What are the active ingredients in Sensodyne toothpaste?

Sensodyne toothpastes contain one of these active ingredients that work to relieve tooth sensitivity with twice daily brushing: potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride. All Sensodyne products contain either sodium fluoride or stannous fluoride to help fight against cavities with twice daily brushing, so you can maintain healthy teeth every day. Read on to learn more about the carefully selected ingredients in Sensodyne toothpastes that make them so effective at combating the causes and symptoms of sensitive tooth pain. You can also find out more about the most common ingredients found in toothpastes, including the Sensodyne range. POTASSIUM NITRATE Sensodyne toothpastes with potassium nitrate depolarize the nerves inside your teeth3, preventing them from sending pain signals when they come in contact with sensitivity triggers such as a burst of cold air or hot coffee. Potassium nitrate is a mineral. It contains potassium ions which work to desensitize the nerve inside the tooth, helping to provide relief from sensitive tooth pain.1,3 Sensodyne Toothpastes with potassium nitrate include: Sensodyne Deep Clean – Deep cleans your sensitive teeth with twice daily brushing. Sensodyne True White – Helps prevent and remove stains. Sensodyne Essential Care – Soothes the nerves inside your teeth. STANNOUS FLUORIDE Fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen the teeth, protect against acid erosion and prevent decay caused by bacteria.3 Stannous fluoride is a form of fluoride that is also particularly effective at relieving tooth sensitivity. It does this by blocking the dental tubules that allow triggers, like a cold soda, sweets, or sour candy, from reaching the nerves inside the tooth and causing pain.2 Sensodyne toothpastes with stannous fluoride thus work like a shield to protect the exposed dentin (the soft, inner part of the tooth) and helps prevent sensitivity from occurring with twice daily brushing. Sensodyne toothpastes with stannous fluoride include: Sensodyne Rapid Relief – Fast relief in three days with twice daily brushing. Sensodyne Repair and Protect – Daily repair for sensitive teeth with twice daily brushing.* Sensodyne Complete Protection – Plaque control and gingivitis prevention. Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum – Designed to help with both sensitivity and gum problems. SODIUM FLUORIDE Like stannous fluroride, sodium fluoride strengthens teeth to help prevent tooth decay. It also helps to remineralize tooth enamel in the early stages of tooth decay.3 Many Sensodyne toothpastes contain sodium fluoride, including but not limited to: Sensodyne Deep Clean – Fresh, minty taste and deep teeth clean. Sensodyne Full Protection – Relieves sensitivity and prevents cavities.

What are the inactive ingredients in Sensodyne toothpaste?

PENTASODIUM TRIPHOSPHATE A number of Sensodyne toothpastes contain pentasodium triphosphate, a form of sodium phosphate, which is an inactive ingredient for stain prevention and removal. These include: Sensodyne Rapid Relief – Fast relief in three days with twice daily brushing. Sensodyne Deep Clean – Deep cleans your sensitive teeth. Sensodyne Complete Protection – Plaque control and gingivitis prevention. Sensodyne Repair and Protect – Daily repair for sensitive teeth with twice daily brushing.* Sensodyne True White – Helps prevent and remove stains. Sensodyne Extra Whitening – Sensitivity relief and a whiter smile. SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)AND OTHER SURFACTANTS Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a common detergent (or surfactant) added to many toothpastes to make them foam. The suds help distribute the toothpaste evenly around the mouth and dissolve residue from the surface of your teeth.4,5 Most Sensodyne toothpastes are SLS-free. Instead, other detergents such as sodium methyl cocoyl taurate and cocamidopropyl betaine are used. If you do like the sudsy effect of an SLS toothpaste, these are just some of the Sensodyne products that contain SLS: Sensodyne Deep Clean – Deep cleans your sensitive teeth. Sensodyne Rapid Relief – Fast relief in three days with twice daily brushing. Sensodyne Complete Protection – Plaque control and gingivitis prevention. Sensodyne Repair and Protect – Daily repair for sensitive teeth with twice daily brushing.* XANTHAN GUM Xanthan gum is a stabilizer and binding agent that ensures all the other ingredients in toothpaste stay evenly mixed together.5, 6 Binding agents like this help to prevent the solid and liquid ingredients from separating in the tube.6 You’ll find xanthan gum in these Sensodyne toothpastes, as well as others in the Sensodyne range: Sensodyne True White – Helps prevent and remove stains. Sensodyne Extra Whitening – Soothes nerves while whitening your smile. Sensodyne Pronamel – Protects against the effects of everyday acid wear. HYDRATED SILICA Hydrated silica is an abrasive that helps clean debris and staining off the surface of your teeth without damaging the enamel.4 Hydrated silica is used in Sensodyne toothpastes. GLYCEROL AND PEG-8 A common humectant, glycerol helps retain moisture within the toothpaste to stop it from drying out and maintain a consistent, smooth texture that’s easy to squeeze out of the tube.4,6 PEG (polyethylene glycol)-8 also serves as a humectant to keep your toothpaste moist.7 You’ll find glycerol and PEG-8 in Sensodyne toothpastes. SWEETENERS A few ingredients are added to Sensodyne toothpastes to give them a fresh, pleasant flavor and cover the taste of other ingredients. These include sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol, and sodium saccharin, an artificial sweetener. The advantage of these ingredients is that they give toothpaste a sweet taste without the need for cavity-causing sugar.4 Sorbitol is used in Sensodyne True White, Sensodyne Extra Whitening and the Sensodyne Pronamel range. Sodium saccharin is also used in these toothpastes, as well as in Sensodyne Rapid Relief, Sensodyne Repair and Protect and Sensodyne Complete Protection. TITANIUM DIOXIDE Titanium dioxide is a mineral substance that is commonly used in cosmetics and other products to give them a bright, white color.8 This fine white powder is added to all Sensodyne toothpastes as a coloring. *Sensodyne Repair and Protect is intended for relief of occasional dentin hypersensitivity that occurs when sensitive teeth are exposed to hot or cold substances. It contains stannous fluoride, a well-established, effective tooth desensitizer with remineralization properties. There is general scientific consensus that occluding exposed dentin effectively relieves the occasional pain of dentin hypersensitivity.

