Review – Oral-B Pro-Expert Toothpaste

Oral-B Pro-Expert Toothpaste

I must admit, I am probably one of the most fickle people when it comes to toothpaste.  I used to be the person who would buy a different brand of toothpaste every time.  This actually makes no sense to me, because I should really be more cautious about the products I use on my pearly whites.  You see, I was beaten with the ‘bad-teeth-genes-stick’ – literally had the crap beaten out of me!  I have the worst teeth and I can remember back when I was in primary school, I used to visit the dentist ALL. THE. TIME.  Not because I ate a lot of sweets, but just because my teeth are weak – I would look at a sour worm sweetie and there would be a cavity in one of my teeth.  If there’s one memory I always think about when I think back to being a young child, it’s of me sitting in the dentist waiting room looking out on his big garden.

To this day, though, dentists still scare the heck out of me.  I avoid going to the dentist like it’s the plague, and not because my childhood dentist traumatised me in any way…no, only because I know every time I go to the dentist, he / she is going to find new cavities to fill (and that means injections and that disgusting numbing gel they apply before they go in with the injection).

Let’s talk about my teeth…so, you already know I have weak teeth.  Basically my mouth is one big filling, I have fillings everywhere, and I’m going to let you in on a secret – my 2 front teeth consist of 2 huge fillings in the front (not even the back!).  Whenever I see someone bite into a piece of biltong or a mealie, it sends chillls down my spine because I know if I ever had to do something like that, I would end up looking like a Hillbilly.

Because I have so many fillings in and around my teeth, I am also more likely to experience staining and uneven tooth surface – not a cute combination.

So when Oral-B asked me to be one of their Pro-Expert Official Bloggers, I was both humbled and excited to try this first ever toothpaste from Oral-B.  I’m going to give you a little bit of information on why this toothpaste is the first of its kind and then I’ll give you a run-down of my personal experience using it.

Oral-B Pro-Expert Toothpaste Open

The Oral-B Pro-Expert toothpaste has been 15 years in the making – and is the only toothpaste in South Africa to use stabilised Stannous Fluoride technology.  No other brand has been able to stabilise Stannous Fluoride in toothpaste form, mainly because it’s a stubborn and unstable substance that wasn’t compatible with modern toothpaste formulas.  What makes Stannous Fluoride so special?  Well, it’s like the Jack of all trades AND the Master of all as well – it helps prevent cavities, fights gum problems (gingivitis), fights plaque build-up, helps block sensitivity, strengthens tooth enamel, provides tartar control, removes stains AND freshens breath.  Most other toothpastes on the market, will do a couple of the aforementioned for your teeth but not all i.e. whitening toothpastes brighten the teeth but over time can cause sensitivity and toothpastes that are designed for hypersensitivity, will desensitise you teeth but will not brighten them.  Stannous Fluoride also protects teeth from acid erosion (caused by juices, acidic sauces, fizzy drinks), while Sodium Fluoride (found in other toothpastes) is not as effective.

Over this 4-week trial period I used the Oral-B Pro-Expert twice daily and I must admit, this little tube has become a favourite.  My main reason being it contains little scrubbing crystals and I just love the texture of them.  Pro-Expert is a mild minty toothpaste (that’s the flavour I was sent) that is a bit more runny than any other toothpaste I’ve used.  As mentioned it contains little crystal particles which feel like they are scrubbing away at the plaque and stains on the tooth surface, and then after a while they dissolve to add to the mild minty taste.

Two things that I immediately noticed after using the toothpaste for about a week, was that my teeth looked brighter and they felt smoother on the surface as well.  One thing that Neal noticed after a couple of days, is that I don’t wake up with dragon breath anymore either – haha!  I also used to wake up in the morning with a fuzzy layer on my teeth BUT since using Pro-Expert, the only fuzziness in my life are the feelings I get when you guys leave sweet comments on my blog posts.  One thing I did notice (and I’m undecided whether I like or dislike this), is that this toothpaste doesn’t foam up as much as other toothpastes.  As for combatting acid erosion, prevention of cavities, strengthening tooth enamel – I’ll have to get back to you on those because I don’t have any way of testing that.  I’ll be going back to the dentist for my half-yearly check-up and will ask her for her expert opinion on my teeth.  As for sensitivity, I can now bite into a Magnum Almond ice cream without so much as a flinch – which is a huge bonus for me as there is nothing worse than hypersensitivity of the teeth.  I personally enjoy the Mild Mint flavour as I find other toothpastes can sometimes burn the inside of my mouth.  There will be other ‘flavours’ arriving on the shelves soon, so if you would like a stronger minty flavour – you’ll be covered in no time!

I’m not one to preach, but after attending the Oral-B Pro-Expert launch and listening to the doctors and dentists talk about oral health I feel like I have to raise awareness of the following (because I see you guys as my friends):  Many studies have shown bad oral health can lead to heart disease, strokes and even cancer.  All it takes is 2 minutes of brushing in the morning, and 2 minutes at night & try to floss as often as you can (I know it’s a schlep) – you’re not only doing this for yourself, you’re also creating a healthy body to live a long life with your family.

Oral-B Pro-Expert retails for R 35,00 and is available at Clicks & Dis-Chem stores (and will be rolling out to PnP stores soon).  Will I purchase my next tube of Oral-B Pro-Expert toothpaste or will I go back to purchasing randoms?  Even though Pro-Expert is more expensive, the long-term benefits you will receive by using this little tube outweigh the price comparison by a mile.  We are all different but take it from someone who has weak teeth that are prone to staining – you could be saving on expensive root canals, costly teeth whitening procedures and anxiety-inducing dentist appointments.  And THAT makes it 100% worth it to me.

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post, which means I am being paid to trial this product and write the review.  However…you guys know me, I like to keep it honest – so being sponsored has in no way shaped the outcome of this review blog post.