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Toothpaste Rankings

Method

How We Rank Toothpaste

We score every toothpaste on the same six public criteria. No brand gets a free pass, including Klyyr. Scores are a weighted average of those criteria, rounded to one decimal place. Awards highlight category strengths; they do not override the overall ranking.

Last updated August 2, 2026 · Rankings are reviewed at least twice per year, or sooner when a brand reformulates, changes pricing materially, or new peer-reviewed evidence shifts how we score an active ingredient.

01. Ownership

Ownership & affiliate disclosure

Read this before you weigh any ranking on this site.

02. Process

How a ranking is built

The editorial sequence we follow for every brand on the list.

  1. 01

    We select widely available toothpaste brands that natural-leaning parents actually compare: clean/hydroxyapatite brands and mainstream drugstore options.

  2. 02

    For each brand we evaluate a flagship or best-known everyday paste (not every SKU in the line).

  3. 03

    We read published ingredient lists, brand claims, packaging, pricing, and peer-reviewed research on key actives. We do not run our own lab tests or clinical trials.

  4. 04

    Each brand receives six sub-scores from 0 to 10 (one decimal). The overall score is the weighted average using the weights in criteria.json.

  5. 05

    We write pros, cons, and a full editorial review. Competitor strengths are stated plainly. Weaknesses are framed as tradeoffs, not smear.

  6. 06

    Rankings are ordered by overallScore descending. Ties break on Remineralization & Efficacy, then Ingredient Safety.

03. Criteria

Six weighted criteria

Weights sum to 100%. Sub-scores are 0–10; overall is their weighted average on a 0–100 scale.

  • Ingredient Safety

    25%

    How clean the formula is for a label-reading household: surfactants, dyes, sweeteners, titanium dioxide, PEGs, and other common red flags.

    What we look for: No SLS, no artificial dyes or saccharin, no triclosan, no titanium dioxide when avoidable, transparent surfactants, and an ingredient list short enough to actually read. We score formulas higher when they use well-understood alternatives (xylitol, stevia, mild amino-acid surfactants) and lower when the label leans on marketing while still packing conventional irritants.

  • Remineralization & Efficacy

    25%

    Whether the paste offers a credible enamel-support story: hydroxyapatite dose and form, fluoride when present, or neither.

    What we look for: A stated remineralizing active at a meaningful level (clinically discussed nHAp doses or ADA-accepted fluoride), supporting ingredients like xylitol or zinc, and honesty about what the brand can and cannot claim. Pure 'natural' pastes with no remineralizing active score lower on this criterion even if the rest of the label is clean.

  • Kid & Family Safety

    15%

    Swallowing risk, age suitability, mild flavors, and whether one tube can reasonably serve a household with young kids.

    What we look for: Fluoride-free or carefully dosed kids formulas when swallowing is likely, mild mint or non-spicy flavors, no harsh foaming agents, and clear age guidance. We do not treat 'kid-safe' as a marketing badge; we look at what happens if a toddler swallows a pea-sized amount.

  • Taste & Texture

    10%

    Whether people will actually brush twice a day with it: flavor quality, foam feel, grit, and aftertaste.

    What we look for: A pleasant mint or family-friendly flavor, low-to-moderate foam without SLS burn, a paste that is not chalky or watery, and enough variety that picky kids or adults have options. Taste is subjective; we score for consistency and broad appeal rather than a single 'best' flavor.

  • Transparency & Sourcing

    15%

    How clearly the brand discloses what is in the tube, at what dose, and where it comes from.

    What we look for: Full INCI lists on-pack and online, stated hydroxyapatite percentage when claimed, packaging that is recyclable or refillable, country of manufacture, and willingness to discuss tradeoffs. Vague proprietary blends and 'natural' claims without dose transparency lose points.

  • Value

    10%

    Price per ounce relative to what you get: actives, clean formula, and subscription or multi-pack savings.

    What we look for: Fair price per ounce for the category, meaningful subscription discounts, pack sizes that fit a family, and whether you are paying for an active remineralizer or mostly branding. A cheap drugstore tube can score well here; a premium nHAp tube must earn its price.

Ingredient Safety and Remineralization & Efficacy each carry 25% because this audience leads with the label and still wants enamel protection that holds up to a dentist conversation. Kid & Family Safety (15%) and Transparency & Sourcing (15%) reflect swallowing risk and distrust of vague 'natural' marketing. Taste & Texture and Value (10% each) matter for daily adherence and household budgets but do not outweigh safety or efficacy.

04. Boundaries

Disqualifiers

Hard stops before a paste enters the ranked table.

  • Formulas that still use triclosan as an antimicrobial.
  • Products marketed as toothpaste that lack a clear oral-care purpose or ingredient disclosure.
  • Claims of awards, clinical trials, or lab results that we cannot attribute to a published source or the brand's own disclosed testing.
  • We do not disqualify fluoride pastes. Fluoride is scored on its own merits for efficacy and kid-safety tradeoffs.

05. Honesty

What we do not do

  • We do not invent clinical trials, lab panels, or 'site-run' tests.
  • We do not claim a competitor contains an ingredient unless we are confident from a current published label; otherwise we describe the line generally and use ingredientsNote.
  • We do not trash competitors to elevate Klyyr. Klyyr wins only when the public criteria put it first.
  • We do not present editorial opinion as established science. Research citations point to published papers; brand claims are attributed to the brand.

06. Cadence

How often we update

Rankings are reviewed at least twice per year, or sooner when a brand reformulates, changes pricing materially, or new peer-reviewed evidence shifts how we score an active ingredient.

Current list dated August 2, 2026