If you’ve ever thrown away a tube of toothpaste in the airport security line, or had to clean out leaked paste from the bottom of your cosmetics bag (#same), you may benefit from a more travel-friendly option. Enter: toothpaste tablets.
These bite-sized tabs are practical, environmentally friendly, *and* look cute sitting on your bathroom counter. But since this modern form of toothpaste is relatively new to the market, and not yet approved by the American Dental Association as a whole due to a lack of clinical trial data, it’s natural to wonder if they are the best option for taking care of your pearly whites. Here, our top questions about the tabs answered by dental pros. Plus, 11 of the best options to consider.
What are toothpaste tablets?
Simply put, toothpaste tablets are made with similar ingredients to traditional paste, sans water, then pressed into a pill-like shape, says Matthew Reck, DDS, senior dentist of Chikaming Dental Center in Sawyer, Michigan. “Toothpaste has all the ingredients to foam in your mouth on its own and doesn’t need your spit [because it contains water], but the tablets require saliva in order to foam.” That being said, if you have dry mouth, you may want to stick with traditional paste since the tablets rely on saliva to lather and cover the entire surface area of your mouth, he explains.
What are the benefits of toothpaste tablets?
In addition to being easier to travel with, toothpaste tablets can be more sustainable since most are sold in glass jars or recyclable aluminum bottles. And considering 1.5 billion traditional toothpaste tubes are discarded worldwide every year (and most end up in landfills), tablets are the more environmentally-minded alternative, says Lori Risser, DDS, a dentist at Erskine Family Dentistry in South Bend, Indiana.
Can tablets whiten your teeth?
You might be looking to show off a sparkling smile, but toothpaste tablets may not deliver immediate whitening results. “Traditional whitening paste usually contains liquid hydrogen peroxide to chemically lighten your teeth, but tablets do not,” says Dr. Reck. However, some tablets contain sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a baking soda) which can act as a mild surface stain remover to whiten acid-based stains like coffee, tea, and red wine, he explains. “Nano-hydroxyapatite also repairs enamel, so it can subtly lighten your teeth, but it may take three to four months to see a difference,” he adds.
If you are looking for immediate whitening action, it’s best to visit your dentist, says Dr. Risser. “Dentist-dispensed whitening gel and in-office whitening procedures are the best way to whiten your teeth so the doctor can monitor sensitivity or any issues while whitening.”
Can toothpaste tablets protect against cavities?
Tablets that contain fluoride, nano-hydroxyapatite, and/or xylitol can prevent cavities, says Dr. Reck. Fluoride has antimicrobial properties and protects against cavities by binding to the tooth and creating a barrier on the surface, while nano-hydroxyapatite strengthens the tooth and repairs enamel by replacing missing minerals, he explains. Many tablets also contain xylitol, a natural anti-plaque ingredient that decreases the amount of decay-causing bacteria in your mouth, he adds.
So, in order for tablets to prevent cavities, you need to read the ingredients and check for fluoride, nano-hydroxyapatite, or xylitol.
Side note: Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs, so if your pup is known to jump on the counter, make sure you keep all tabs in a safe spot, stresses Dr. Risser.
Can tablets freshen your breath?
Whether you use paste or tablets, the goal for a healthy mouth and fresh breath is to flush out the bacteria. This means brushing for at least two minutes, routinely flossing, and using tablets that contain fluoride and/or xylitol which decrease the bacteria that cause bad breath, explains Dr. Risser. And while a lot of tablets also contain essential oils like peppermint or spearmint to give a “fresh mouth” feeling, these just add flavor to mask bad breath and do not necessarily kill bacteria.
Convinced? These are the 11 best toothpaste tablets to try right now, according to dentists:
