Toothpaste: A Love Letter (Sort Of)
If you’re like most people, walking into the toothpaste aisle is less a shopping trip and more a full-blown existential crisis. Do you go with the brand you grew up with? The cheapest one? The one that promises teeth so white they’ll blind your enemies? Charcoal? Natural? Sensitive? Fluoride-free? Fluoride-forever? Is that Close-Up hanging on for dear life? (Yes, apparently, it still exists. Who knew?)
As a kid, I desperately wanted Aquafresh—mostly because the tube looked like a science experiment. But at my house, Crest Tartar Control reigned supreme, probably because it was cheap and got the job done.
The good news? It's a fantastic time to be alive if you like having a ridiculous number of toothpaste options. And because of my job, I’ve had the opportunity to try a lot of them—sample after minty sample. Most are decent. A few are forgettable. But one stands out in the crowd: Dr. Jen’s Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste.
Now before you ask—no, this isn’t a sponsored post. No one’s bribing me with free toothpaste (though if Dr. Jen happens to be reading this... I wouldn’t say no). I just genuinely love the stuff. And I’m not good at faking enthusiasm, so if I didn’t like it, trust me—you’d know.
What makes Dr. Jen’s so great? Well, for starters, it was created by a mom on a mission to find something safe and effective for her daughter’s unique health needs. That kind of origin story already earns brownie points (or fluoride-free mints, if you're being strict). You can read the full backstory on their website.
Dr. Jen’s offers options with or without fluoride—because if you haven’t heard, the fluoride debate is very much a thing. Whatever side of that passionate internet battle you fall on, Dr. Jen’s has you covered.
Personally, I love how clean my teeth feel after using it. And this is coming from someone who already uses an electric toothbrush, so my standards are high. It leaves my mouth feeling like I just left the dentist—minus the awkward small talk.
The formula is packed with clean ingredients, including xylitol and essential oils, and the real star: nano hydroxyapatite crystals. These little guys are uniform in size, in the right concentration, and are actually proven to help with sensitivity and remineralization. Also, they say they’re eco-friendly—and as a former hippie (or current one, depending on the day), that matters to me.
If I had to find a downside, I’d say it’s a bit pricier than your average tube of toothpaste. But hey—quality often comes with a higher price tag. And if my teeth are happy, I’m happy.
So if you haven’t tried Dr. Jen’s yet, give it a go. Your mouth might just fall in love.
With Love,
M’Lynda Elliot, RDH
