Peppermint Oil Toothpaste vs. Traditional Mint Toothpaste: What’s the Difference?

Key Takeaways:

Mint is a much-loved ingredient in toothpastes due to its refreshing taste, scent, and oral health benefits.

Menthol is a natural or synthetic compound that gives minty toothpastes flavor and a cooling, clean-mouth sensation.

The peppermint plant is packed with menthol, which makes up about 30% to 50% of peppermint oil.

Traditional mint toothpastes tend to be flavor-focused and may lack the cooling, squeaky-clean feeling.

A clean mouth and fresh breath help you feel more relaxed and confident to go about your day. And what better way to get that refreshing, squeaky-clean feeling and reap extra oral health benefits than with a mint-infused toothpaste?

Mint is a staple in many oral care products, but the fact that it comes in different forms and varieties can make choosing a toothpaste confusing. You may wonder what various mints do, and which one works best in enhancing your oral hygiene and oral health.

Let’s look at some mint basics and what peppermint oil and traditional mint mean in toothpastes so you can choose one that fits your needs.

Understanding Mint and Peppermint Oil

For centuries, mint (Mentha) has been a favorite ingredient in oral care products, and for a good reason. It enriches products with flavor, scent, and oral health benefits. But it’s not just one plant; “mint” is a general term for a group of over 20 plant species, including peppermint, spearmint, corn mint, watermint, and a lot more.

Menthol and menthone are compounds in mint plants that give off that earthy, fresh taste and aroma. But these compounds vary significantly across different mint varieties. For instance, peppermint plant is high in these compounds, while spearmint has negligible amounts.

These compounds are present in high concentrations in mint oils like peppermint oil, which is extracted from the peppermint plant. Their concentration is lower in other mint extracts.

How Do Peppermint Oil Toothpastes and Traditional Mint Toothpastes Differ?

Menthol Content

Menthol, a powerful compound mainly present in mint plants, gives toothpastes a sharp, cooling, and clean-mouth sensation. The working mechanism has long been a mystery, but studies have now found that menthol activates the cold-sensitive receptors (TRPM8) in the mouth, creating that tingly, icy feeling. Menthol quantities determine the flavor strength in toothpastes.

Peppermint Oil Toothpaste:

The peppermint plant boasts high concentrations of menthol, reaching 30% to 55% in peppermint oil derived from the plant. This makes peppermint oil toothpaste punchier in flavor and more refreshing. It offers a strong, immediate freshness, helping mask bad breath longer.

Traditional Mint Toothpaste:

Menthol content varies across traditional mint toothpastes, but it’s generally low. Most traditional toothpastes have a mild to moderate minty flavor because their menthol can be artificial, from low-menthol mint plants, or from a mix of different mint varieties. A spearmint-infused toothpaste, for instance, often tastes sweeter because the spearmint plant has negligible menthol content, generally around 0.5%. Its main compound is carvone, which tends to be sweet.

These toothpastes are flavor-forward, and most don’t evoke that intense, cooling sensation of peppermint-infused toothpastes.

Natural vs. Synthetic Flavor

Menthol occurs naturally in different mint plants, but can also be manufactured in labs to mimic the “minty” effect.

Peppermint Oil Toothpaste:

Peppermint oil toothpaste is more specific regarding the type of mint used, the variety with a stronger taste and more medicinal punch. This means its flavor is natural. Many herbal and natural toothpastes use peppermint oil. This makes these toothpastes ideal for people who are keen on clean-label, eco-friendly products with clearly indicated, plant-based ingredients.

Traditional Mint Toothpastes:

The challenge with most traditional toothpastes with “mint” listed as one of the ingredients is that they’re less specific regarding the type of mint used. The term can mean anything that tastes minty.

So, a product can have natural menthol or artificial menthol from synthetic chemicals. Many mainstream, mass-produced commercial brands use artificial menthol to save costs and time. In these toothpastes, menthol mainly plays a flavoring role. This makes them mildly or moderately minty, and they don’t offer a cooling, clean-mouth feeling.

Traditional mint toothpastes can deter eco-conscious folks because the minty flavor may be synthetic.

Oral Health Benefits

Mint is more than just its refreshing taste and aroma. The natural menthol in mint plants has been found to offer a slew of overall health and oral health benefits.

Peppermint Oil Toothpaste:

Peppermint is rich in menthol, which means you can reap these benefits more in a peppermint oil toothpaste and keep your gums and teeth healthy.

Peppermint oil toothpaste is potent when it comes to eliminating bad breath, including halitosis, the more chronic or recurrent bad breath.

Menthol has been found to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In the mouth, it helps fight harmful bacteria that can cause plaque, bad odors, cavities, and gum infections. It can soothe irritated gums, helping manage gingivitis (gum inflammation) and bleeding gums. It can also prevent cell and tissue damage and stimulate saliva production, which helps cleanse gums and teeth.

Most importantly, menthol encourages proper oral hygiene. Mint was originally introduced into toothpastes to get people to brush more. Without it, toothpastes would have metallic, tangy, and other unpleasant tastes. By helping mask the taste of other unappealing ingredients, it makes toothpastes more palatable, encouraging thorough and regular brushing.

Beyond this, menthol stimulates the nervous system, tricking our brains into associating the tingly, cooling sensation with cleanliness. It enhances the illusion of a fresh, squeaky clean mouth, making people believe that their toothpaste is working.

Traditional Mint Toothpaste:

Since most traditional mint toothpastes can use weaker mint plants or artificial menthol, their focus is usually on the palatable flavor rather than the natural properties and health benefits of menthol.

Choosing Between Peppermint Oil or Traditional Mint

The best toothpaste depends on your needs. Peppermint oil toothpaste is great if you’re keen on more natural ingredients and want to enjoy the punchier, minty-fresh feeling and the oral health benefits of menthol daily. Traditional mint toothpaste is best for kids and those sensitive to strong flavors since they’re generally milder.