(Sorry nikamma for that...)
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Its the time to brush up when...:
The object of your passion says ''Darling! I have a headache. Can we save this for later?'' Every night.
Your friends maintain at least 6 feet distance from you
The ants bit every part of your anatomy except your face
Your favorite pet will snuggle up in your lap even when you insist it can lick your face.
The gifts that you recieve on any occassion read the complete list of mouth fresheners.
I remember Jeetendra mentioning in his interview that the worst thing about being an actor was to come close to kissing heroines who used deodorants in every conceivable place except where it was needed the most...the mouth. I am no great fan of Jumping Jack (although me and my roomie are the only two members of his son's fan club), but in this case, I agree 100%. Nothing comes close to bad breath in putting me off people. Of animals, I am less experienced. The next thing that comes close is body odor. The terrible part of both is that the perpetrators of the same are most times, unaware of their actions.
I hear that the new definition of KISS is ''Keep it simple stupid''. But to keep a Kiss simple requires that the recepient of this act of passion has brushed up before that, in more sense than one. Otherwise, whatever be the amount of love, passion and lust involved, nights will turn into nightmares even without sleeping.
I am glad to be born in a world which has invented the toothpaste. In another era, I would have died a bachelor.
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History of toothpaste:
When people first started taking the conscious decision to maintain their teeth, the methods were rather crude and may even have caused more damage to teeth than improve their effectiveness and keep them healthy. First attempts at tooth cleaning included using abrasives such as crushed bone,crushed egg and oyster shells, to clean debris from teeth.
Tooth powders were the first noticeable advance and were made up of elements like powdered charcoal, powdered bark and some flavouring agents. This would be applied to teeth using a simple stick. This mixture of abrasive and flavour is the first example that cleaning teeth was becoming part of man's ritual. Adding flavour was meant to make cleaning teeth an enjoyable process, something cleaning with crushed bone probably wasn't!
By the early 1900's, consumers were recognising the importance of clean teeth and as a result, many chemists,had begun using special ingredients which made the powder into a cream and then came paste in a tube.
Indians used the twigs of the neem tree (many people still do). The people who could afford spices never hesitated to use them before entering into the semi-final act of consummation.
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What is a good toothpaste supposed to do?
No, not fight bad breath, although that is high on MY wish list.
1. Control Cavities: ''Fluoride'' is the saviour here and most of the toothpastes have generous amounts of fluoride. In India however, where drinking water itself is rich in Fluorine, additional fluoride in a toothpaste may not be needed.
2. Control Tartar: Notice all that dirty and foul smelling plaque sticking to your teeth? What they need to CONTROL them are chemicals called ''pyrophosphates''. These lovely chemicals dissolve any plaque that is added on. But to remove the plaque already on your teeth, you have to go to your dentist.
3. Control infection of your gums: Your gums hold your teeth. So, obviously, you cannot have good teeth and bad gums. Unless you plan to showcase your teeth in a museum. ''Triclosan'' helps and Colgate Total is one of the few toothpastes containing this ingredient.
4. Reduce sensitivity of teeth: Sensitivity is the tingling sensation you experience in your teeth. A toothpaste containing formaldehyde is of use in this context.
5. Keep the mouth fresh: A-ha! Every flavoring agent from nature and out of it has been added to toothpastes in the hope of of an oral invasion.
6. Whitening: Whitening toothpastes contain a harsh mixture of abrasives and bleaching chemicals and are best avoided unless you market your teeth like Aishwarya Rai, Renuka Shahane...
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Does Colgate Total do all of the above?
Well, to put it mildly, toothpastes are no bollywood heroes. Seriously, there is no one toothpaste containing all the above ingredients because it is rare to find one person suffering from so many mouth conditions. And for those rare few, it is better to get the whole lot of 32 replaced with something more man-made.
I have never believed in gel toothpastes because a toothpaste is supposed to be slightly rough to remove all that dirt sticking to your teeth.
Colgate total contains the best of the other two brands I have used so far. The normal colgate and its herbal version.
The ordinary Colgate toothpaste, although priced lesser, doesn't leave a freshness in the mouth. Even ''Vicco Vajradanti'' is better in that regard. Colgate herbal is definitely a more superior version with extra marks just for the improved flavor and keeping my mouth smelling good for a longer time.
Colgate Total scores on two fronts:
It has got a milder flavor compared to the herbal version
It controls plaque. And this I can say with some certainty after three months of usage. Maybe the Triclosan has something to do with it.
Although the flavor is mild, it does keep your mouth fresh for a greater part of the day unless you do something drastic like eating raw onions, fish, garlic and fail to rinse. It would be the equivalent of consuming an Abhishek Bacchan movie and trying to get the flavor of his father's venture. But with consumers, expectation is one thing that never knows any limits.
Colgate total is kind of close to what a Total toothpaste can do. An apt name.
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I am not from the IDA (Indian Dental Association) or your favorite hero endorsing this toothpaste. Just a person with some technical knowledge on the topic who happens to be a consumer too. Do you believe your friendly mouthshut man? Let me know...
