Would you swallow PAYING £130 for posh paste? FEMAIL puts the best premium toothpastes to the test
- John Bell & Croyden’s Swiss Smile’s £100 D’Or toothpaste sold out within hours
- London pharmacy has reported an 18 per cent rise in sales during lockdown
- Victoria Woodhall gives her verdict on a selection of premium toothpastes
You’ve got the super-slick serum, designer shampoo, even the trendy toilet paper used by the stars. But do you own the latest bathroom must-have with a second-mortgage price tag: a luxury toothpaste?
Used to two-for-one deals with the weekly shop, a tube of ‘whitening’ gel might seem the height of sophisticated dental care. But there is a raft of new pampering products for your pearly whites — and they’re proving wildly popular, despite their cost.
When upmarket London pharmacy John Bell & Croyden introduced Swiss Smile’s £100 d’Or toothpaste with 23.75-carat gold dust, it sold out within hours. And the store has reported an 18 per cent rise in posh paste sales during lockdown.
Clearly the sight of our yellowing gnashers on endless Zoom calls has forced many of us to rethink how we care for our teeth.
Victoria Woodhall gives her verdict on a selection of the best premium toothpastes – including Apa Beauty White Toothpaste (pictured)
But what exactly do these eye-wateringly expensive toothpastes offer? It’s the quality and concentration of the ingredients that counts, apparently.
Not all fluoride formulas, for example, are equally effective. Pricier versions often contain a higher concentration of powerful protective ingredients meaning you need to use less, while cheaper ones may be full of fillers to make them look white.
And if you’re hoping for superior mouth care, beware sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), commonly added to toothpaste to make it foam.
‘SLS is terrible for the mouth,’ says dentist Dr Uchenna Okoye. ‘It’s drying, and for those who experience a dry mouth, it can make it worse.’
But should you really splash out on gold dust for a sparkly smile? We put premium toothpastes to the test . . .
SPLASH OUT TO FLASH A HOLLYWOOD SMILE
Apa Beauty White Toothpaste, £14, cultbeauty.co.uk
Most dentists advocate fluoride to prevent tooth decay as it repairs, or ‘remineralises’, enamel weakened by acid. But New York aesthetic dentist Dr Michael Apa, who caters for upmarket clientele including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman and Ashley Olsen, opts for a fluoride-free formula.
This ‘advanced-whitening’ toothpaste comes in a sleek and minimalist white plastic tube.
Verdict: It claims to have ‘Ultrapolish technology’ which, mysteriously, is not explained, although it does have silica to remove stains. There’s also a remineraliser called hydroxyapatite, plus xylitol to help prevent tooth decay and glycerin to moisturise.
The SLS makes it unnecessarily foamy and potentially irritating. The natural peppermint oil and menthol are brilliant at banishing garlic breath, but you could just suck a sugar-free mint. Style over substance. 2.5/5
CHOCCY FIX FOR THE SUPER-RICH
Theodent 300 Whitening Toothpaste, £130, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Victoria said Theodent 300 Whitening Toothpaste (pictured) is a high-performer eclipsed by its crazy price tag
Clinical trials back up claims that this paste repairs enamel more effectively than fluoride, thanks to an extra-strength version of remineralising ingredient Rennou, made from a cocoa plant extract. It’s safe to swallow, contains silica for stain removing, glycerin to moisturise and xylitol to reduce plaque.
Verdict: If I won the lottery, I might well enjoy the subtle chocolatey, minty flavour of this luxurious paste of a morning.
You are required to double cleanse — once to get rid of food, followed by a rinse, and then a second application to coat the teeth in active ingredients.
The gold and white tube screams money. But £130, seriously?
A high-performer eclipsed by its crazy price tag. 2/5
PUTTING ON THE GOLDEN GLITZ
Splat Gold toothpaste, £17, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Victoria said Splat Gold toothpaste (pictured) did leave her teeth feeling clean, but the gem inclusions seem gimmicky
With diamond powder, gold, Royal Jelly and a ‘Royal Mint’ flavour, all this natural, fluoride-free paste is missing is Her Majesty’s royal warrant. It claims to offer ‘luxury total care and whitening . . . specially for VIPs’.
