Many of us try to save money in our everyday purchases by buying the generic brands or by using coupons, or alternative products. When it comes to items like Cheerios versus Toasty O's many can not see much of a difference. However, the question is, "Cheap versus expensive toothpaste, does it really make a difference?"

The answer: Yes and no. Obviously it is going to depend on what type of cheap toothpaste you are getting. If you are talking about getting Colgate or Crest instead of a much more expensive brand, like Opalescence, then you will probably find that there is not a lot of difference. Much of the difference in brands of toothpaste comes from what sort of breath fresheners are added, the taste, and the packaging, not the actual cleaning agents for our teeth.

However, if you are buying the dollar store, knock off variety of Crest and Colgate, instead of the real thing, it is important to recognize that it does make a difference. There have been some investigation and reports that have indicated that many of the dollar store knock offs of Crest, Colgate and other brand name toothpastes weren't the same as the brands they were knocking off. In fact, many of these toothpastes are manufactured in other countries and are not approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). In fact, some are not only not as effective, but are potentially harmful. How? Well, some of these cheap toothpastes are made for foreign countries that do not have fluoride in water, and thus the fluoride in the toothpaste is up to ten times stronger than what we're allowed in the U.S. (prescription strength). So, if you were to swallow any of this, or if your child was to, you could be slowly poisoning yourself.

Obviously not every brand of cheap toothpaste is going to have this effect, and not all of them are bad for you. However, if you are going to buy the cheap stuff, make sure you check to see that it was made in the USA and is ADA approved. Otherwise, you may be slowly poisoning your children.

What are the differences between the cheap toothpaste and the expensive toothpaste:
1.    Taste: most expensive toothpastes are engineered to taste better, with mint, spearmint, orange, berry, and many other variety of options. Generally the cheap toothpaste come in mint, and probably not the yummiest variety of mint. But toothpaste is not for eating, so you will probably manage.
2.    Packaging: there are all sorts of easy dispense toothpaste containers on the market. Many of the more expensive brands come in easy and unique packages. The cheap toothpaste usually only comes in a tube.
3.    Extras: most "cheap" toothpaste is simply toothpaste. The "expensive" brands come loaded with extra features, everything from long lasting breath fresheners, mouthwashes, and whitening agents. So, if your goal is clean teeth, the cheap brand is just fine.
4.    Branding: much of the expense of the expensive toothpaste comes from the advertising, and other methods of branding. With the cheap toothpaste you get to clean your teeth, and not pay extra because of the advertising.

In many cases the generic toothpaste is pretty much the same as the expensive toothpaste. Just be careful not too get one that is potentially harmful. Otherwise, go ahead, save some money. Or, buy the name brand without all the bells and whistles.