International Toothpaste Museum

Parodontax is a lovely pink paste from England, by way of Belgium. It has become my new favorite paste. The salty flavor, similar to a baking soda paste, is refreshing without being sweet. (I get so sick of really sweet American toothpastes.) And I appreciate its flouride. The manufacturer's website states that it: "contains natural herbs such as rathania, chamomile, echinacea, mirra, mint and salvia." It's made by GlaxoSmithKline , a giant global pharmaceutical corporation. However, it's not a global brand for the mega corporation. The only place to get it in the US is from obscure importers like Smallflower . The package is completely in Dutch and French. The only English is "Parodontax is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies." Helpful information from the inside of the box: Plaque is an important cause of irritated gums. - Healthy gums don't bleed while brushing - Irritation of the gums is primarily caused

Serbia! This toothpaste is from the Republic of Serbia. The packaging is bilingual with most of the words in Serbian. It's a mild minty paste with flouride. The distinctive addition is camomile. Health benefits abound, for sure. Herbal teas that are designed to sooth the mind often have camomile as a key ingredient. Thanks to Google Translate, I was able to discover the touted benefits of this particular paste: it will provide protection against decay, protection from gum disease, strengthen tooth enamel and refresh your breath. I like the flavor. It's not as sweet as most American pastes. It's very slightly blue-green in color - kind of like they mixed one part Crest with six parts white paste. It's made in Germany for the Serbian market by Schwarzkopf & Henkel , which is a giant manufacturer of health and beauty products. Special thanks to my friend Lisa S., who has several friends from Serbia. And thanks to her friends, who brought the paste back from a

This one's from the Czech Republic. Stoma is made by Odol , which is part of the GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare group. (I featured another Odol toothpaste back in 2009.) The chief active ingredient is tea tree oil, aka Melaleuca, which has many many claimed health benefits. It also contains bromochlorophene, which has been proven to reduce plaque and gingivitis . Another ingredient is Agrimonia euphoria , which has been stated to have medical and magical properties since the time of Pliny the elder (23 AD). Stoma , in Koine Greek means "mouth." In English it can refer to something related to colostomies - I didn't want to give much research in that direction! Odol decided to color the paste a light green, with just a hint of blue. The flavor is medicinal and slightly in the realm of mentholatum. My sister Amy bought it for me. (Thanks!) Sadly, unless you live near the Czech Republic, I don't think you can get your hands on any.