Another one of those “living in Japan” myths claims that Japanese toothpaste generally doesn’t work. Or that it doesn’t contain fluoride. And some folks go so far as to insist this is one of the main reasons why Japanese people have bad teeth. (I hope you realize this is a generalization, and not one that I came up with nor believe.) Of course I bought into this myth, although a few people mentioned something about Aquafresh toothpaste, and brought four tubes with me from the States. Nothing wrong with bringing toothpaste with you, but you certainly don’t need to waste luggage space on it. So, let’s delve into the specifics.
Aquafresh toothpaste - the 3 stripe kind
The toothpaste I’m going to examine here is Aquafresh, although other brands offer similar ingredients. I browsed a local daily goods store and discovered that about two-thirds of the products listed fluoride as an active ingredient. Granted, most toothpaste probably did lack fluoride years ago as well as other ingredients of “modern” toothpaste, but it seems that many brands have caught up now. So first, some words to know:
フッ素 ふっそ fusso fluoride フッ化ナトリウム フッかナトリウム fukka natoriumu fluoride ハミガキ hamigaki toothpaste 歯周病 ししゅうびょう shishuubyou periodontis 口臭 こうしゅう koushuu halitosis, bad breath ムシ歯, 虫歯 むしば mushiba cavities 予防 よぼう yobou prevention 息 いき iki breath
The toothpaste packaging typically indicates whether it contains certain active ingredients or not, similar to probably what those of us from Western countries are accustomed to (well, aside the language difference). So, most toothpaste with fluoride say “フッ素配合” on the outside. (配合, haigou, means “contains” in this context). However, a few brands listed nothing on the front or sides of the box, and so in that case, check the ingredient list for “フッ素” or “モノフルロリン酸ナトリウム.”
Of course, not all toothpaste is striped, but in the case of Aquafresh, each stripe represents a different “preventative” ingredient, i.e., the ingredients you may want in your toothpaste.
Aquafresh toothpaste with prevention of cavities, periodontis, and halitosis. Includes fluoride.
The descriptions cover all four sides of this small Aquafresh box I have, so they are hard not to miss. The red stripe (which is red gel) is your cavity fighter. (Red for blood? War?). Look for ムシ歯 or 虫歯 (むしば, mushiba, cavity/cavities) and 予防 (よぼう, yobou, prevention) for cavity prevention.
The white stripe (white paste) prevents halitosis, or bad breath. Look for 口臭 (こうしゅう, koushuu, halitosis/bad breath) and 予防 again.
Finally, the blue stripe (blue gel) prevents periodontis. Periodontis in Japanese? 歯周病 (ししゅうびょう, shishuubyou). Look for that, plus, of course, 予防.
Some brands of toothpaste may only include one or two of these ingredients or possibly more, and as I mentioned, some brands still include none of them – though I think Aquafresh is a good standard option. Or, if you prefer something a bit more natural, Tom’s of Maine is available on Amazon.jp. I’ve also seen some supposedly natural or partially natural toothpaste at a few stores in my area, including Loft.
So, please don’t load up a suitcase with toothpaste or beg your friends or family to send you packages in bulk – unless you are THAT attached. Oh, and you don’t really need to bring your Sonicare either (or the replacement brush heads). That was another one I could have left behind…
For more essential tips about life in Japan, check out Surviving in Japan.
Comments
Ora2 stainclear for life!!! i don’t smoke or drink (much) black tea. hardly have alcohol (once every two months maybe…even then its just vodka/rum). also don’t smoke, so Im not sure how effective this will be for others, but it keeps my teeth so white!! Much better than the American whitening toothpastes I’ve tried ^-^ love it!!!
I lived in Japan for 13 years, up to this year August, and I’m form Northern Europe.
