Say Cheese: 15 Toothpastes That Target Stains, Sensitivity, and More

Updated on Oct 18, 2021

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If you think about your twice-daily skincare routine, chances are it's flanked somewhere between brushing your teeth—once in the A.M. and once in the P.M. Because like our skin, our teeth require a good deal of daily maintenance to stay healthy.

Brushing twice per day is a simple step, but one that is duly important. The American Dental Association states that oral health is linked to overall health; in other words, poor dental hygiene can impact more than just your pearly whites. Brushing (and flossing!) daily can keep bacteria in the mouth from growing exponentially and wreaking havoc. You've got to do it, so why not make the most of it with a top-notch toothpaste?

Below, we've rounded up the best toothpaste on the market, including options geared towards reducing sensitivity, stains, odors, and more.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Crest Pro Health Advanced Deep Clean Toothpaste at Amazon

This minty option covers a range of issues, including cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, stains, and bad breath.

Best for Gum Health:

Crest Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste at CVS

This pick neutralizes plaque bacteria in hard to reach places, especially along the gum line, to fight and prevent gingivitis.

Best for Cavity Protection:

AIM Cavity Protection Toothpaste Ultra Mint Gel at Amazon

Its multi-benefit formula promises to clean teeth, freshen breath, protect against cavities, and strengthen enamel.

Runner-Up, Best for Cavity Protection:

Aquafresh Cavity Protection Toothpaste at Amazon

Formulated specifically for those who have, or fear, cavities, this toothpaste is for those that want to visit their dentist less.

Best Natural:

Tom's of Maine Prebiotic Natural Toothpaste at Amazon

Affordable and natural, this prebiotic toothpaste fights plaque and bacteria without any harmful ingredients.

Best Whitening:

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste at Amazon

This whitening toothpaste is made with hydrogen peroxide and has serious stain fighting power.

Best for Sensitive Teeth:

Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste at Amazon

This toothpaste brightens teeth and decreases sensitivity and tooth pain.

Best Charcoal:

hello Fluoride Whitening Toothpaste at Amazon

This charcoal toothpaste naturally whitens and brightens teeth.

Best Fluoride-Free:

Davids Premium Natural Toothpaste at Amazon

This fluoride-free toothpaste tastes amazing and is made of clean and safe ingredients.

Runner-Up, Best Fluoride-Free:

Boka Coco Ginger Toothpaste at Boka.com

This pick uses hydroxyapatite instead of fluoride to clean, repair, and strengthen your teeth.

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Crest is one of the most trusted names in toothpaste with options so wide-ranging that anyone would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. We like this minty option the most because it covers a range of issues in one trusty tube, including cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, stains, and bad breath.

But don't just take our word for it. This toothpaste has the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance (an honor that not all Crest toothpaste has been awarded, we should add) for addressing all of the aforementioned concerns, so you can rest assured that it's been vetted for efficacy. More specifically, it passed laboratory tests and met ADA and American National Standards Institute-approved dental standards.

Crest Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste

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Gum disease should be diagnosed and treated by your dentist, but if you suffer from symptoms or want to address what may be an issue down the line, reach for this toothpaste—another pick that's earned the American Dental Association's Seal of Approval. As Crest describes, activated foam seeks out and neutralizes plaque bacteria in hard to reach places, especially along the gum line, to fight and prevent gingivitis. The gentle cooling effect keeps your gums feeling refreshed during and long after you brush.

Aim Cavity Protection Toothpaste Ultra Mint Gel

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Cavities are among some of the peskiest tooth problems out there, yet so many of us get them. If you want your toothpaste to have a little added protection against cavity formation, try this tube awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the American Dental Association. Its multi-benefit formula promises to clean teeth, freshen breath, protect against cavities, and strengthen enamel.

Aquafresh Cavity Protection Fluoride Toothpaste

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As we said, cavities suck. But rest assured, cavities can happen to the best of us—even the daily flossers and fluoride rinsers. Packed with fluoride and superior bacteria-fighting foam, this is a great option if you are looking to fill a certain void in your oral care routine. (The void is a cavity … get it?).

Tom's of Maine Prebiotic Anticavity Natural Toothpaste

View On Amazon

Natural is a big buzzword of late, but Tom’s of Maine was making it a part of its brand ethos since it’s conception in 1970. This toothpaste contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and isn’t tested on animals, but what makes it stand out is its prebiotic makeup. Just like everywhere else in and on your body, your mouth has good and bad bacteria. This toothpaste is designed to get rid of the bad bacteria and feed the good with, you guessed it, prebiotics.

