Hi there,
I have two questions about toothpastes .. I know that stannous fluoride is bad for teeth, but what about sodium monofluorophosphate, which is used in some tom’s of maine ADA approved toothpaste?.. Which abrasive used in toothpaste is less enamel damaging; hydrated silica or calcium carbonate? .. Thanks. att.
-JM
Hi JM,
Thanks for your question.
The problem with stannous fluoride is that it stains teeth by forming a metallic oxide – and can cause sensitivity to the skin of the mouth.
Sodium monofluorophosphate was developed originally because it had an advantage over sodium fluoride for specific situations.
The monofluorophosphate could be combined with chalk-based abrasives to produce a lower cost toothpaste ( that was needed for use in developing countries!)
This paste was never introduced because it was BETTER – just cheaper.
Some studies have claimed that the effectiveness is similar.
There is a lot of pressure from companies to sell these less expensive pastes (= better profit margin pastes).
I have looked back and found good studies from the 1990s ( before toothpaste was big business) that show sodium fluoride combined with silica is superior.
FYI Tom’s is now owned by Colgate and may have changed the ingredients recently.
Not sure- but I am sticking with Crest regular Cavity Protection paste.
Ellie
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