You might not think twice about your toothpaste’s ingredients -- much less its impact on the planet -- but these are honestly two huge things worth considering. Today, we’re going to compare two popular brands of toothpaste, Twice and Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief, that both aim to clean your teeth but in notably different ways.
So grab your cup of coffee and get comfortable -- let’s dive in!
Twice Toothpaste vs. Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief: The Ultimate Showdown
Brushing your pearly whites is one of the most important elements in your oral care routine, and using the right toothpaste is essential. We all know that the scrubbing action of brushing our teeth is a key factor in keeping our mouths happy and healthy, but have you ever wondered what role toothpaste itself plays in the entire “tooth-brushing” scenario?
Well, for starters, toothpaste and proper brushing action work together to remove plaque, a harmful, sticky film of bacteria that grows on your teeth, causing cavities, gum disease, and eventually tooth loss if it’s not controlled.
Additionally, toothpaste usually contains that all-important “fluoride,” which beefs up the entire tooth structure, making your teeth more resistant to decay (though most people actually get enough fluoride from their water and other sources and don’t actually need it in their toothpaste). Special ingredients in toothpaste also help to clean and polish your teeth, working to remove stains over time.
With all of that being said, it’s easy to see why toothpaste is so beneficial! But the truth is that not all kinds of toothpaste are created equal. That’s why we’ve put together this article to compare and contrast two of the most popular toothpastes on the market today: Twice toothpaste vs. Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief.
Let’s start by comparing the ingredients used for whitening, shall we?
Whitening Ingredients
Twice’s hydrated silica and pentasodium triphosphate vs. Colgate’s baking soda and calcium carbonate
Everyone wants a dazzling white smile, but not everyone can be so lucky to have one -- that is, unless you’re using the right toothpaste with the best ingredients for gentle whitening, of course! Both Twice toothpaste and Colgate toothpaste are known for their whitening properties, but which one is better?
Well, let’s dig into the ingredients each toothpaste uses to whiten and brighten that smile of yours, starting with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief.
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief uses baking soda and calcium carbonate to help whiten your teeth. While these are both great ingredients that have been used in the world of oral health for years, the truth is that they are both pretty mild abrasives and may not actually remove stains as effectively as some other products while still being a little too abrasive for comfort.
On the other hand, Twice toothpaste uses hydrated silica and pentasodium triphosphate to help whiten your smile. While it might sound like a pretty complex scientific name, hydrated silica is simply a hydrated form of silicon dioxide. In Twice toothpaste, it acts as a gentle natural abrasive to help remove plaque and other particles from your teeth. Additionally, hydrated silica can also help to remove stains, leaving you with a pearly-white smile. Twice also uses pentasodium triphosphate to penetrate deep to remove stubborn plaque and brighten teeth. The result of these two powerful ingredients is a super-clean, glistening smile after every brush.
Cavity Protection Ingredients
The Importance of Fluoride
“I love cavities!” - said no one ever. If you’re anything like us, you can’t stand pesky cavities. That’s why toothpaste with an extra level of cavity protection is of the utmost importance. And when it comes to cavity protection, there is no ingredient better than the one and only fluoride -- which is found in both Twice toothpaste and Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief.
So, how exactly does fluoride fight cavities, you ask? Well, let’s first look at what fluoride is working so hard to protect -- your teeth.
Tooth enamel is the outer covering of your teeth. It’s much stronger than bone and is made from phosphate and calcium. Your spit -- i.e. saliva -- is also loaded with phosphate and calcium and bathes your teeth to keep them strong. But when you munch on things like noodles, crackers, or candy, cavity-causing bacteria starts feasting on the carbs in these foods, producing acids that attack your enamel. It causes phosphate and calcium to be stripped away from the tooth enamel, leaving you much more vulnerable to cavities and decay.
Now, here’s where fluoride enters the ring.
When your saliva has fluoride in it from sources like your toothpaste, your teeth are able to absorb it. Once in your enamel, fluoride teams up with phosphate and calcium to create the most powerful defense system your teeth can possibly have to prevent cavities from forming: fluorapatite. It’s much stronger, fights to protect your pearly whites, and is much more resistant to decay.
So, with that in mind, it’s easy to see why choosing a toothpaste with fluoride is crucial to your overall oral health!
