After success with other more natural alternatives, I've become skeptical of many mass produced so called 'health' products. Considering that fluoride is a toxin, I haven't found any good research showing that applying it to my mouth is really shown to help anything, and that it's not natural, I've recently ditched fluoride. And I am not sure about glycerin, but my teeth definitely feel different when that is gone as well. All the so called 'natural' toothpastes I have seen seem to be loaded with tons of mysterious or crap ingredients and are expensive, so I've just been using cinnamon powder mixed with baking soda to good effect. According to my mother, in the 'old days' people just used baking soda. I added cinnamon because it is supposedly and antibiotic plus it vastly improves the taste. It might be my imagination but my teeth actually seem whiter and cleaner and my gums healthier. An added benefit is after I went camping and accidently forgot that my wet toothbrush was left ziplocked into a plastic baggy for 2 weeks, when I finally pulled it out, it was not all moldy like it always is if I do the same thing with a brush that had regular toothpaste on it. APparently, mold doesn't like cinnamon and baking soda that much! The only thing in the bag was a nice fresh cinnamon scent. Anyone else using any home brew concoctions instead of toothpaste and what have your experiences been?
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After a lot of experimentation and tweeking, my favorite toothpaste recipe is:
Stir it all together with a toothpick and store in a little tupperware container. The peppermint/cinnamon/Stevia combo really helps to mask the salty BS taste. To me, it tastes a lot like Toms of Maine's cinnamint toothpaste (my former favorite). :) I used to mix coconut oil into my recipe, but it hardens too much during the winter months, and makes getting toothpaste on my brush too difficult - so now I leave it out of the toothpaste recipe and just oil pull with the coconut oil. |
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As a Dentist, I can say those are all very good alternatives to commercial toothpastes. Just make sure you use a soft toothbrush and that what you use is not too abrasive. Because Paleo includes no processed carbs, those who follow that diet will be at a lower risk for tooth decay. Be aware that dried fruit is very cariogenic. Please remember that Fluoride is naturally occurring (in very large concentrations some places-hence its benefit discovered). I assume that most Paleo followers are probably enlightened/educated enough to purchase bottled water, if they chose. However, the vast majority of the population is not Paleo. Unfortunately, as processed carb consumption increases so does decay (& obesity). Keeping fluoride levels optimal (~1ppm) has and will continue to be a public health benefit. BTW- my town has to blend wells to lower the naturally occurring high levels of fluoride. |
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I use floss regularly, use a soft brush with water for places the floss cannot reach. What works really well is massaging my gums with my finger for a good 3 to 5 minutes covering all the gum surfaces, it squeezes out sticky plaque from between the gums and the teeth. Tongue cleaning, especially the rear portion is also a must - using the same soft brush. |
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I use baking soda. Some use baking soda and salt. Baking soda has been used for cleaning teeth for many generations. I know people in their 90s who have never used anything else. Many of the older people I knew as a child used baking soda for teeth cleaning. Before toothpaste appeared in the stores, there were tooth powders. We used to get Pepsodent tooth powder in a nice tin. Those days are long gone. I also sometimes use homemade soap to brush my teeth. I make 100% olive oil soap or olive and castor oil soap. It works well and is nice to use. I use dental floss, as well. |
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What would be wrong in brushing with just water? |
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I now brush only with coconut oil, but since I don't really eat any carbs right now my teeth never really feel like they need to be brushed. I floss way more often though because the meat that gets stuck in there. |
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I'm currently trying a paste I made from coconut oil, baking soda, and cinnamon... it's a bit cold in here causing it to be a tad hard, would work good in a tube... lol Feels great though... |
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Brush with a little bath soap. Its alkaline, ready at hand and doesn't taste too bad (you can try and find one that is to your liking.) |
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Cinnamon sounds interesting! We use baking soda, mixed with peroxide. We have a small bottle that we keep the peroxide in and add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil). I've heard of some people using tea tree oil. Depending on how much liquid we add, it can be pasty or pretty runny. We have a small dish into which we dispense 1 tsp of BS, then a dropper or two of the peroxide mixture. It's been working very well for us for over a year. I'm interested in reading what others are doing. |
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I have made this from another website. It was good. A little too salty, so I will decrease the baking soda. Homemade toothpastes do not get foamy, so it takes a while to get used to it. 2 Tbs. coconut oil 3 Tbs. baking soda 6 TBS. Xylitol few drops peppermint essential oil (or spearmint oil and vanilla extract) I am almost out, so I think that I will try cinnamon next time. |
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I found brushing with bicarbonate of soda and other solutions was causing my gums to bleed a little, still, and -and I mentioned this in a previous thread comment- decided to try out cinnamon sticks (chewing until soft, then using my tongue and lip muscle to brush). Since then, my gums are looking better, my breath is fresher, and my teeth are cleaner. |
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hey, these are awesome substitutes for toothpaste! very inspiring! |
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http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/search?q=baking+soda+gums this dentist's program is not particularly paleo, but very informative. She feels that baking soda eventually causes or exascerbates gum recession. she would approve of chewing on birch twigs, so perhaps she is open to paleo notions... |
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I have been using cinnamon and baking soda to brush with for a week and my teeth feel so clean, are whiter, my gums don't bleed anymore when I floss and I actually DON'T have horrible morning breath anymore. I will never go back to store bought toothpaste! |
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I tried a baking soda-based powder for a while; while it was great for my teeth, it irritated my gums and the skin around my mouth and caused me to break out. I looked into tooth soap and found it was pretty expensive (for 2-4 ingredients I already had on-hand), so I figured, why not make my own? My current creation contains: 2 tbs. Coconut oil, 1 tsp. olive oil, Himalayan sea salt, a drop of tea tree oil, a couple drops of trace mineral concentrate, and calcium bentonite clay. If left out, it will be liquid, but in order to keep the oils from going rancid, I put it in the fridge. When it solidifies, I cut it into chunks that I can pop into my mouth and voila, instant tooth-cleaning goodness! I alternate between that and brushing with Peelu fibers (http://www.peelu.com/about-us.html) followed up with hydrogen peroxide. I've noticed my teeth are exceptionally clean and hardly ever feel dirty. They are also whitening quite nicely and the trace mineral drops are helping reverse the minor fluorosis I have on my top two front teeth. |
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You can buy real mint and stick some in your toothbrush then you brush your teeth, and if you want to have a fresh breath throughout the day you can also buy cinnamon powder and brush your teeth with it. |
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And make sure you buy the real cinnamon it will be more effective...you can get some in this website http://www.regenerativenutrition.com |
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Daniel Vitalis has some good advice on daily dental care: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CqR8UmAvZQ Our family has been using this advice for many years (well before Daniel put the video out) with no dental problems so far. After flossing, the inexpensive extremely fine bentonite clay home made toothpaste is not abrasive like baking soda. Swishing with coconut oil after brushing and rinsing helps. |
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