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Fluoride-free toothpaste: reading the label and comparing price
Updated · By the RipePrice team
We do not recommend toothpaste choices, and you should talk to your dentist before choosing one, but this guide explains how to read the label and compare price per ounce and per brushing.
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At a glance
Please talk to your dentist first
Whether to use fluoride toothpaste is a question for your dentist, and for a child, the child's dentist or pediatrician.
Reading the label
Drug Facts panel: in the United States, toothpaste that contains fluoride is regulated as an over-the-counter drug, so its label has a Drug Facts…
Forms
Paste and gel are the most common.
Quick picks
Fluoride-free toothpaste
Read the ingredient list and ask your dentist, then compare price per ounce.
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Unit price calculator
Type the price and the total amount printed on each package. Nothing you type is saved.
Fill in both options to compare.
Please talk to your dentist first
Whether to use fluoride toothpaste is a question for your dentist, and for a child, the child's dentist or pediatrician. This page does not recommend for or against fluoride, and it does not say how well any toothpaste works. It explains how labels are organized so that you can compare products with the information in front of you.
Reading the label
Drug Facts panel: in the United States, toothpaste that contains fluoride is regulated as an over-the-counter drug, so its label has a Drug Facts panel with the active ingredient, directions and warnings. Read them.
Fluoride-free: toothpaste labeled this way does not list fluoride as an active ingredient. Its label is organized as a cosmetic ingredient list instead.
Directions for children: the label says what age the product is for and how much to use. Follow them.
Warnings: read the instructions about swallowing the product and when to call a poison control center.
ADA Seal of Acceptance: some products carry the American Dental Association's seal, which is a program with its own requirements. Check the ADA's website to see what it covers.
Whitening, natural and sensitive: marketing categories. Read the ingredients and what the maker says it is meant for.
Forms
Paste and gel are the most common. Tablets and powders are sold as alternatives, and they are used differently. Check the directions and the ingredients, and ask your dentist about whichever form you are considering.
Our angle: price per ounce, and how long a tube lasts
Tubes come in different sizes, and the amount you use per brushing depends on you and your age. Instead of guessing, divide the price by the ounces for the price per ounce, then note how many weeks a tube lasts for you and divide the price by the weeks. For tablets, divide the price by the number of tablets. Compare on that number, and keep in mind that the right choice is a health question for your dentist.
Find the ounces on the tube and calculate the price per ounce.