Panel-first screening
Before a tube gets bought, we transcribe the full ingredient list — actives and inactives — and check it against the claims on the box. Anything with an undisclosed active, a proprietary blend standing in for a real listing, or an abrasive profile that outruns published RDA guidance is rejected here.
Evidence matching
Each functional claim gets tied to a source: peer-reviewed remineralization trials for hydroxyapatite, ADA Seal documentation for fluoride formulas, AAP guidance for anything aimed at children. Claims with no source behind them are reported as marketing language, not as benefits.
Two weeks of daily use
We brush with it, twice daily, for a minimum of fourteen days before writing about taste, foam, texture, aftertaste, or how the tube behaves at the end of its life. Sensitivity and stain observations require thirty days.
Head-to-head comparison
No product is scored in isolation. Every review compares the paste to two or three direct siblings in the same category and price band, so “good” always means good relative to a real alternative you could buy instead.
Published with a date, revisited quarterly
Reviews ship with a visible publish date. Formulas get reformulated and prices move, so our highest-traffic pages are re-checked every quarter and updated in place with a note on what changed.
What disqualifies a product
- Undisclosed or proprietary active ingredients
- Abrasivity above published safe RDA ranges
- Whitening claims resting on peroxide levels the label hides
- Kids' products without age-appropriate fluoride guidance
- Brands that condition samples on coverage terms
What we do not claim
We are not a laboratory. We do not run our own abrasivity or clinical remineralization testing — where those numbers appear on this site, they come from published research and are cited as such. We also do not label content “medically reviewed” until a named, licensed dentist has reviewed it and their credentials are published alongside the page.
How we stay independent
Funding, affiliate relationships, and corrections policy — all written down.