Sensodyne Rapid Relief Toothpaste Ingredients Explained

If you're someone who struggles with tooth sensitivity, you may be familiar with the discomfort that comes with enjoying your favorite hot and cold foods. If that’s the case, you’re not alone: a whopping 11.5% of dental patients experience sensitive teeth at some point.¹ The good news is that Sensodyne Rapid Relief Toothpaste is formulated to bring you the sensitivity relief you crave. Learn about the ingredients that make Sensodyne Rapid Relief protect your pearly whites from sensitivity.*

The Active Ingredient in Sensodyne Rapid Relief

Sensodyne Rapid Relief’s active ingredient is stannous fluoride, a compound made of tin and fluoride. Every ADA-accepted toothpaste needs to contain fluoride; stannous fluoride helps to relieve sensitivity.¹

This powerful ingredient helps protect against cavities and helps combat tooth sensitivity by forming a protective layer over your exposed dentin—the sensitive portion of your tooth. This protective barrier acts as a shield, strengthening your teeth against erosive acids while remineralizing your tooth enamel in the early stages of decay.¹ In addition, stannous fluoride contains antibacterial properties to help prevent harmful plaque bacteria from growing in your mouth.²

Additional Ingredients in Sensodyne Rapid Relief

While stannous fluoride is the active ingredient, Sensodyne Rapid Relief also contains several other ingredients. Learn about each ingredient in Sensodyne Rapid Relief Toothpaste and its role below.

Glycerin

Humectants like glycerin are added to toothpaste because of their ability to maintain moisture and minimize water loss. In Sensodyne Rapid Relief, glycerin ensures that toothpaste has a smooth texture and doesn’t harden in the tube or when it’s exposed to air.^1,2

PEG-8

PEG-8 is a binding ingredient that helps maintain toothpaste's consistency and prevents it from separating. Binders like PEG-8 help prevent the powder and liquid ingredients from separating while giving your toothpaste its elasticity and form. Like glycerin, binders also prevent your toothpaste from drying out by binding water molecules within it. Lastly, they disperse the toothpaste around your teeth and help it foam while you brush.²

Hydrated Silica

Hydrated silica is an abrasive ingredient that helps physically clean your teeth and remove surface stains. It's the gentle polishing ingredient in Sensodyne Rapid Relief that keeps your teeth clean and bright without scratching them^.1,2

Pentasodium Triphosphate

Pentasodium triphosphate, a form of sodium phosphate, works with stannous fluoride to help remove surface stains and prevent tartar buildup.^1,2

Flavor

Flavor, often a combination of various ingredients, is added to make your toothpaste more palatable and pleasant to use. It makes brushing your teeth a refreshing sensory experience, which helps encourage consistent oral hygiene.

Flavoring ingredients cannot contain sugar, as that could contribute to tooth decay.¹ Sensodyne Rapid Relief contains sodium saccharin, a sugar-free sweetening agent that enhances the toothpaste's taste, making it more appealing and enjoyable to use.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a surfactant that’s added to toothpaste to help it foam. It's what gives Sensodyne Rapid Relief its satisfying lather. In addition, it helps distribute the toothpaste evenly while you brush, gives you a feeling of cleanliness and removes debris and residue from the surface of your teeth. It also disperses the flavors in your toothpaste evenly to help with the taste and smell.²

Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a pigment used to give toothpaste its white color. It's purely aesthetic and doesn't have a direct impact on the toothpaste's performance.²

Polyacrylic Acid

Polyacrylic acid is used as a binder to hold the toothpaste's various components together.² It ensures that the toothpaste remains stable and consistent in texture.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a surfactant that helps clean your teeth.²

How These Ingredients Works Together

Sensodyne Rapid Relief’s formula brings these ingredients together to provide sensitivity relief. The active ingredient, stannous fluoride, helps reduce sensitivity and protect against cavities. In addition, the inactive ingredients help maintain the toothpaste's texture and flavor while improving the user’s experience.²

If you want to enjoy hot and cold treats without sensitivity, try Sensodyne Rapid Relief for clinically proven sensitivity relief every day after brushing for three days.** For a whiter smile and sensitivity relief, try Sensodyne Rapid Relief Whitening Toothpaste to minimize surface stains as you brush.*

*With twice daily brushing**significant pain relief in 3 days*

Source Citations:

Toothpastes. American Dental Association. https://www.ada.org/en/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/toothpastes. Accessed 10/11/23.
Formulation ingredients for toothpastes and mouthwashes. Journal of the Association of Basic Medical Sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7245492/. Accessed 10/11/23.

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