like erythritol, is also used as a sugar replacement alternative to encourage people to not eat junk food with processed sugar. In terms of how it aids to your oral health, xylitol is more beneficial to actual dental hygiene in that it can actually prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth, reducing overall tooth decay and plaque levels. It also prevents the horrid dry mouth feeling by producing an increased amount of saliva in your mouth.
So, what type of toothpaste is better? The one with erythritol or xylitol?
We believe that xylitol is the best option to choose for toothpaste as it can keep bacteria at bay and can actually strengthen your enamel.
The reason that many use erythritol and state it is great for your oral health is that it is able to slow down the growth of bacteria in your mouth. When bacteria have the opportunity to break down, it directly impacts the enamel on your teeth, leading to those unwanted cavities. Because erythritol is able to slow the growth and decrease the acid produced from this bacteria, some may select a toothpaste with erythritol over xylitol even though both can still improve your overall oral health.
While erythritol and xylitol are very close cousins in the sense of being natural sweeteners, it ultimately comes down to the individual brand and the other ingredients that it needs to balance out with. For us, xylitol works perfectly with our coral calcium and Nano Silver ingredients to make for an effective, safe, all-natural toothpaste formula.
Why We Don’t Use Erythritol
How crazy is this—the erythritol in your toothpaste is the same erythritol used to ferment beer, wine, and even cheese! Who would have ever thought that a key natural ingredient in making adult beverages would be one of the best natural ingredients for dentists to improve oral hygiene and health?
Erythritol toothpaste acts as a two-in-one for your mouth, as it is able to protect and clean your gums while equally polishing your teeth and removing any unwanted stains. It even acts as a restorative agent that ensures our oral hygiene is well looked after long-term.
But for us, we believe that xylitol has a better track record of being a defender against bacteria, plaque, and tooth decay. We want to make our toothpaste as sweet as it gets when it comes to oral healthcare!
Final Notes
Oral health is essential to keeping your mouth healthy. When you have good oral hygiene, it means that your teeth are strong with a healthy amount of enamel, your gums are strong with minimal sensitivity and you have a plan to maintain your oral hygiene consistently.
But for many people, a straightforward oral hygiene routine is not always the answer to maintaining your oral health. That is because your oral health can run in the family and actually be genetic! So you need to work extra hard and take extra measures to ensure your teeth and gums remain strong.
No matter what your genetic history is or the type of diet and lifestyle you partake in, there is a range of measures you can implement to help maintain your oral health in addition to brushing, flossing, and gargling.
There are a ton of natural ways to prevent cavities. Being conscious of natural remedies you can incorporate into your daily routine like using all natural oral hygiene products and minimizing processed sugar and sodas in your diet will help your oral hygiene in the long run.
It is also important to keep your gums healthy, and there is a range of strategies to do this. That includes flossing your teeth each and every day! You will know when your gums need some extra love, as they tend to be extra sensitive and can bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. If this is the case, take extra care in cleaning your gums. And if the sensitivity and bleeding do not go away, definitely make a trip to see the dentist as soon as you can!
Sources:
https://www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/article/16405290/is-erythritol-our-new-best-friend
https://www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/article/16405290/is-erythritol-our-new-best-friend
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