Alternative natural toothpastes

 Why consider a toothpaste alternative?

toothpaste alternatives have mostly gained popularity because of concerns about some ingredients in traditional toothpastes. Ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (commonly used in household cleaning products) and titanium dioxide have been declared safe by toothpaste boffins, but some people just don’t like the thought of having unknown chemicals in their mouths. Even fluoride, often regarded as our teeth’s BFF, has people concerned, even though the National Institutes of Health says that you’d have to ingest a lot of it to cause any damage.


Reminder: There’s a good reason why so many traditional toothpastes contain fluoride — it really is the best thing for protecting your teeth. The American Dental Association strongly recommends using it to prevent cavities, and has declared it safe. So, if you’re unfriending your normal toothpaste, remember that you do run a higher risk of tooth decay — be extra vigilant, and step away from the sugar!

1. Baking soda

It might reduce cavity-causing bacteria! And it whitens your teeth!, Baking soda is a viable alternative to toothpaste, but if you’re prone to cavities, or not keen on the taste, it might be wise to keep it to an occasional use.

2. Coconut oil

Heard of oil pulling? It’s a dental care trend, though certainly not a recent one. The technique has been used in India for thousands of years. It basically comes down to treating coconut oil like a mouthwash, except that you’re swishing a teaspoon of it around your mouth for about 15 minutes, making sure you draw it through all the gaps in your teeth. Spit it out, and you’re done!, on the bright side, some small studies show that coconut oil’s antimicrobial properties could be pretty awesome for reducing plaque and gingivitis. Hurrah! On the downside, there isn’t too much research on the subject, which means that it’s fairly unknown as to how it might affect your long-term dental health.

3. Sea salt

Salt has many good uses, including cleansing, so it’s a logical step to assume that it’ll kill off all that bacteria in your mouth. And on the whole, it seems to be pretty correct — salt raises the pH in your mouth, making it a deeply uncomfortable living situation for all those pesky microbes. but it’s a double-edged sword. Salt can work pretty well because it’s abrasive, scraping all the harmful stuff off your teeth… but, it can do its job a little too well, damaging the enamel on your teeth. Plus, you don’t really want to ingest more salt than you need to.

4. Soap 

Yup, such a thing as tooth soap actually exists, and you can buy it in stores or online. when you buy it, it’ll often look almost like a deodorant stick — all you need to do is wet your toothbrush, rub it over the surface of the soap a few times until it starts to bubble, then clean your teeth just as you would with regular toothpaste. It’ll foam up way more than you think! Fans love that it’s nonabrasive, and often less chemical-tasting than regular toothpaste. but does it work? It’ll certainly keep your teeth looking pretty sparkly as usual — but again, there’s usually no fluoride in its ingredients. Great if you’re trying to avoid it, but if you’re prone to cavities, it means that you miss out on that recommended protection.

5. Peroxide

Whaaaa-? Isn’t that the stuff we use to bleach hair? Why the heck would you want to put peroxide in your heckin’ mouth?

Well, if you’ve ever used a whitening toothpaste or had a whitening treatment carried out by your dentist, the chances are that you’ve already had a peroxide party in your mouth. It’s one of the critical ingredients of those toothpastes that promise to give you a gleaming smile, so some choose to cut out the middleman, and use peroxide to clean their teeth. One important note, though: Be sure it’s diluted before trying to use it in your mouth.

If you’re using it responsibly (and it’s a very good idea to check out correct measurements before you start putting it in your mouth), it’ll certainly get those teeth gleaming. But you’ve got to be careful not to keep it on your teeth too long, or it can cause damage. It also doesn’t provide too much in the way of dental protection.

6. Herbal powders

Tooth powders might sound like something pretty recent, but this is what your ancestors were probably using in order to keep their teeth shiny. We’ve moved away from using crushed oyster shells and chalk (ew?), but head into your nearest store, and you’ll likely find tooth powders made from baking soda, charcoal, or salt. Or you can try making your own, with a drop or two of essential oils to make it taste a bit more appetizing.

And it might even be better for you than toothpaste! The more abrasive nature of the powder means that it’s a great way to dislodge plaque from your teeth. The downside? It can be a little too abrasive — and that’s why no tooth powders have currently been approved by the ADA, as it can do unintended damage to your enamel. Use with care!

7. Charcoal

Another popular alternative, charcoal, is probably the choice of your favorite wellness-obsessed celeb *coughGwynethcough.* But is it any good?

First, it’s important to note that we’re talking about charcoal-infused toothpastes here. You really don’t want to go scrubbing actual charcoal onto your teeth, because it’s abrasive as heck, gets stuck in your gums, and generally doesn’t taste super nice? But when safely contained in a toothpaste, it’s fairly fine to use — and fans claim that, contrary to logic, it’s great for whitening your teeth!

But… here comes science to be a Debbie Downer. Despite its fans, scientists haven’t found much evidence that charcoal actually whitens any better than a regular toothpaste. It can also leave little black specks and flecks in the gaps between your teeth, which is a little unsightly. So, you can use charcoal toothpaste… but it may not yield the amazing results you might’ve been expecting.

8. Cinnamon

cinnamon gives you that fresh, autumnal feeling of cleanliness in your mouth! And cinnamon is known to be anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Sounds like a good choice, right?

Well, kinda. There are many mainstream toothpastes which contain cinnamon, and those can be absolutely fine for you. But if you’re thinking of making your own DIY powders or pastes, cinnamon needs to be handled with care — use too much, or too frequently, and you could actually incur burns to the inside of your mouth! That’s not the kind of cinnamon challenge we’re into.

9. Clays (bentonite and kaolin)

Clay? As in, putting actual dirt on your teeth?

Yep, that’s right! Though it’s not like the clay soil you can dig up in your yard (seriously, don’t do that), and you won’t be using it in its raw form — phew! Bentonite clay is a volcanic clay, while kaolin clay is a fine substance that has been used in cosmetics for decades. The theory is that they’re both fine enough to use on your teeth. The clay granules are mildly abrasive, so they scrape the pesky plaque off your teeth, leaving you with a naturally-clean mouth. Bentonite fans even claim that the minerals contained within it help to give you a nifty detox while you brush.

However, there’s not enough research on the effects of clay yet, whether positive or negative. And there’s that all-important lack of fluoride to consider. But in time, it could prove to be an option worth trying long-term.

10. Water

If you can’t find an alternative to toothpaste that satisfies your needs, there’s always the bare-bones option of bristles and water, Some nonfans of toothpaste claim that a toothbrush is all you need. After all, many teeth cleaners are often lauded for their level of abrasiveness, which takes plaque and bacteria off the surface of your teeth. But most of the work is done by the brush itself, and not the toothpaste.

The Links 

https://greatist.com/health/toothpaste-alternatives