Verdict: This translucent, pearly gold paste has a strong mint tang. Its main ingredient is calcium lactate, shown in studies to reduce tartar. Antioxidant grape-seed and Royal Jelly extracts are good for gums and I like that the maker has used rounded and smoother particles of silica to make stain removal less abrasive. My teeth did feel clean and polished, but the gem inclusions seem gimmicky. Blingy. 2.5/5
MEET THE MOUTH MOISTURISER
MySmile by Dr Uchenna Whitening Toothpaste, £17.99, londonsmiling.com
Victoria said MySmile by Dr Uchenna Whitening Toothpaste (pictured) is like an anti-ageing serum for teeth
After decades of giving celebrity smile makeovers on the TV show 10 Years Younger, Dr Uchenna has made a nourishing fluoride paste that claims to remove stains, protect the enamel and moisturise the gums, all wrapped in pretty recycled plastic packaging.
Verdict: This pearlescent cream is packed with active ingredients, including xylitol and hydroxyapatite, to protect against cavities without preservatives, fillers or foaming agents.
With no drying SLS, this would be a great choice for menopausal women who already experience a dry or burning mouth.
Most of all, my mouth felt moisturised after using this. It’s like an anti-ageing serum for teeth. Worthwhile investment. 5/5
SEND YOUR PEARLY WHITES TO THE SPA
Buly 1803 Opiat Dentaire Orange Ginger Clove, £21, selfridges.com
Victoria said Buly 1803 Opiat Dentaire Orange Ginger Clove (pictured) is pretty, but she worries it lacks protection
An artisan toothpaste from a 19th-century brand, this has no harsh foaming ingredients such as SLS, but no active ingredients like fluoride, which would prevent decay.
Verdict: I loved the sophisticated botanical taste as well as the painterly plastic-free packaging. It’s a treat that makes you want to spend time brushing.
But I don’t think my dentist would be too impressed if I told him I’d switched from my fluoride toothpaste to this concoction, which the makers say contains a fancy ‘spa water reputed to ward off oral afflictions’. Pretty, but I worry it lacks protection. 2.5/5
LIKE CONDITIONER – FOR YOUR TEETH
Swiss Smile Pearl Shine Dental Conditioner, £71, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Victoria said Swiss Smile Pearl Shine Dental Conditioner (pictured) could be drying long term because of the high percentage of SLS and alcohol
If your enamel is damaged or your teeth are sensitive, this high-tech, fluoride-free mousse claims to coat teeth in tiny fragments of mother of pearl, with peptides and hydroxyapatite to heal and protect enamel for up to 16 hours and stop stains sticking.
Verdict: Like a hair conditioner, I applied this light, minty, no-rise foam after cleaning my teeth with my usual toothpaste. It gave a soft protective coat, which stayed on.
Like all toothpaste, you spit out the excess, but you’re not supposed to rinse it off — this allows the active ingredients to keep working. However, the high percentage of SLS and alcohol means it could be drying, long term. A pricey add-on. 2/5
ARTISAN AROMAS AS YOU BRUSH
Selahatin Escapist Whitening toothpaste, £16.50, harveynichols.com
Victoria said Selahatin Escapist Whitening toothpaste (pictured) has a pleasant aroma that turns brushing into me-time
A toothpaste inspired by the experience of the brand’s Swedish founder who had a stroke in his 20s.
Left paralysed with heightened senses, he wanted to create a toothpaste that became a ritual to change his emotional state at the beginning and end of the day. The result is a collection of four artisan ‘aromas’ with poetic names in minimalist, recyclable, metal tubes.
Verdict: With sodium bicarbonate and silica to remove stains, as well as fluoride and hydroxyapatite to protect teeth, this minty, cinnamon and orange concoction has plenty of concentrated ingredients.
Ads for High Street brands encourage you to load up your brush, but with this you only need a tiny bit as it’s very foamy (it contains SLS). The aroma was pleasant and made you want to spend time cleaning. Brushing becomes me-time. 3/5
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