Best Toothpastes for Adults

Best for all-around protection: Crest Pro-Health Clean Mint Toothpaste

In addition to offering cavity, gum and enamel protection, this toothpaste removes plaque buildup and tartar, plus it won’t bother sensitive teeth, according to the brand. It’s also made with hydrated silica, a gently abrasive ingredient that scrubs surface stains off teeth. The toothpaste comes in a recyclable carton.

Best plaque-removing: Parodontax Clean Mint Daily Fluoride Toothpaste

Plaque is a collection of bacteria, food and other debris that sticks to your teeth, experts told us. If it builds up, it can lead to issues like gingivitis, also known as early gum disease, as well as swollen, bleeding gums. Parodontax’s toothpaste is designed to break down and remove plaque, as well as kill bacteria on teeth, according to the brand.

Best basic: Colgate Cavity Protection Fluoride Toothpaste

If you don’t have specific dental needs and are looking for a basic fluoride toothpaste, this one from Colgate is a great option. It protects against cavities, thoroughly cleans teeth and freshens breath, according to the brand.

Best for sensitive teeth: Sensodyne Fresh Mint Sensitivity Protection Toothpaste

Dentin is the soft inner part of your teeth, and if it’s exposed due to enamel erosion, you may experience sensitivity to hot and cold food or beverages, experts told us. Sensodyne’s toothpaste, which won a NBC Select Wellness Award, contains potassium nitrate to help calm the nerves in your teeth and make them less sensitive, according to the brand.

Best whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth: Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste

This Sensodyne toothpaste is also a NBC Select Wellness Award winner. It gently whitens teeth by removing stains and makes them less sensitive thanks to the potassium nitrate it’s formulated with. The toothpaste, whose tube, cap and carton are recyclable, also remineralizes enamel to strengthen it, according to the brand.

Best foaming: Colgate Total Plaque Pro-Release Toothpaste

Colgate’s Total Plaque Pro-Release Toothpaste won a NBC Select Wellness Award and our reviewers say it left their teeth feeling clean and fresh. As you brush, the paste, which offers antibacterial protection, turns into a thick, foamy later. The foam dissolves plaque and lifts it off teeth, especially along the gum line, according to the brand.

Best pH-balanced: CloSYS Fluoride Toothpaste

CloSYS’s toothpaste offers cavity and enamel protection. It has a pH-balanced formula, which neutralizes plaque bacteria to create a non-acidic environment in the mouth and prevent bad breath, according to the brand.

Best whitening: Nu Skin AP 24 Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste

Nu Skin’s whitening toothpaste is a NBC Select Wellness Award winner. It uses hydrated silica to remove surface stains from teeth, as well as aluminum hydroxide, a mild abrasive, according to the brand.

Best gel: Aim Cavity Protection Ultra Mint Gel

Gel toothpastes typically have a smooth texture and don’t get as foamy as thick pastes, experts told us. Aim’s gel toothpaste helps prevent cavities, tooth decay and acid erosion while strengthening enamel and removing plaque, according to the brand.

Best natural toothpaste for sensitive teeth: AloeSense Fluoride Toothpaste

Many toothpastes for sensitive teeth contain potassium nitrate, but AloeSense’s toothpaste is a natural alternative. It’s made with aloe vera and allantoin, ingredients that naturally soothe sensitive teeth, according to the brand. Aloe vera works to moisturize the mouth, while allantoin gently cleans the teeth and gums.

Best peppermint flavored: Burt’s Bees Complete Multi-Care Toothpaste

Burt’s Bees’ Compete Multi-Care Toothpaste prevents cavities and strengthens enamel while deep cleaning teeth, according to the brand. It also gently removes surface stains thanks to hydrated silica. The toothpaste comes in recyclable packaging.

Best toothpaste with baking soda: Arm & Hammer Complete Care Toothpaste

This toothpaste contains baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate. It neutralizes acids in the mouth and gently removes surface stains from teeth to whiten them over time, according to the brand. The smooth toothpaste gets foamy while you brush to help clean along the gum line as well as between teeth.

Best for enamel repair: Made By Dentists Enamel Rebuilding Toothpaste

Made By Dentists’ toothpaste has ingredients that help remineralize lost enamel to make it stronger and harder. Hydroxyapatite, for example, is a compound that’s naturally found in enamel, and it penetrates teeth to remineralize them from within, according to the brand. This toothpaste is also made with potassium nitrate, which can help reduce tooth pain and sensitivity.