Ingredients For Tooth Sensitivity
Twice’s potassium nitrate vs. Colgate’s “Pro-Argin®” formula
Tooth sensitivity occurs when dentin becomes exposed. This may occur through the loss of your enamel, or it may also occur as a result of gum recession as well as the loss of the underlying cementum, which exposes the root surface.
Having sensitive teeth is not a comfortable feeling by any means. So finding a great toothpaste that can help combat this is important.
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief created a special Pro-Argin® formula designed to provide relief to those who suffer from sensitive teeth. We would love to dive into the ingredients to give you a side-by-side comparison to Twice Toothpaste, but for some reason, Colgate does not disclose their ingredients in this formula… so we couldn’t tell you what’s actually in it to help with sensitive teeth (though we can’t deny it’s a sensitivity powerhouse among toothpastes).
On the other hand, Twice toothpaste is extremely upfront about all of the wonderful ingredients we use. For sensitivity, Twice relies on potassium nitrate, which has been proven to safely kick tooth sensitivity to the curb.
Ingredients For Overall Hygiene
Both Twice and Colgate are great for overall hygiene, but let’s dig a little bit deeper.
Twice toothpaste includes powerful vitamins and botanical ingredients to soothe inflammation, hydrate gums, and improve oral health, on top of leaving you with an undeniably-fresh breath. Additionally, Twice includes a powerful antioxidant complex that works to help fight free radicals, strengthen gums, promote collagen production, and maintain good bacteria levels for a healthier mouth.
On the other side of the coin, Colgate’s ingredients are all directed toward cleaning your teeth - which is great - but they do not include any mouth-healthy botanical ingredients besides an “aroma,” such as peppermint oil.
For Overall Health
So we now know that Twice toothpaste is best for overall hygiene, but what about overall health?
Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief has NO:
- Parabens
- PEGs
- Sugar
- Carrageenan
Additionally, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief is gluten-free, but only their Zero line promises to be vegan, cruelty-free, and non-GMO.
Twice Toothpaste has NO:
- SLS
- PEGs
- Parabens
- Sugar
- Carrageenan
- Triclosan
- Sulfates
- Alcohol
And the best part? Twice is made totally gluten-free, vegan, cruelty-free (Leaping Bunny certified), and non-GMO.
For Flavor
Nobody likes brushing their teeth with a toothpaste that tastes less than favorable, but when it boils down to flavor, it’s really all about preference.
Colgate really only has one flavor -- good ol’ traditional mint!
Twice features three flavors -- invigorating wintergreen and peppermint, calming vanilla lavender mint, and cooling spearmint eucalyptus. Everyone has a different taste, so we suggest trying each flavor to find which one suits you best!
Beyond Teeth Cleaning
A brand’s mission says a lot about the company as a whole.
To wrap up our ultimate showdown, here is Colgate’s mission:
“We believe everyone deserves a future to smile about. Championing optimism means we are committed to creating a healthier planet and work every day to create healthy smiles for all.”
And Twice’s mission:
“Everyone deserves a smile. Real non-profit work to provide dental care to communities in need is why we got started and what we are passionate about. The smile has the power to change lives. Your support helps us provide life-changing dental work to people without access to care in partnership with the Glo Good Foundation.”
And this is entirely true. 10% of Twice’s profits are donated directly to the GLO Good Foundation, which is on a global mission to provide health services, supplies, and education to communities in need.
The Takeaway
So, which toothpaste is best, Twice toothpaste or Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief?
At the end of the day, both brands are fairly transparent, except for Colgate’s ingredients for sensitivity. The ingredients found in Twice toothpaste check more off on the “no” list. However, both brands are working hard to make an impact, and either toothpaste would make a great addition to your daily oral hygiene routine.
Although, if we had to pick a toothpaste between the two, we would most certainly choose Twice. Why, might you ask? Well, other than tasting amazing, Twice is backed by science and wellness versus just traditional oral care.
If you’re searching for a way to whiten and brighten your smile with a great toothpaste that doesn’t just clean your teeth but helps to strengthen them without the use of any harsh chemicals or ingredients, look no further and give Twice a try!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6784469/
https://www.glogoodfoundation.org/