挑選牙膏需要注意什麼大綱
Fancy toothpastes may come in different colors and boast unusuAl ingredients, but they probably don't offer better dental health than the average drugstore toothpaste. Here's what to look for if you try a new brand:
高檔牙膏可能有不同的顏色、獨特的成分，但它們對牙齒健康所起的作用並不一定比藥店售賣的普通牙膏更好。如果你想換個牌子，應注意下列事項。Abrasives
磨擦劑Toothpastes provide a little mechanical help with scrubbing; that's the main reason they exist. Particles of grit help to scrape bacterial plaque from your teeth. Some common abrasives include calcium carbonate, silica, aluminum oxide, and magnesium carbonate. Charcoal can also act as an abrasive, but some dentists caution that charcoal can be too harsh.
牙膏中的粉狀磨擦劑在牙刷來回抽動下機械地刷除牙漬，所以牙膏會含有磨擦劑。磨擦顆粒有助於刷除牙菌斑。常見的磨擦劑包括碳酸鈣、二氧化硅、氧化鋁和碳酸鎂。木炭也可以用作磨擦劑，但有些牙醫警告稱，木炭可能太過刺激。
Fluoride or (maybe) an alternative
氟化物或可能的替代品Bacteria are constantly dissolving your teeth, and your teeth are constantly trying to build themselves back up. (Your saliva naturally contains calcium to aid in this process.) This process, called remineralization, is helped along by fluoride. All toothpastes that have an American Dental Association seal must contain fluoride.
細菌不斷地破壞你的牙齒，所以牙齒會不斷地試圖回到最佳狀態。（我們的唾液本身含鈣，可輔助這一過程。）這一過程也被稱爲再礦化，會在氟化物的幫助下進行。所有蓋着美國牙科協會印章的牙膏必須含氟化物。Some brands now are using hydroxyapatite instead. Research shows that hydroxyapatite may be as good as fluoride for remineralizing teeth, but the science isn't yet solid enough for most dentists to recommend it. If you have a specific reason why you need to avoid fluoride, ask your dentist about hydroxyapatite; but for now, most of us should probably stick with fluoride toothpastes.
現在，有些牙膏品牌正使用羥基磷灰石替代氟化物。研究表明，在牙齒再礦化方面，羥基磷灰石或起到與氟化物一樣的作用，但研究尚不足以讓大多數牙醫推薦羥基磷灰石。如果你因爲特殊原因不能使用氟化物，可詢問牙醫是否可以使用羥基磷灰石；但目前爲止，大多數人仍使用含氟牙膏。Ingredients for texture and flavor
關於牙膏質地和味道的成分Everything else is just there to make the toothpaste easy to use. Humectants help the substance to keep a gel-like texture; foaming agents make it bubble up as you brush. Toothpastes that are missing these ingredients can still do a fine job of cleaning your teeth. (I use a toothpaste with no foaming agents and prefer it.)
除了以上兩條，其它的成分都是讓牙膏更容易使用。保溼劑有助於使牙膏保持凝膠狀質地；發泡劑會讓你在刷牙時起泡泡。沒有這些成分的牙膏仍能很好地清潔牙齒（我用的牙膏沒有發泡劑，我很喜歡。）Flavorings are flavorings, and sweeteners are now typically artificial sweeteners like saccharine. Toothpastes can't get the ADA seal of approval if they contain sugar. I swear I am not in the pocket of Big Dental, but personally I'd rather use the ADA-approved stuff in the drugstore than a trendy new brand, however photogenic.
牙膏有各種各樣的味道是因爲添加了調味劑。現在使用的甜味劑通常都是人造的，比如糖精。含有糖分的牙膏不會被蓋上美國牙科協會的印章。我發誓，我一點兒都不喜歡Big Dental，但個人層面而言，我更願意使用藥店裏經美國牙科協會認證的牙膏，而不會選擇廣告滿天飛的潮流品牌。
