Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that women can access toothpaste that is appropriate for their saliva's ph level.

Toothpaste and other consumer healthcare products are widely available to support a range of oral hygiene needs, including those of women. The main modifiable risk factors for dental caries are diet, consuming too much sugar too often, and lack of optimal fluoride. Managing the intake and frequency of sugar is particularly relevant for the pH of saliva. For caries prevention, it is the application of fluoride in toothpaste that is the most important aspect of brushing, as fluoride helps prevent, control, and arrest caries. Family or standard fluoride toothpaste at 1,350 to 1,500 parts per million fluoride is recommended. Higher strength fluoride toothpaste can be prescribed by a dentist if a patient requires it due to dental caries risk. The evidence for this and related advice for dental teams is set out at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-better-oral-health-an-evidence-based-toolkit-for-prevention