In the war to win consumers' dollars, advertisers bombard us with messages claiming that their products will make our teeth and gums cleaner, brighter, and healthier. While sometimes true, often these advertising statements serve only to influence us into buying products with little or no benefit. Just about everyone wastes money when it comes to purchasing and using toothpaste. We usually use two to three times as much toothpaste as is necessary.
Some dentists advise that a pea size drop of toothpaste is sufficient to clean teeth and gums.
Others suggest that you use enough toothpaste to just cover the toothbrush bristles with a thin flat layer of toothpaste. Both amounts, however, are far less than what most people use. It seems that over our lifetimes we have been conditioned into thinking that the amounts of toothpaste we see in ads is the amount needed for good oral health. We also tend to waste money when we buy expensive toothpastes containing ingredients which we are led to believe will result in cleaner teeth. Often, however, these ingredients don't result in cleaner teeth but just the sensation of cleaner teeth.