Here's what the evidence actually supports in the oral care aisle — and what's mostly marketing.
Strong Evidence
A soft-bristled toothbrush (electric if practical) — hard bristles don't clean better and can damage gum tissue and enamel over time with aggressive brushing.
Fluoride toothpaste — the single ingredient with the strongest evidence behind it.
Floss or interdental brushes — genuine evidence for gingivitis and plaque reduction.
Weak or No Evidence
Whitening products — a cosmetic effect, not an oral-health one; reasonable to use for appearance, but not a substitute for anything in this guide.
Charcoal toothpaste — marketed on a plausible-sounding "absorbs stains" mechanism, but lacks the trial evidence behind fluoride, and some formulations are abrasive enough to be a genuine concern for enamel over regular use.
Most "natural" fluoride-free alternatives — these skip the one ingredient in toothpaste with the strongest protective evidence, which is a real trade-off, not a neutral "gentler" choice.
The honest summary
A soft-bristled (ideally electric) toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and daily interdental cleaning cover essentially everything this guide's evidence actually supports — most of the rest of the oral care aisle is marketing built on a plausible-sounding mechanism rather than trial evidence.