BoomerGirl Diary

Toothpaste used to be about function. A little dollop on your toothbrush gave you fresh breath and prevented cavities. It was also about one flavor: mint and more mint. But lately, nearly every tube seems to tout whitening effects, stain removal, organic ingredients and new taste sensations. We randomly picked three at the drugstore and asked three testers to put them brush-to-brush against their favorite brands. How did they rinse out?

Crest

Nature's Expressions, citrus clean mint, $3 for 6 ounces, drugstores.

Squeeze play: "I'm not too picky about toothpaste, but I did recently discover Pepsodent, an old-time favorite that was popular in the 1950s. It makes my mouth and teeth feel super clean."

Brush & rinse: "This toothpaste looks like lemonade gel; I guess that's the citrus part. I expected it to be tart, but the taste is surprisingly mild - not too minty with just a hint of lemon-y flavor."

Clean gleam? "I didn't love it enough to switch for good from my new fave Pepsodent, but if it's on sale, sure, I'll brush with it."

Jason

Powersmile, organic, cinnamon mint, $5.75 for 6 ounces, amazon.com., drugstores.

Squeeze play: "I am a longtime, loyal fan of Crest Cavity Protection. And I have never needed a filling, so why mess with a good thing?"

Brush & rinse: "This peach-colored paste is incredibly gooey, and the plastic cap gets messy after awhile. I was skeptical of the cinnamon-mint flavor combination. It's not as sweet as other toothpastes, but it wasn't bad."

Clean gleam? "It cleaned my mouth just fine, but I don't think it made my teeth whiter. I missed the long-lasting minty flavor of my regular stuff. This paste is adequate, just a little boring."

Arm & Hammer

Advance White, fresh mint, $4.89 for 4.3 ounces, amazon.com., drugstores.

Squeeze play: "I shop for whatever's on sale, but as a diehard coffee drinker, it's always a whitening toothpaste."

Brush & rinse: "Remember when you got all tree-hugger back-to-nature and decided to dip your toothbrush in a box of Arm & Hammer? It tastes just like that. The paste is also gritty, but it's smoother than pure baking soda and rinses clean. I miss the minty fresh breath, but my teeth still felt clean."

Clean gleam? "I can't say it worked any better than the other whiteners I've tried. I'm still looking for that miracle anti-Peet's paste."