I've had irritation issues before and thought fluoride was the culprit, but turns out it was actually the SLS. Once I switched to an SLS-free toothpaste (still fluoridated though), things improved pretty quickly. Makes me wonder how common sensitivity to SLS is compared to fluoride... Has anyone else noticed improvements just by changing specific ingredients rather than removing fluoride altogether?
"I've had irritation issues before and thought fluoride was the culprit, but turns out it was actually the SLS."
Glad you mentioned this—I went through something similar a couple years back. I kept getting these annoying little sores inside my mouth and assumed fluoride was the problem because I'd read so much about it online. But after trying a fluoride-free toothpaste for a while, nothing changed. It was frustrating because I really didn't want to ditch fluoride completely (my dentist is always reminding me how important it is!).
Then one day, my hygienist casually mentioned that some people react badly to SLS, which I'd never even heard of before. I figured it couldn't hurt to try an SLS-free toothpaste, and honestly, within a week or two, the irritation cleared right up. It was such a relief because I could keep using fluoride without any issues.
Makes me wonder how many people blame fluoride when it's actually something else causing trouble... SLS sensitivity seems more common than most of us realize. It's funny how we sometimes overlook the simpler explanations first.
Anyway, glad you figured out what works for you. It's always nice when the solution turns out to be easier than expected!
Interesting points here, but I wouldn't completely dismiss fluoride as a potential irritant either. I've had patients who've genuinely reacted to fluoride itself—it's uncommon, sure, but it does happen. Usually, switching to a lower-fluoride or fluoride-free toothpaste temporarily can help pinpoint the issue. SLS is definitely a common irritant, but it's not always the culprit. Everyone's mouth chemistry is different, so it's worth keeping an open mind about potential sensitivities.
I've wondered about fluoride sensitivity myself. A while back, I kept getting these weird little sores in my mouth, and I assumed it was SLS at first. Switched to an SLS-free toothpaste, but no luck. Eventually tried a fluoride-free one for a couple weeks, and surprisingly, things cleared up. Now I'm back on a low-fluoride paste, and it's been fine so far... guess our mouths really can be picky about ingredients, huh?
Yeah, mouths are weirdly picky sometimes. I tried fluoride-free toothpaste once (mostly because it was on sale, lol) and my teeth felt kinda... fuzzy? Went back to regular paste pretty quick. But now you got me wondering if those random mouth sores I occasionally get could be fluoride-related. Might have to experiment again—preferably with something cheap this time, haha.
