CONOR POPE looks at toothpaste
Sensodyne Extra Fresh
€4.79 for 75ml, €63.86 per litre
This is approved by the Irish Dental Association (IDA) which is either a ringing endorsement or utterly meaningless depending how cynical you’re feeling. As we were feeling quite cynical, we’ve gone with the latter option. As with much of the dental work carried out by members of the IDA, the price of this product also caused us to raise an eyebrow. While the packaging is very slick, we remain unconvinced this represents good value for money. We were promised an “extra fresh” toothpaste but we reckoned this was of average freshness and we would have preferred more mintiness and a less cinnamony flavour.
Verdict: Over priced * *
Colgate Max Fresh
€2.39 for 100ml, €23.90 per litre
This company has been the undisputed market leader for more than five decades (despite what the Irish Dental Association may think) and they didn’t get to, and then hang on to that position, by producing second-rate products. This is very good, incredibly minty and has a freshness that lasts for longer than any of its rivals. It is made with “cooling crystals” which sounded a bit makey-up to us. It is also significantly cheaper than its main rival and just as good if not better.
Verdict:Excellent * * * *
Tesco Pro-Tech Compete
€0.71 for 100ml, €7.10 per litre
This seems to be as high-tech as any of the competition (if any toothpaste can make such a claim) but is dramatically cheaper than the rest. It is incredibly minty and has a lovely zinginess which lasts and lasts. But ultimately it comes back to the price and if you are looking to cut your grocery spend by switching to own-brand products, then you could do a whole lot worse than starting here as it really does represent remarkable value for money.
Verdict:Minty fresh and super cheap * * * * *
Pearl Drops Whitening Toothpolish
€5.99 for 50ml, €118.90 per litre
Okay, so, this is less of a paste and more of a polish and the manufacturers advise us to use it alongside, rather than instead of, toothpaste. But we had to buy it as we were intrigued by its promise of “a whiter shinier-looking smile in just an instant”. The addition of “unique diamond stars micro-polishers” and “DayCool mint flavour technology” also made it a must-have in our eyes. Imagine our disappointment then, when our smile did not look whiter or shinier in the instant after we used this. It might whiten your teeth after repeated use but really, at what cost?
Verdict: A let down * *
