Something To Get Your Teeth Into... (Colgate Toothpaste)

Member Name: karenuk

Product:	Colgate Toothpaste
Date:	09/07/01 (717 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great packaging, lovely, mild taste, nice smell

Disadvantages: more expensive than other brands of toothpaste, no discernible improvement in colour of teeth

Do you know what it is I most admire about the Americans? No, it’s not their ability to keep electing presidents with the same name, nor even their talent for invading tiny foreign countries (oops, bit of politics!) – no, it’s their beautiful perfect teeth.

I would be the first to put my hand up and admit it – I do *not* have white teeth and I wish I had. One of those gorgeous all-American smiles is my aim – a row of sparklingly bright white straight teeth.

Being terrified of the dentist, I haven’t achieved this. Yes, I go for my check-ups and get the routine work done, but volunteering for extra dental treatment – I don’t think so.

Not surprisingly then, those toothpaste ads on the TV made me look up from the book I was reading. Who was promising me white teeth? Did it work? How much would it cost? And could they guarantee me a size 8 figure at the same time?

A trip to Asda revealed the one I was looking for – Colgate Whitening for £1.49 for a 100ml tube. I smiled my beige grin at my other half, who nodded wisely, as I tossed the new purchase into the trolley. My quest for the perfect smile had begun.

When I got home, the kids marvelled at the toothpaste box. (Yes, they do get Christmas presents!) Why? Because it is all pretty and shiny – well, on two sides anyway. Obviously, the high cost of achieving such an effect has meant the other two sides have to be dull and boring. Ho hum.

On the pretty sides, it is silver with little star shapes which catch the light and sparkle in a magically endearing way. (Let's all say 'awww'...) I wonder how much of the £1.49 is to account for the packaging costs?

Once I had wrestled the box off the kids, I took out the tube itself, which is white and silver – no sparkles though. The silver does wear off after a while, so ends up looking a bit cheap.

The toothpaste itself is white (
surprise!), it smells a bit of spearmint and tastes mildly minty too, generally very pleasant and not too strong.

The box declares it contains microcrystals, but it doesn’t seem to say exactly what they are anywhere. However, the packet claims the toothpaste will polish enamel, restore natural whiteness and fights the usual tartar, cavities and plaque.

As for the whitening bit, the ‘advanced formula with microcrystals restores the natural whiteness of teeth twice as effectively as ordinary toothpaste’ – okay, so what does that mean?

Well, the ‘advanced formula’ is obviously a top secret ‘recipe’ that scientists came up with and aren’t giving anyone any details about, in case they copy it. The microcrystals are a mystery. As for the twice as effective bit – well, as far as I’m concerned, my old toothpaste didn’t whiten my teeth at all – and twice of nothing is…? See my point?

So, why do I buy it then? Well, it tastes nice, smells nice and the packaging is great. It lasts about two weeks, so isn’t too expensive, although you can get much cheaper if you don’t want a brand name.

But does it whiten your teeth? Well, I don’t think so. I haven't noticed any difference myself. But I’m willing to persevere. Let’s face it, without oodles of expensive and painful cosmetic dentistry, Colgate Whitening toothpaste is my best shot at that all-American smile.

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