The 14 best toothpastes for clean, healthy teeth in 2026
Using toothpaste made with fluoride is the key to cavity-free teeth, dentists say.
The best toothpastes for adults in 2026
Best toothpaste for all-around protection
In addition to offering cavity, gum and enamel protection, this toothpaste removes plaque buildup and tartar. It’s also sensitive teeth friendly, according to the brand, and made with hydrated silica, a gently abrasive ingredient that scrubs surface stains off teeth. Plus, it comes in a recyclable carton.
Best basic toothpaste
Consider this Colgate option if you’re looking for a basic fluoride toothpaste and don’t have specific dental needs. It protects against cavities, thoroughly cleans teeth and freshens breath, according to the brand.
Best plaque-removing toothpaste
Plaque is a collection of bacteria, food and other debris that sticks to your teeth, experts told me. Without intervention, it can lead to issues like gingivitis, also known as early gum disease, as well as swollen, bleeding gums. Parodontax’s toothpaste is designed to break down and remove plaque, and kill bacteria on teeth, according to the brand.
Best foaming toothpaste
Colgate’s Total Plaque Pro-Release Toothpaste won a NBC Select Wellness Award and our reviewers say it left their teeth feeling clean and fresh. As you brush, the paste, which offers antibacterial protection, turns into a thick, foamy later. The foam dissolves plaque and lifts it off teeth, especially along the gum line, according to the brand.
Best toothpaste for sensitive teeth
Dentin is the soft inner part of your teeth, and if it’s exposed due to enamel erosion, you may experience sensitivity to hot and cold food or beverages, experts told us. Sensodyne’s toothpaste, an NBC Select Wellness Award winner, contains potassium nitrate to help calm the nerves in your teeth and make them less sensitive, according to the brand.
Best whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth
This Sensodyne toothpaste is also a NBC Select Wellness Award winner. It gently whitens teeth by removing stains and makes them less sensitive thanks to the potassium nitrate it’s formulated with. The toothpaste, whose tube, cap and carton are recyclable, also remineralizes enamel to strengthen it, according to the brand.
Best pH-balanced toothpaste
CloSYS’s toothpaste offers cavity and enamel protection. It has a pH-balanced formula, which neutralizes plaque bacteria to create a non-acidic environment in the mouth and prevent bad breath, according to the brand.
Best whitening toothpaste
Nu Skin’s whitening toothpaste is a NBC Select Wellness Award winner. It uses hydrated silica to remove surface stains from teeth, as well as aluminum hydroxide, a mild abrasive, according to the brand.
Best subscription toothpaste
Quip automatically delivers toothpaste to your door every three months when you sign up for its subscription. That means you won’t have to remember to buy a new tube when you run out. The toothpaste comes in a recyclable tube and it’s also available for one-time purchases.
Best gel toothpaste
Gel toothpastes typically have a smooth texture and don’t get as foamy as thick pastes, experts told me. Aim’s gel toothpaste helps prevent cavities, tooth decay and acid erosion while strengthening enamel and removing plaque, according to the brand.
Best natural toothpaste for sensitive teeth
Many toothpastes for sensitive teeth contain potassium nitrate, but AloeSense’s toothpaste is a natural alternative. It’s made with aloe vera and allantoin, ingredients that naturally soothe sensitive teeth, according to the brand. Aloe vera works to moisturize the mouth, while allantoin gently cleans the teeth and gums.
Best peppermint-flavored toothpaste
Burt’s Bees’ Compete Multi-Care Toothpaste prevents cavities and strengthens enamel while deep cleaning teeth, according to the brand. It also gently removes surface stains thanks to hydrated silica. The toothpaste comes in recyclable packaging.
Best toothpaste with baking soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is the key ingredient in this toothpaste. It neutralizes acids in the mouth and gently removes surface stains from teeth to whiten them over time, according to the brand. The smooth toothpaste gets foamy while you brush to help clean along the gum line as well as between teeth.
Best toothpaste for enamel repair
Made By Dentists' toothpaste has ingredients that help remineralize lost enamel to make it stronger and harder. Hydroxyapatite, for example, is a compound that's naturally found in enamel, and it penetrates teeth to remineralize them from within, according to the brand. This toothpaste is also made with potassium nitrate, which can help reduce tooth pain and sensitivity.
Related
What ingredients are in toothpaste?
Reading a toothpaste’s ingredient label can tell you a lot about the benefits it offers and what specific needs it targets. Beyond fluoride and SLS, we asked experts to define some common ingredients you may see and what they do — they’re listed below. If you have any questions about how these ingredients relate to your teeth specifically, consult your dentist since they know your oral health status the best, says Dr. Edmond Hewlett, a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
- Xylitol: Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, but unlike sugar that’s in sweets, it does not contribute to cavities and tooth decay. In fact, it does the exact opposite — it prevents decay by reducing the rate at which cavities form, says Rozenberg.
- Hydrated silica: Hydrated silica is usually responsible for the gritty, slightly abrasive texture in toothpaste. A more gritty toothpaste helps remove plaque and surface stains without damaging the teeth or gums. Other abrasive agents you’ll commonly find in toothpaste are calcium carbonate, hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate sales and silicates, according to the ADA.
- Potassium nitrate: Often found in toothpaste for sensitive teeth, potassium nitrate helps block the transmission of pain signals from the nerves within teeth to your brain, says Rozenberg.
- Sodium bicarbonate: Also known as baking soda, this helps remove plaque from teeth and other debris from the mouth.
- Essential oils: Some essential oils are considered antibacterial, like thymol, menthol, eucalyptol, and methyl salicylate, says Rozenberg. They can also reduce plaque and gingivitis.
- Zinc chloride: Zinc chloride is an antimicrobial agent in toothpaste. It helps prevent gingivitis, reduce tartar and eliminate bad breath
- Humectants: Humectants like glycerol, propylene glycol and sorbitol minimize water loss in the toothpaste, according to the ADA.
- Thickening agents and binders: Ingredients like mineral or seaweed colloids, natural gums and synthetic cellulose thicken toothpaste and act as stabilizers.
- Peroxide: If you’re shopping for a whitening toothpaste, look for those that contain hydrogen peroxide and/or carbamide peroxide, both of which help lighten stains.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Lana Rozenberg, DDS, is the founder of Rozenberg Dental NYC.
- Dr. Edmond Hewlett, DDS, is a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he also serves as the associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Dr. Kate Zoumboukos, DMD, practices dentistry at SW Austin Dental in Texas. She also participates in humanitarian dental mission trips and routinely speaks to local schools about the dental profession.
Why trust NBC Select?
I'm an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about dental care, including stories on electric toothbrushes, different types of toothpaste, at-home whitening treatments, floss and water flossers. For this article, I interviewed three experts about how to shop for toothpaste and rounded up options that met their guidance.
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