Chewable toothpaste: advantages and limitations

 Chewable toothpaste! Yes you read it right. It is s toothpaste in a tablet form that you can bite into. You can now brush your teeth on the go. Does it sound great? There is more to it. Read on for details.

What is Chewable toothpaste?

Traditionally toothpaste comes in tube forms that needs to be squeezed out for use. As it nears the end, squeezing out becomes more difficult and the paste might herniate out through other weak spots of the tube. Also, sometimes toothpaste also comes in a powder form. You cannot eat the toothpaste. 

But now toothpastes are available in tablet forms. They come in recyclable or glass bottles and there is no plastic involved in the making. These are not yet easily available. You might find them in some organic stores or online. It is still a small USD 20 million industry compared to the USD 18 billion conventional toothpaste industry. 

Ingredients and advantages  of this tablet form toothpaste

The tablet toothpaste is a compressed powder of xylitol (natural sweetener) that also kills oral bacteria, calcium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate. Often they have cream of tartar. 

These toothpastes are easy to carry and use. They are good for travel. They are heat resistant and do not melt with heat. They are sustainable. The tubular toothpaste was started in 1898 and are an environmental hazard. Dr Sahar Farzadnia from the independent eco-labelling program, Good Environmental Choice Australia says:

“Conventional toothpaste tubes aren’t easy to recycle,”

"They’re usually made from different types of plastics, including the cap, and they’re sometimes laminated with a metal layer, which can be another big barrier to recycling. This means tubes can end up in landfill and fragment over time.”

Some also have microplastics that are not degradable and can enter the food chain. 1 bottle of toothpaste tablets has 60 tablets that can last a month. 

Are the toothpaste tablets effective?

You can safely chew into the toothpaste. But is it effective? They do contain substances to kill harmful mouth bacteria and cleanse the oral cavity. But no proper studies have been conducted in this direction for evidence. This toothpaste also has no fluoride. Fluoride is a must to fight dental cavities. Its first use was in 1956 by Procter and Gamble firm. Dr James Fernando, dentist and research fellow at Melbourne Dental School states:

“There’s a lack of scientific evidence on how good toothpaste tablets are, in terms of oral health,” 

“Toothpaste should be able to remove plaque, prevent gum disease and tooth decay, and fluoride is a big part of that. There’s not much clinical data out there on toothpaste tablets, and to be honest, I couldn’t find any lab data either.”

He concludes:

“I personally wouldn’t be telling patients, ‘Hey, use this product’.”

After biting into a tablet, you use a wet brush to cleanse and then rinse the mouth. Thus it is a crush-brush-rinse directive. But the nibbling phase might not be all that a good experience. But if there is an environmental advantage, no harm in going tubeless. Isn't it?

Read here Josh Lazie Resnik biography