Tuesday, January 24, 2012

What's So Healthy about Vortex?



Recently, we've been getting emails from moms all across the country asking why Vortex claims to be so good for kids. "What's so healthy about Vortex?" has been pretty much THE most popular question recently.

Earlier this week, Vortex Toothpaste inventor Dr. Wright sat down and wrote out each reason why he believes that Vortex is the healthiest children's toothpaste on the market. Check out his list below!


When talking about the healthy nature of Vortex toothpaste, or anything for that matter, there are basically two sides to the discussion.  First, you must consider the benefits of each ingredient. Second, you must consider any possibly harmful side effects of each ingredient. 

Let me address both issues in reference to my Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste.

  • Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste has a silicate abrasive which is one of the mildest and gentlest of cleaning abrasives for teeth.    I specifically wanted my toothpaste to have a silicate micro abrasive. 

  •  Vortex has no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).  SLS has shown to be damaging to gums, causing up to 90% of all canker sores.  In addition, SLS creates a burning and choking sensation, making the average child brush only seven seconds before stopping.  Lastly it has been shown in multiple research studies that SLS does nothing to clean the teeth.   We have no SLS in Vortex toothpaste.

  • We use a natural bubble gum grape flavoring for Vortex Toothpaste.  Now even though it is natural, when I first tried Vortex during trials the flavor seemed too strong. Despite my manufacturer in Muskegon, Michigan saying that the amount they were using was standard for the other children’s toothpastes they produced, I had them reduce the flavoring by half. I received a modified batch three weeks later with half the flavoring, but the flavoring still tasted too strong to me. I had the manufacturer cut the flavoring in half again, and so Vortex presently has only 25% of the flavoring found in standard toothpaste.

  • In order to make the color change most apparent, I use standard FDA colorants in Vortex. Just like the flavoring, I cut the amount of colorants by half, and then half again so the colorants in Vortex are 25% of what is in standard kids toothpaste.  The intense color change created by these FDA colorants encourages the child not only to brush in circles, but also teaches the child to spit out the toothpaste, as the vivid purple created by the colorants looks very striking when spit into a sink. 

  • Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste does contain fluoride, but it has the absolute minimum amount required by the FDA for fluoridated toothpastes: 990 ppm, or parts per million. Yet despite having a minimum amount of fluoride, Vortex protects teeth from cavities 2.5 times better than conventional toothpastes. This is due to Vortex’s elimination of the foaming agent, SLS (mentioned above). The foam present in conventional toothpaste acts as a barrier, preventing the fluoride from “wetting” the teeth. Without the foaming agent, Vortex is able to impart more fluoride into each tooth, despite having a minimal amount of fluoride in the toothpaste.

  • Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste also contains Xylitol, which is an all-natural sweetener. Research has shown that only 10% Xylitol is recommended in toothpastes, and that is the exact amount found in Vortex.  I know of one toothpaste on the market for kids that has 60% Xylitol--this high level is because they’re trying to block the taste of the foaming agent in their toothpaste.  We don’t have a foaming agent, so we can put the proper amount of Xylitol in our Vortex toothpaste. Keeping the chemical content at a minimum is one of our goals with Vortex.

In sum, because Vortex has less fluoride but provides two and a half times the anti-cavity effect, because we took out the foaming agent and decreased the colorants and flavor (but retained the fun!), and because we make the only color changing toothpaste in the world, I am confident in endorsing Vortex as a healthy toothpaste. In my opinion, Vortex is truly Brushing Made Fun.


Dr. Howard Wright
President, Wright Toothpaste

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