Best Toothpaste to Use With the Philips Sonicare Toothbrush

You’ve been brushing your teeth forever – even when you could barely reach the sink. Although your parents made you brush your teeth, you probably never gave much thought to the toothpaste or toothbrush you used, and hence, you spent maybe 30 seconds or so each time you brushed.

Well, the dental hygienist will tell you that 30 seconds is not enough. A brushing session needs to be two minutes to best get at the plaque and stimulate your gums properly.

Two minutes? An eternity! Who could do that? For a long time, I did no such thing.

Enter the Philips Sonicare toothbrush, an electric toothbrush with a head that vibrates up to 30,000 times per minute. It’s convenient, because all the models have timers that shut the motor off after two minutes. How easy, you may think.

Yes, the Philips Sonicare toothbrush does a good job, and, with the additional use of dental floss, you can expect greatly improved teeth and gums. The plaque formation and tartar will be so reduced that you may be able to wait a year between dental cleanings.

Users of the Sonicare toothbrush usually focus on proper brushing technique. But the choice of toothpaste is important, and becomes even more important as you reach an excellent level of brushing.

Two minutes with an electric toothbrush means that your gums and mouth tissue are going to be exposed to the ingredients in the toothpaste for a much longer time than most of us are accustomed to! This can cause sensitivity and chapped lips. You have to keep your lips closed during part of the brushing session, so your lips do get a lot of contact with your paste.

According to the instruction manual that came with my Sonicare toothbrush, the company recommends a gel toothpaste. Many gel toothpastes (especially AquaFresh) have the claim of a dazzling, sparkling, clean feeling after brushing. Many have whitening agents or abrasive agents that provide tartar control. I doubt you’ll want to continue with these toothpastes.

Finish brushing with your Sonicare toothbrush.  Go into the kitchen and fill up a glass with cold water, and have a drink.  Does the inside of your mouth feel sensitive and achy, or does it burn?  Quit using that toothpaste.

After a week or two, do you suddenly have chapped lips that lip balm isn’t helping?  Do you have redness and flakiness above the lip line?  If you’re a woman, does wearing lipstick make the problem worse?  Time to find another toothpaste.

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) – the stuff that makes your toothpaste foam

Some people are sensitive to this ingredient, occasionally to the extent of having problems with canker sores. And (gasp!), I found out that even Sensodyne toothpaste for sensitive teeth contains SLS!

Guaiazulene

This is a coloring additive used in many toothpastes and cosmetics.

Baking soda is a possibility if you’re highly sensitive. I used it for a couple of months, exclusively, and there was quite an improvement in my chapped lips.

Also, Burt’s Bees Natural Toothpaste may work for you (it is SLS-free). This is the only toothpaste I am using currently, and after I got used to it, it is working out great for me.

It may be hard to get used to a toothpaste that doesn't foam when you use it, and the taste will be a little different, but you'll see the difference.

Tom’s of Maine Clean and Gentle Natural Toothpaste is another alternative (SLS-free).

Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Essence with Fennel Toothpaste or any of the Desert Essence pastes

Another good choice, if you don’t mind a taste similar to licorice. If you just can't stand licorice, try the one with mint and baking soda. Oh, and some just don’t want to use fluoride, and this toothpaste has none!

• Use your Sonicare toothbrush at night only.  You don’t need it first thing in the morning, because plaque takes all day to build up from the foods you eat.  Use a manual toothbrush for morning brushing.

• If you have one of the advanced Sonicare toothbrushes, you’ll  have a choice of settings.  You can adjust your setting to “sensitive” for part of the brushing session.

• Shut off your Sonicare toothbrush before the two minutes are up.  Continue with manual brushing for the balance of the time.

• Use your Sonicare toothbrush every other day.

Image of a toothpaste tube from JonasB