Colgate Optic White Renewal Teeth Whitening Toothpaste

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Nothing we have tried is better than Colgate Optic White when it comes to daily whitening. The delicious paste is loaded with 3% hydrogen peroxide, more than any other brand on the market. The brightening results are seen immediately, and the whitening results over time. Add to that a good dose of fluoride to combat any sensitivity and within a few brushings, you’ll notice stains fading. It has also been awarded the Seal of Approval by the American Dental Association for the category of bleaching.

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Sensodyne is the industry leader in toothpaste for sensitive teeth. It's formulated with potassium nitrate, which has been shown to block fluid flow through tooth pores. This decreases the level of activity of dental sensory nerves which helps prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. Simply put, this toothpaste gives you major sensitivity relief while also delivering extra whitening because, why not?

hello Oral Care Activated Charcoal Fluoride Whitening Toothpaste

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This naturally friendly oral care brand designed its entire charcoal collection to check several dental hygiene boxes. This deliciously minty toothpaste gives you fresh breath, natural whitening, plaque removal, and an A+ in overall oral health. Talk about some remarkable feats for a low-cost natural toothpaste. The product employs natural detoxifiers and odor-reducing ingredients to keep gingivitis and halitosis at bay, all while polishing up those pearly whites.

View On Amazon View On The Detox Market

Davids toothpastes are unique due to their superior cleansing and bacteria-banishing qualities. This family-owned company (the founder still helps package the toothpaste…for real) is dedicated to creating the best product it can without using any harsh chemicals or ugly ingredients. Because Davids uses such clean and safe ingredients, it is just one of the handful of brands that have been certified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). If all that wasn’t enough, the chic metal tube and its turnkey are completely recyclable.

View On Boka.com

Boka is one of the few brands around that has committed to going fluoride-free, so reach for this one if that's what you're after. Instead of the century-old mineral, the DTC oral care brand uses hydroxyapatite, which has repairing and re-mineralizing properties for tooth enamel. Top it all off with the delicious new ginger flavor, and you've got yourself one of our favorites to brush with.

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We might as well call it the best tasting toothpaste in all the world. Inspired by elegant travels on the Orient Express, this surprisingly delicious toothpaste combines zesty Italian lemon, sweet tangerine, fragrant rose, and spicy nutmeg. This unique flavor leaves you with a bright, shining smile and aids in preventing tartar and plaque over time. We think that once you try this out, you’ll fall in love just like we did.

View On Dermstore

What makes this toothpaste worth your hard-earned cash? Some of the biggest names in entertainment from New York to Dubai trust their teeth to the man behind this toothpaste, and after trying it, we know why. With the gentle polishing benefit of calcium carbonate (not water) as the first ingredient and opting for enamel-strengthening hydroxyapatite instead of fluoride, this toothpaste whitens and toughens teeth and leaves your breath seriously fresh to boot.

The Best Fluoride-Free Toothpastes for Whiter, Brighter Teeth

View On Bitetoothpastebits.com View On Violet Grey

The technology behind toothpaste tablets isn’t new, per se, but the desire to use them is steadily on the rise. That’s because when toothpaste comes packaged like this from the brand Bite, it not only works as well as most other fluoride-free toothpaste, it is more travel-friendly than those testy tubes. The packaging is also completely recyclable (unlike most of those testy tubes). Bite offers flavors such as charcoal mint and berry twist, but we have to say, the OG fresh mint is our fave.

Biotene Specially Formulated Fluoride Toothpaste

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Dry mouth and bad breath often go hand in hand. Severe dry mouth, or xerostomia, is actually a condition in which salivary glands aren’t producing enough saliva to keep your mouth nice and wet. If certain medications are causing your spit to suffer, Biotène is one of the top-recommended toothpaste by dentists.

View On Smiletwice.com

We have morning and nighttime skincare routines—shouldn't the same apply to our toothpaste? Twice, an oral care brand co-founded by Lenny Kravitz, certainly thinks so. Its toothpaste duo is designed to bookend your day: Awaken, its morning flavor, contains invigorating wintergreen and peppermint, while Relax, its nighttime flavor, allows you to wind down with vanilla and lavender. Both flavors are formulated to whiten teeth, strengthen enamel, and relieve sensitivity. Plus, they're vegan, non-GMO, and cruelty-free.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any toothpaste from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

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