Don’t look for actress Julia Roberts to be pitching toothpaste on TV anytime soon.
In a surprising tidbit of information about her personal care routine, the Oscar-winning actress revealed that she does not use toothpaste to maintain the beautiful smile that made her famous.
What’s more, she doesn’t use any of the natural brands of toothpaste that many consumers are switching to as they discover the many dangerous chemicals and other additives contained in conventional toothpaste.
In an interview with InStyle magazine, Ms. Roberts shocked the house by revealing that she uses a humble dollop of baking soda to brush her teeth.
Her reasons?
I brush [my teeth] with baking soda. [My grandfather] would put a big heaping mound of it on his toothbrush. He had only one cavity in his entire life.
What Ms. Roberts may not realize is that her grandfather was onto something. Many top holistic dentists recommend baking soda mixed with a bit of sea salt as the best way to keep those pearly whites as well as the gums happy and healthy for life.
My own family uses a baking soda, sea salt, hydrogen peroxide mixture, called “The Secret” recommended by a well known holistic dentist who discussed it at a seminar on nontoxic dentistry that I attended some years ago. We’ve used it for years with wonderful results!
Natural toothpaste, while nontoxic, frequently contain glycerin which sticks to teeth and inhibits remineralization and therefore actually contributes to cavity formation!
Another option for those who don’t tolerate baking soda and want to avoid toothpaste is a no glycerin, no fluoride tooth gel complete with teeth and gum strengthening herbs. This type of gel (find it here) is also safe for those with mercury-based amalgam fillings.
Source
(1) How Baking Soda Fits into Julia Roberts Beauty Routine
Sarah, I have been using the “remineralizing” toothpaste recipe posted at Everyday Paleo (no glycerin) for about a year. The last time I went in to get my teeth cleaned, my dentist was amazed! Said there was absolutely no plaque or tartar to scrape off and after 7 months since my last cleaning, not one single stain. And I am a huge kobumbucha and tea drinker! No cavities, no issues, nothing! He even had to show all his staff and tell them I was making my own toothpaste. He asked for the recipe.
I’d love to have that recipe, if you don’t mind. 🙂
Here you go Blair:
I have been using it for months now and I like it. However, I am going to try a new recipe by the same woman that uses bentonite clay:
http://wellnessmama.com/5252/remineralizing-tooth-powder-recipe/
Bentonite clay is supposed to bind to the toxins in our bodies, so I would recommend the tooth powder recipe instead!
We have begun using Earthpaste, made of bentonite clay, which does not contain any glycerin.
I recently read somewhere that people, all around the world eat clay (GEOPHAGY) – so there may be something to it!
Consuming clay is making a resurgence. I’ve been hearing more and more about it lately as an effective detox practice, and there are many good clays to choose from. I like to take a tablespoon first thing in the morning with my water.
There are also clay toothpastes designed to be swallowed, such as this one from Ascended Health. I have tried it yet, but probably will when my current tube is up.
http://www.ascendedhealth.com/gum-disease/gum_disease_remedy.htm
Wow–it is really expensive! I also don’t understand why you would swallow it with all that gunk from your teeth in it–doesn’t make any sense. I sometimes brush my teeth with Calcium Bentonite (food grade), but would never consider swallowing it.
Joyce
Joyce, LOL! I had the same thought initially…I think that’s a fairly common reaction. I can’t explain it all scientific like, but the thing about clay is it somehow binds to the bacteria/absorbs them, so you will simply pass them through your digestive tract and out; just as would happen if you ate or drank clay 🙂 Charcoal does the same thing (I believe). If you search places like Azure, Amazon, or others, you can find deals, even your local health-food store maybe?…Earthpaste is not always that much $. I sure didn’t pay that much (I don’t blame you for not wanting to!). I found this testimony about one mom, her toddler and using a homemade bentonite-based toothpaste for them both (he had a cavity)
Thanks Sarah, for hosting the great conversation 🙂
That’s it! That’s the paste I was just talking about…
Growing up there was always that toothpaste commercial that said 4 out of 5 dentists recommends _____ over _____ (not trying to get sued here).
It’s been said I am a cynic. Or was it a sceptic? I simply have a healthy dose of skepticism. Perhaps I’m a pessimistic optimist. I have a raised eyebrow when my TV preaches that four out of five dentists choose a certain tooth paste. 4 out of five says to me that twenty percent of American dentists (which could be tens of thousands of dentists) don’t like or agree with a product. I would like to know why. Is there something we should know that they’re not telling us?
Is there some truth to the sugar ingredient or other ingredients that are damaging? Did those 20 percent figure out the truth behind fluoride vs non fluoride? Are those twenty percent involved with mal practice? Is it the case that the fifth dentist doesn’t recommend brushing teeth at all, that it’s not natural and enamel can’t be replaced like skin or hair, and wearing down on it twice a day does more harm than good?
This is what I want to know as a consumer. That is how my skepticism helps me. I don’t want to have to be a super sleuth when it comes to products that go in my body. Full disclosure makes my choices simpler, makes my life simpler.
Personally, all that fluoride confusion has enabled a simpler way of brushing — not using any toothpaste at all. I still brush, which is really the bulk of the cleansing process anyway, along with flossing, but no products — and it saves on money. Try it for yourself. Get a soft bristled brush (or a medium one and use it forever). After a good flossing with a wax free and artificial mint free type floss, then brush your teeth just as you would with paste. A little weird at first but you’ll get used to it quickly. After brushing, bite into a little lemon slice or make a natural mint or cinnamon leaves solution and rinse your mouth with it.
Your teeth and mouth will feel positively clean and fresh — when you run your tongue over them they will feel just as smooth if not more so than with paste. With those popular tooth pastes you might need a fire hose to rinse the product off. If your breath smells like spearmint or any other “flavor” after brushing, then you really didn’t thouroughly rinse – there are still particles of the toothpaste sitting on your gums and teeth. You don’t want to sleep with those “ingredients” hovering around your teeth and gums overnight — that’s what the fifth dentist may know but she or he is outnumbered so you can’t get all the info.
Some contend the high acidic level from the lemon can wear on the tooth enamel – I recommend that you then dilute the lemon juice. The acidity in citrus can help to kill bacteria that cause bad breath so a quick and thorough water rinse after the lemon treatment will prevent erosion. Something less acidic, like oranges can be a good substitute as well. Any flavor you like from the garden of life’s herbs and spices will be better than toothpaste which is not natural. Floss — brush with no paste – then rinse with solution and then rinse with water.
@ Oliver Leslie: I like your summation of that “fifth dentist”! I feel the same way about why doctors are surveyed about something, but chiropractors are not. It’s because chiropractors believe in a totally natural lifestyle, whereas a doctor believes in a pill for every ill. And yet the chiropractors (or anyone opposing the allopathic paradigm) is considered a quack. Go figure.
It’s funny (not really), but we gone from “an apple a day” to “an aspirin a day”
Thank you, Oliver, a lot for your thoughts!
I have never thought it that way but it makes a lot of sense.
My dental hygenist told me a couple of years ago that, no, we don’t *have* to use toothpaste to brush. She also told me that I “don’t NEED fluoride!” I am almost 60 years old and have no cavities or fillings. I *do* battle peridontal issues and have lost two molars to that. My dad and his side of the family are the same – beautiful teeth with no cavities but struggle peridontal bacteria. I want to know how that bacteria gets in my body to begin with – the dentist hasn’t been able to give me an answer (and he’s an old friend, too, not just our dentist). I’m putting real salt on my brush and then a little bit of an herbal paste that the dentist sells. But today I found a new paste at the Real Salt website – four ingredients – clay, Real Salt, zylitol (however you spell that) and essential oils. They told me on the phone that it will remineralize my teeth due to the clay. And it’s only $8 a tube compared to $12 from the dentist. No glycerin in this paste that I know of – I can ask if you’d like. I used baking soda for years and I *do* have enamel loss so I’m leary of using it again. ?? I have to say that flossing seems to have more effect on keeping down the bacteria working in my mouth than even brushing does. We also have an irrigator but I don’t find it user friendly and rarely use it even though I know I probably should be.
Lynne – bacteria will always be in your body. Without it you die. There is both good and bad bacteria – the battle for every species is to minimize the bad stuff. Our colons have both good and bad – and colonic practitioners try to cleanse the area of the bad – but so goes the good stuff as well.
In your mouth, it is the ideal spot for bacteria to grow and thrive. Steady rinsing is always best. Flossing as you said, is awesome and the most effective (with soft gentle brushing). The other issue is the foods you eat. I am not a raw foodist, but raw natural products breakdown much easier and faster than processed or cooked foods. Cooked, processed food will definitely hang around your teeth and gums more. Oliver
Have you tried oil pulling?
