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It’s a rather well-known fact that regular toothpaste from the store contains a variety of dangerous ingredients. After all, the toothpaste labels themselves say “Poison”!
One of the most toxic toothpaste ingredients is sodium fluoride.
This chemical is so toxic that ingesting more than a pea size of toothpaste requires an emergency call to Poison Control. Fluoride also lowers children’s IQ as researched by scientists at Harvard.
Ingestion of too much sodium fluoride can cause a variety of symptoms within minutes including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, tremors, muscle spasms, seizures, and in severe cases, multi-organ failure.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel at all comfortable brushing my teeth with poison. Even if you don’t swallow the toothpaste, the chemicals in it easily get into the blood via the very thin gum tissue.
If you don’t believe that chemicals can get into your blood via simple contact with gum tissue, then try putting a tiny pinch of chewing tobacco between your bottom lip and your gums. I guarantee you will be dizzy, nauseated and ready to vomit in about 30 seconds (unless you happen to be a professional baseball player who chews tobacco regularly!)
Another really bad chemical in many conventional kinds of toothpaste is triclosan. Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical that is increasingly linked to hormone disruption among other things. I blogged about the dangers of this chemical in an article a while back titled Danger Lurks in Your Antibacterial Soap.
You should NEVER put chemicals in your mouth that you don’t want in your blood. You don’t need to swallow to be damaged by them.
Even Healthfood Store Toothpastes Not a Good Idea
What is less well known is that even toothpaste from the health food store should be avoided. While the ingredients may not be as toxic, the ingredients may hinder overall tooth and gum health.
For example, nearly all non-toxic toothpaste contains glycerin.
It is a sticky, sweet-tasting, clear, thick liquid that is a by-product of the soap making process. When you brush your teeth with toothpaste containing this chemical, some will stay on your teeth due to its extreme stickiness. This impedes the remineralization of your teeth with saliva as you sleep and can lead to cavities in the long term.
In addition, be aware that some health food store toothpaste shockingly contains sodium fluoride! There is simply no substitute for reading labels either for the food you buy or the cosmetics you use!
What to Use to Brush Your Teeth?
I have not used either conventional or healthfood store toothpaste for a number of years. I first got started using a simple, homemade mixture of baking soda and sea salt (3:1) after attending a fantastic, eye-opening lecture by the late Dr. Ray Behm DDS back in 2005.
Is homemade tooth powder or DIY toothpaste not your thing? Would you rather buy one that is juiced up with some wonderful herbs that benefit tooth and gum health? If so, then I would suggest taking a look at a product called Good-Gums.
Another excellent option is the product Shine from Orawellness that contains quality, healthful ingredients.
The product Good-Gums contains baking soda and sea salt, the primary ingredients of tooth powder dentifrice as recommended by Dr. Behm. It also contains beneficial soothing and antiseptic herbs such as myrrh, tea tree, peppermint, cinnamon, and cranberry. In addition, Good-Gums contains a whole food form of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is known to be critical to gum health and the avoidance or healing of periodontal disease.
Now in 2023 some dentists are recommending hydroxyapatite as an ingredient. It is alleged to be the same material that our teeth are made from. You don’t rinse afterwards, just spit out the excess.
Nice Article! Exactly what I’m looking for. It is no wonder then that more people are seeking out healthier alternatives to toothpaste. Baking soda is a very popular toothpaste alternative when used right. Due to its abrasive nature it may cause your enamel to chip away with time and over use. Hydrogen Peroxide is especially effective in maintaining clean and white teeth.
Just wanted to mention that your links are now outdated.
Thank you. I will check them now and see what is the problem.
Thankfulness to my father who told me concerning this blog, this website is truly amazing.
What is your opinion of tooth soap?
I replaced my chemical filled toothpaste with a natural Tooth Oil – an easy option – even heard a German dentist ordered 200 of these for his patients.
Hope it’s helpful
I am going to try Good Gums for myself. Curious what your children use? Do they like Good Gums, or do they just use baking soda?
What would you recommend for young children (3 and 5 year old)? We’ve been using xylitol gel, but then I’ve read your recent post that was not really good for you. Thanks.
I looked up the good gums and it looks great, but kind of expensive. How long does it last? I currently have 4 people in my house that would use it. 2 adults and 2 children. Thanks for all your hard work on this blog…I love it!!! ; )