I never had any issues with either medicine or toothpaste – on the contrary. It has always been perfectly fine and the drugs even a bit too strong (meaning working so well I’ve always been surprised by the speed of recovery)
I moved to UK a month ago – just to find out the only type of creme that has ever been suitable for my delicate skin is a product that has been developed and sold in Japan only … and here they have never heard of squalane oil either!
I hurt my back yesterday and miss the しっぷ by 久光 that would heal it in matter of hours (T.T)
So now I’ve started seriously think how to import my medicines and cosmetics from Japan – they are just working so much better.
Well, but if you have any problems with even toothpaste, I have a two recommendations:
1. learn Japanese (including kanji). It’s Japan where you are living, not USA!
But if you believe in the myth that says “Japanese is too hard for anybody to ever comprehend it” go to next option:
2. go back home. You don’t have to live in this terrible foreign country! (^.^)
Hi
first of all, toothpaste containing fluoride will prevent more caries than toothpaste without fluoride. For evidence based dentistry, you can search articles on pubmed.com. keywords can be “anti-efficacy AND fluoride” .
However, its true that an excessive amount of fluoride is toxic, like arisuta mentioned. However, enamel defects caused by an excessive ingestion of toothpaste only occur during childhood, when the tooth formation is taking place. These enamel defects are called dental fluorosis. Thus children under the 3 years should avoid the use of fluorated toothpaste.
The use of fluoride in toothpaste is still strongly recommended in order to prevent the teeth decay. Before the introduction of fluoride, almost everyone had caries.
Regarding Aquafresh stripes, i think its nonsense. Because all toothpaste containing fluoride will prevent cavities, periodontitis and halitosis. In fact, cavities means that the plaque removal isnt effective. As a result of plaque accumulation, periodontitis can occur and halitosis is one of the consequences of periodontitis. So if one brushes his teeth effectively, cavities, periodontitis and halitosis will be prevented.
Hi
first of all, toothpaste containing fluoride will prevent more caries than toothpaste without fluoride. For evidence based dentistry, you can search articles on pubmed.com. keywords can be “anti-efficacy AND fluoride” .
However, its true that an excessive amount of fluoride is toxic, like arisuta mentioned. However, enamel defects caused by an excessive ingestion of toothpaste only occur during childhood, when the tooth formation is taking place. These enamel defects are called dental fluorosis. Thus children under the 3 years should avoid the use of fluorated toothpaste.
The use of fluoride in toothpaste is still strongly recommended in order to prevent the teeth decay. Before the introduction of fluoride, almost everyone had caries.
Regarding Aquafresh stripes, i think its nonsense. Because all toothpaste containing fluoride will prevent cavities, periodontitis and halitosis. In fact, cavities means that the plaque removal isnt effective. As a result of plaque accumulation, periodontitis can occur and halitosis is one of the consequences of periodontitis. So if one brushes his teeth effectively, cavities, periodontitis and halitosis will be prevented.
Well Eric, I beg to differ. I suffered a slipped disc a few years ago and the painkillers they prescribed worked very well indeed. Anytime that I have been prescribed a drug here, I usually look it up online to see what info is available and the dosage seems to be the same as for other countries. As for the Nazis feeding fluoride to their concentration camp victims to make them docile, no-one appears to have been able to track down proof of that happening, so I will stop mentioning that. However, the Soviets admitted doing exactly that in their gulags to make the inmates docile. A Scientific American study also found that fluoride increases the risk of bone cancer, particularly in young boys. Yum yum, must go and buy some Aquafesh carcinogenic toothpaste, as if the radiation from Fukushima isn’t dangerous enough!
Where can you get Aspirin in Japan ? And even if you can get it at some place in Tokyo, it will be the “Japanese version” of it, meaning it will be very low-dose.
Have a look at the medication that you get in Japan. Everything’s made in Japan. And Japanese medicine isn’t very famous throughout the world – for a reason I guess.
