Should you pay more for ‘advanced’ toothpastes? Maybe not

Howard took a close look and noticed that the ingredients of various Colgate Total toothpastes are almost identical, yet the prices vary.

He asks: Are those price differences justified?

I put that question to Colgate. No one at the company got back to me.

ASK LAZ: Smart answers to consumer questions

So I took a look myself, and I’d have to say that it doesn’t seem like these puppies are that different.

For example, the main ingredient in Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste is water, followed by hydrated silica and glycerin.

The main ingredient in Total Gum Defense is hydrated silica, followed by water and glycerin. The main ingredient of Total Advanced Clean in hydrated silica, followed by water and glycerin.

So what’s my advice? Buy the cheapest version of this toothpaste. It’s probably as good as any other version.

For more, check out today’s Ask Laz video.

If you have a consumer question, email me at asklaz@latimes.com or contact me via Twitter @Davidlaz.