IN BID FOR BUSINESS, TOOTHPASTE MAKERS TURN TO VITAMINS.

Byline: Phil Davis Staff Writer

Designer jeans. Designer eyeglasses. And now designer toothpaste.

In an effort to crack the die-hard brand loyalty of toothpaste consumers and cash in on the natural products craze, Natural White Inc. recently introduced Dentavite, one of the first toothpastes to contain vitamin E and pycnogenol, natural supplements with antioxidants and immune-system boosters that the company says may help stave off gum disease.

Put emphasis on the word may. UCLA's Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky said the most important disease-fighting agent in Dentavite isn't mentioned in the packaging hype - good old fluoride. Fluoride is the only ingredient the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes as a proven cavity-fighter.

``That's not to say these natural materials may not prove to be good at some point, but we can't say right now whether they are or they aren't,'' said Wolinsky, a professor of oral biology and medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry. ``The scientific evidence is not clear.''

Natural White Inc. spokeswoman Jill Johnson said Dentavite is being studied in human clinical trials at St. Bartholomew's Royal School of Medicine and Dentistry in London. Results are expected within a few months.

Meanwhile, the best defense against cavities and gum disease remains thorough brushing and regular flossing. Toothpaste is just soap for the teeth, helping harmful bacteria and plaque slide away.

Other natural ingredients in so-called designer toothpastes may make consumers feel as though they're steering clear of chemicals, but fluoride is often thrown into the mix to bolster the manufacturer's anti-bacterial claims. Read the label, not just what's on the advertising.

So what should you look for in a toothpaste?

``I think in terms of what we know now, you definitely want to look for a fluoridated toothpaste, because that's going to give you the most direct benefit for the teeth,'' Wolinsky said. ``I would also say some kind of mild abrasive in the toothpaste helps clean the teeth and may help them appear a little whiter.''

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PHOTO New ``designer toothpaste'' Dentavite contains vitamin E, an antioxidant the company says could help stave off gum disease.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer