Exclusive: Colgate just launched 3 new oral care products — and we got the first look
With that in mind, Colgate developed its new Total Active Prevention System, a collection of products that work together to clean teeth, prevent cavities, kill bacteria and freshen breath. During an exclusive visit to Colgate's labs, I spoke to members of the brand's research and development team to learn how they created the new toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash, and participated in demonstrations that highlighted how they work. Four NBC Select staff members and I also tested the Total Active Prevention System for a week at home to experience using it daily. Below is everything you need to know.
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What is the Colgate Total Active Prevention System?
Colgate's Total Active Prevention System includes a manual toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. The products are made to complement each other, but you can use each one on its own. Still, they're more effective at reducing bacteria buildup that can lead to issues like gingivitis and cavities when you use them together, according to the brand.
Below, I break down the basics of each product in the system and share our honest review of them after a week of use.
All types of fluoride help prevent cavities, but stannous fluoride has extra antibacterial, anti-decay, anti-plaque and anti-sensitivity benefits, according to scientists I spoke to at Colgate's lab. The brand's ADA-accepted Total Active Prevention toothpaste is made with stannous fluoride, offering up to 24 hours of antibacterial protection after you use it, according to Colgate. The toothpaste also has sodium lauryl sulfate in its formula, which makes it foamy. It comes in a minty flavor, and you can purchase it in a thicker, grittier paste texture or a smoother gel texture (we tested the paste).
Colgate Total Active Prevention toothpaste is available in numerous formulas — all of them have the same stannous fluoride base, but depending on the specific oral care issue they target, they have slightly different additional ingredients. For example, the whitening toothpaste has a higher concentration of hydrated silica, an abrasive ingredient that buffs away surface stains.
What we like
We tried the Colgate Total Active Prevention Whitening Toothpaste, and during the week we've been using it, we haven't noticed a substantial difference in surface stain reduction. However, that's to be expected with any whitening toothpaste, according to dentists I precisely spoke to.
As far as cleaning goes, this toothpaste is highly effective. 'It's perfect for everyday use, lathers well, the taste isn't too strong or overbearing, and it makes my mouth feel clean long after brushing,' says NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez. She's tried a handful of Colgate toothpastes over the years and says this one ranks among her top three favorites. NBC commerce social media editor Sadhana Daruvuri found the toothpaste easy to squeeze out of its tube and get onto her toothbrush. Its cap is flat so that Daruvuri could stand it up on her bathroom countertop or in her cabinet.
The head of this manual toothbrush has over 5,000 high-density bristles that break up plaque buildup and polish away stains. They also help make Colgate's Total Active Prevention toothpaste extra foamy so it gets into every nook and cranny of your mouth, according to the brand. The bristles are situated on an angle and they're tapered — this lets them reach deeply into the spaces between your teeth and along your gum line to scrape off gunk, which doesn't replace flossing, but loosens up stuck food and dirt. The bristles in the middle of the brush head are shorter than those around the perimeter, creating a pocket to hold the ideal amount of toothpaste.
The back of the toothbrush's head has a built-in silicone tongue and cheek cleaner. Its handle is textured to aid your grip, and there's a little cutout in the center that you can see from the side. The cutout reduces how much plastic the toothbrush is made with and gives it a unique look that helps you find it while shopping, according to the brand. You can buy the toothbrush with soft or medium-soft bristles (we tested the soft bristle option).
What we like
I usually prefer an electric toothbrush, but now that I'm using Colgate's manual one, I don't want to give it up. Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select manager of editorial operations, agrees. 'This is hands-down the best manual toothbrush I've tried,' she says. 'As my dentist has recommended time and again, I use soft bristle brushes, and in the past, I felt like only my electric toothbrush's soft bristles managed to actually deep clean my teeth. While the soft bristles on this toothbrush are gentle, they provide that deep clean feeling I'm always looking for.'
NBC Select intern Aksha Mittapalli says one of her favorite parts of this toothbrush is its built-in tongue cleaner. 'It's excellent because it grips and scrapes my tongue without leaving it dry or white,' she says. Additionally, I find that the toothbrush's wider brush head covers more surface area compared to narrower ones, so I really feel like I'm cleaning my teeth from every angle. I also noticeably feel the bristles slipping between my teeth to remove grime — I appreciate this since my teeth sit very close together and I'm always worried about something getting stuck in the tiny gaps.
When I talked to Colgate's research and development team, they described the ADA-accepted Total Active Prevention Mouthwash as the finishing touch to the system since it's the last step in your oral care routine. Colgate designed this mouthwash to help kill any bacteria left in your mouth post-brushing, leaving you with fresh breath and the most comprehensive cleaning possible.
The mouthwash's alcohol-free formula is made with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), which kills bacteria that can contribute to gingivitis, plaque and tartar buildup, according to the brand. It also has zinc in it to help freshen breath. It's available in two flavors: spearmint and peppermint (we tested the peppermint flavor).
What we like
Compared to other mouthwashes she's used, like Therabreath, Mittapalli says Colgate's more dramatically and quickly eliminates dry mouth and improves bad breath. Daruvuri had a similar experience: 'I love how fresh and clean this mouthwash makes my mouth feel, especially without the burning sensation I usually get from other ones,' she says.
I tested this mouthwash soon after I arrived at Colgate's lab when I visited. It immediately got rid of the coffee taste in my mouth, and about three hours later, I could still taste its peppermint flavor. I can't think of another mouthwash I've used that's as powerful.
One important thing to remember is that the Colgate Total Active Prevention Mouthwash is not made with fluoride. If you're looking for anticavity benefits, Alvarez recommends using Colgate's mouthwash during the day since it freshens breath, and opting for an anticavity option at night, like Act.
Final takeaways
Each product part of Colgate's Total Active Prevention System is effective on its own, but together, they're an even more powerful lineup of oral care products we can rely on daily. 'I love that I know the toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash work in unity and are targeting so many oral care concerns at once,' says Alvarez. 'It eliminates the worry and stress of figuring it out yourself.'
Why trust NBC Select?
I'm a reporter at NBC Select who has covered oral care products for five years, including articles about toothpaste for kids and adults, floss, mouthwash, whitening products and fluoride. To write this article, I visited Colgate's lab to meet with its research and development team. I, along with four other NBC Select staff members, also tested the products part of Colgate's Total Active Prevention System, which the brand sent us as courtesy samples, for a week prior to their official launch.
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