Introduction
Tooth gels are designed to be applied to the teeth rows to protect and seal the hard tooth substance or to calm sensitive teeth. More and more dentists are recommending the regular use of gentle fluoride gels for prophylactic protection against caries and to create a lasting healthy oral flora. Since the term is not protected, there are tooth gels for various indications that can treat not only the teeth but also the gums.
Natural ingredients such as herbal tinctures and essences are often used, which give the tooth gel a caring effect. Furthermore, drugs are also used in the tooth gel to relieve symptoms. But what about the effectiveness of the individual products or are there even risks in using them?
What is a tooth gel?
It is not possible to answer this question clearly, as there is no defined term and therefore there are many different indications for the use of these products. The tooth gel recommended by the dentist is a fluoride gel which is used for weekly fluoridation at home and thus protects the teeth from caries. In case of pain sensitive teeth there are other tooth gels which achieve the sensitivity of the teeth by closing the individual canals of the tooth, but they have a completely different structure than the fluoridation tooth gel.
Furthermore, a tooth gel can also be enriched with chlorhexidine digluconate to counteract inflammatory diseases of the gums or periodontium. In this case the tooth gel acts more on the soft tissues and not only separately on the teeth. Because the term tooth gel is not defined, there are, for example, toothpaste manufacturers who promote their product as a tooth gel because its consistency corresponds to that of a gel.
However, despite the name, in most cases it is only a toothpaste. These are mainly found in naturopathy, which produces tooth gels enriched with herbal extracts, which also have a calming effect on soft tissues. In addition, there are tooth gels especially for babies or toddlers, which prevent the negative side effects of tooth eruption and additionally regenerate the soft tissues from the strains of the teeth. Active ingredients are added to the tooth gel, which are beneficial for teeth and gums, can alleviate pain and promote oral health in the long term. Many natural products such as herbal essences, but also fluorides or chlorhexidine digluconate play a role in creating the effectiveness of the gels.
