Editing Toothpaste (section)

{{Short description|Substance to clean and maintain teeth}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}
[[File:Toothpasteonbrush.jpg|thumb|alt=Photo with toothpaste from a tube of toothpaste being applied to the bristles of a toothbrush in the foreground|Toothpaste from a tube being applied to the bristles of a [[toothbrush]]]]
'''Toothpaste''' is a paste or gel [[dentifrice]] that is used with a [[toothbrush]] to clean and maintain the aesthetics of [[Human tooth|teeth]]. Toothpaste is used to promote [[oral hygiene]]: it is an abrasive that aids in removing [[dental plaque]] and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing [[halitosis]], and delivers [[active ingredient]]s (most commonly [[fluoride]]) to help prevent tooth decay ([[dental caries]]) and gum disease ([[gingivitis]]).<ref name=ADA-toothpaste>American Dental Association Description of Toothpaste{{cite web| title=Toothpaste| url=http://www.ada.org/1322.aspx| date=April 15, 2010 }}</ref> Due to variations in composition and fluoride content, not all toothpastes are equally effective in maintaining oral health. The decline of [[tooth decay]] during the 20th century has been attributed to the introduction and regular use of fluoride-containing toothpastes worldwide.<ref name="Marthaler-2004">{{cite journal | vauthors = Marthaler TM | title = Changes in dental caries 1953–2003 | journal = Caries Research | volume = 38 | issue = 3 | pages = 173–81 | date = 2004 | pmid = 15153686 | doi = 10.1159/000077752 | s2cid = 2229005 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="pmid15513419">{{cite journal | vauthors = Twetman S, Petersson L, Axelsson S, Dahlgren H, Holm AK, Källestål C, Lagerlöf F, Lingström P, Mejàre I, Nordenram G, Norlund A, Söder B | title = Caries-preventive effect of sodium fluoride mouthrinses: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials | journal = Acta Odontologica Scandinavica | volume = 62 | issue = 4 | pages = 223–30 | date = August 2004 | pmid = 15513419 | doi = 10.1080/00016350410001658 | s2cid = 33330873 |oclc=1234655546 }}</ref> Large amounts of swallowed toothpaste can be poisonous.<ref>{{cite web|title=Toothpaste overdose|url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002745.htm|work=National Library of Medicine|publisher=National Institutes of Health }}</ref> Common colors for toothpaste include white (sometimes with colored stripes or green tint) and blue.