Generic vs Non Generic Round 1: Toothpaste

I realize that I buy a lot of brand name items for no good reason. One Example? Whitening Toothpaste by Aquafresh. I bought it because it's orange and comes in a silver tube. Oh and it whitens... supposedly.

I've been buying whitening toothpastes religiously since they came on the market in the 90's. While they can work for some people after about six months, they usually arent going to for the people who really need them i.e. smokers. coffe/soda/wine drinkers.

The paste is overrated anyway. The toothpaste marketers have us convinced we need their product to maintain clean teeth which isn't entirely true at all.

Most dentists will tell you that it's not the toothpaste, but the brushing, that actually cleans your teeth. I say "most" but I really mean "every one I've ever talked to". You should also only use a pea-sized amount of paste and not the big heaping amount on the product packaging. Too much can actually interfere with the brushing.

Final verdict? You don't have to spend money on brand name toothpaste. And if you want whitening consider talking to your dentist or getting a product that does that specifically.