I have lived here for a number of years and can’t say that I have noticed any great difference between prescription medicines here and elsewhere. The big pharma companies make the stuff worldwide so Beyer aspirin here is pretty much the same as elsewhere. What is harder to get is strong painkillers over the counter, (for my backache), but generally stuff here is fine and I certainly WON’T be buying any fluoride toothpaste anytime soon.
Japanese products are either of extremely bad quality or absolutely ineffective. It’s not just medicine (prescribed ones and over-the-counter medication alike), but also items like toothpaste.
Being born in the country that allegedly gave fluoride to POWs to make them docile and living in Japan for more than 10 years, I know what I’m talking about. Luckily I’m travelling to S’pore, HK and Australia on a regular basis so that I can stock up with “normal” toothpaste, aspirin, shampoo, body soap, etc…
Still young people are being taught that fluoride is good for you. Well, sorry to burst your mainstream media bubble of BS but it is a well known toxin and over exposure to it actually causes discoloration and pitting of tooth enamel. Look at this article:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/fluorosis/
or this:
http://preventdisease.com/home/tips79.shtml
or this one that goes into the fallacy that it is good for teeth:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/toxicchemicalsan/a/flouride.htm
Fluoride is a by-product of various industrial processes and would normally have to be disposed of as a very expensive toxic waste. Why not convince dentists and the dental industry to use the stock of poison as a faux decay preventative measure? Great idea and fulfills two roles at once, pacifies and makes the population ill while disposing of a toxic waste problem.
I’ve done my research and it didn’t consist of only YouTube, you tube, but video is a good medium to get through to the current youth. Don’t go through life swallowing everything that the mainstream tells you. Research!
It is true that there is flouride in most toothpaste in Japan, the amount is extremely low compared to that of foreign countries. If you can not get a package sent from home, I would suggest you get a prescription toothpaste from your dentist here in Japan. The amount of flouride is equal to that which is available in foreign countries. No I don’t work for a dentist, but I am married to a dentist’s daughter!
Thank you for your article. The first time I lived in Japan I had my mom send me toothpaste every few months. Good to know.
Not to start a flame war, but if you are going to say “Flouride is poison” you need to back it up with a link to scientific proof. YouTube clips are not. Almost all countries health departments recommend it, so you need to point to evidence before accusing someone of being lazy whilst being more than lazy yourself.
Many things are toxic at high level, like Hydrogen peroxide, yet we use it at lower levels for all kinds of things.
Flouride is poison as another reader has pointed out. People do some research before putting out bad information with little or zero knowledge of the topic at hand.
You are part of the problem, not the solution. Very poor “journalism”. Lazy and irresponsible.
Since when is fluoride toothpaste ‘good’? If you go into a drugstore the only other product apart from dental care junk that you will find to contain fluoride is RAT POISON!! and the fluoride is the active ingredient. Please look up the many videos on YouTube about how harmful fluoride is to our health. The Nazis gave it to concentration camp prisoners to make them docile.
Nope, don’t work for Aquafresh – in fact, I don’t even use Aquafresh (I use Tom’s of Maine instead… try to stay away from the bad stuff like parabens and things), but I just wanted to highlight the fact that a lot of toothpaste in Japan actually does contain flouride… this is just one example of many.
You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful!
I agree, I don’t think Aquafresh is the only brand to use – but I merely used it as an example in this post (versus examining every brand in one post). The main point is that most toothpaste here does contain flouride and one should check the ingredients if they aren’t sure.
Just look for toothpaste made by Lyon or Gum (and look for those katakana characters for “fluoride”. Not all varieties of those 2 brands have fluoride. And, you can even see good old English (MFP) in some cases! One doesn’t have to buy only AquaFresh.
Are you working for Aquafresh? Than just say it! We sell best toothpaste that will cure cancer, HIV and malaria with just one use.
Great article.
Wow, thanks for the information! I was worried about not having good toothpaste if I ever go to Japan… But thanks for this article! This is very helpful. When I go to Tokyo, I’ll remember this. Thanks!