Jul 12, 2023

Which is better: toothpaste powder or toothpaste tablets?

Toothpaste tablets are better than tooth powders.

While both tooth powder and toothpaste tablets can be effective products to use in your oral health routine, tablets are more convenient to travel with.

Further, toothpaste in tablet form is less messy than powder and safer for your teeth.

Because toothpaste tablets are formulated with gentle ingredients like sodium bicarbonate to polish your teeth and remove surface stains, they are better for you than abrasive tooth powders.

This article will explain everything you need to know about toothpaste tablets and powders.

What is Toothpowder?

Traditional toothpaste powder, or more correctly known as "toothpowder", existed before toothpaste was invented.

In the 1800s, it was simply a combination of baking soda, salt, burnt eggshells, or chalk to remove mouth odor and clean your teeth.

Today, you'll find that there have been some interesting advancements in oral care products.

In fact, modern tooth powder is simply dehydrated toothpaste that has been powdered.

What are Toothpaste Tablets?

Toothpaste tablets are dehydrated toothpaste compressed into pill form.

They have been gaining popularity over the last few years because they are travel-friendly, mess free, and easy to use.

Typically, toothpaste tablets use microcrystalline cellulose and silica to keep the tablets dry and compact.

Additionally, the best toothpaste tablets like NOBS are formulated with nano hydroxyapatite as an effective alternative to fluoride to fight tooth decay and sensitivity.

Comparison: Toothpaste Tablets vs. Toothpowder

Both toothpowder and tablets allow you to ditch toothpaste tubes in favor of plastic free, glass jars.

However, there are still some differences between the two.

How to Use Toothpaste Tablets

To use toothpaste tablets:

Pop a tablet in your mouth
Chew until it dissolves and forms a paste
Grab a wet toothbrush and brush your teeth as suual

They're perfectly dosed, so you won't have to worry about using too much or too little product.

How to Use Toothpowders

Toothpowders usually come in glass jars or tin cans.

To use, shake the toothpowder container over your wet toothbrush. You can also sprinkle the powder with your fingers onto your toothbrush. Then, proceed to brush as you regularly would.

Although the steps are short and simple, using the powder can get messy.

In fact, the powder gets all over your sink and clothes, and product gets wasted every time you use it.

Efficacy

A good toothpaste should contain ingredients that help:

Remineralize teeth
Minimize teeth sensitivity
Remove plaque and bacteria
Reduce periodontal diseases
Brighten teeth

Toothpowder

Unfortunately, there isn't much research on the efficacy of toothpowders.

However, a study in 2017 suggests that toothpowders are more effective than traditional toothpaste in plaque control and gingivitis.

An analysis in 2013 also concluded that toothpowders were as effective as toothpaste in controlling plaque, removing stains, and reducing gingivitis.

Another study concluded otherwise: toothpowders were inferior to toothpaste in plaque removal.

Toothpaste Tablets

Toothpaste tablets have become popular recently because they're great for people who are always traveling.

Toothpaste tablets such as NOBS also contain ingredients such as nano-hydroxyapatite, which is excellent in:

Remineralizing teeth
Protecting teeth from plaque and cavities
Reducing teeth sensitivity

In fact, nano-hydroxyapatite is one of the most studied minerals in oral care as it shows remarkable effects on remineralizing the demineralized enamel and penetrating the dentin to reduce sensitivity.

NOBS Toothpaste Tablets also contain zinc nitrate to control plaque and bacteria growth.