If it so happens that you miss out on a regular dose of sleep for some nights, maybe a couple of weeks, you may catch the sight of a receding gum line. Unlike the near cousin of the hairline - known for such members as the deep channels, the inlet and the friar tuck - you will be in more physical pain than social.
With a receding gum line the nerves below the teeth are even more exposed than should be. Extreme temperatures in food can seriously affect the facial expression of anyone who so suffers such an ailment.
Brushing their teeth is even more of a task. The abrasive and foamy qualities of the paste, along with the needling hairs of the brush can drive one to tears.
Unfortunately when I was testing this toothpaste I wasn't suffering from sensitive gums. Night and day, day and night I would use this limp and unexciting excuse for a dental care product.
Formulated to be less abrasive than any other toothpaste it stretched my usual brushing time of five minutes close to eight. The extra three minutes were spent trying to build up any kind of lather, none to be seen. I found the experience of brushing my teeth with this lame paste akin to that of brushing with a thick milkshake.
Since the paste was less abrasive I also found myself applying even more pressure with the bristles than usual. Something I don't think the nerves below the gum line would appreciate as I find the bristles more than anything during the brush to drive the senses into overdrive.
It could have been just as effective as brushing while still in the tube albeit without the fluoride and paste running down my arm.
Reviewed on Friday, 29 March 2002