Coconut oil works well for that. Get organic virgin oil, I use Tropical Traditions. it is naturally anti bacterial and gets everything in your mouth and teeth really well. You can google it and find a you tube with instructions.
Yes, I tried oil pulling several years ago after reading up on it but couldn’t tell any difference. I didn’t use coconut oil though. We just started buying coconut oil late last year and yes, we get it from Tropical Traditions. I do know that eating anything with sugar in it makes the bugs in my mouth go nuts. The dentist put some scrapings from my mouth under the microscope and added a little bit of sugar water and you should have seen the bacteria feeding frenzy. Sugar definately helps them proliferate big time. I try to keep sugar intake down in my diet, using raw honey and/or real maple syrup for sweetening if necessary but they are so expensive it’s not hard to leave them alone a lot. My husband gets more of those than I do as he wants his green tea and breakfast oatmeal sweet. I don’t. In fact, I don’t eat near as much oatmeal as he does, either – I like our fresh free range eggs better with real butter. We want to know why this peridontal stuff seems to be genetic – as I said, my father’s side of the family are all like this – dad is almost 92 and still has most of his own teeth (no fillings) but has lots a few molars to gum disease. His father lost all of his perfect teeth in his 40’s, and Dad’s sister lost all of her perfect teeth at a young age, too. My kids have wonderful teeth – no fillings or cavities. Some of our grandkids are doing the same thing while one of them has cavities all the time. He also wants to eat sweet stuff all of the time (he also has been diagnosed with asperbergers – or however you spell that). We had the laser treatments done two and a half years ago and that set the bacteria back hard for almost a year but it came back. I want to know if it’s getting in my mouth from my bloodstream?
Genetics is tricky – and can sometimes be misleading. “Genetics”, the trait in genes the predisposes one to something or another, can happen at any time. Right now, you, can do something, eat something, be in a radiation shower, hit by gamma rays, anything, and it could send your genetic makeup down a whole new path – this is why we are all so vastly different – even though we all came from the tinyest of gene pools millions of years ago in africa.
When we do hear that diabetes or some condition runs in someone’s family, this is slightly misleading. It’s not always “genetic”. I don’t mean to disregard genetics wholesale, but many folk use the idea of genetics to rationalize favorably for or against many health issues; If Grandma Phillips drank and smoke well into her late nineties, when she died, it should not be the go ahead signal, the safe sign, for her children and grandchildren to follow suit without concern, as if the bloodline is somehow equally resistant to lung disease or liver malfunction or any of the dozens of health issues related to smoking and drinking. There are way too many factors that each individual has in addition to genes that contribute to one’s condition. It could also be argued that had Grandma Phillips not drank and smoked, she could have lived to 120.
If there is a history” of heart disease in your family it’s not necessarily the genes but probably more the case of simply that they all ate plenty of fatty, fried, cholesterol rich foods and didn’t exercise much. If one traces their family back two hundred years and finds they all had suffered from diabetes, instead of genetics, it could have been the case that they simply ate a lot of starches and refined and unrefined sugars — and didn’t exercise much. Some will argue that the doughnut they ate triggered the diabetes gene in them… While I do believe in the “trigger” dynamic, it’s important to realize that each person can develop their own condition of diabetes from scratch or any disease from scratch, and the hereditary issue would begin at that point, with you. Each person is capable at any point in time of having a cell mutated and rendering that cell a cancerous one or some other type of disease. As well, each person is capable of creating and generating an entirely new disease. That’s why we have so many.
On the plus side of “genetic history”, if one wants to say that there is a history of this or that in their family, and they need/want to stay away from certain types of foods or cellphones, that is a good thing. In addition, the nature of genetics and dna is that genes can evolve gradually and without incident over time, or can be altered, mutated, suddenly and radically with great consequence. Of equal importance is that at what point a gene has become “modified”, mutated, morphed, isn’t always clearly determined.
Hi Lynne,
I’m not an expert, but after reading up & trying a few things on my own, I’m thinking maybe sloshing a teaspoon of colloidal silver after brushing & before you go to bed might help with the bacteria causing the gum disease.
*All y’all are welcome to chime in if I’m accidentally sending Lynne on a rabbit trail! Just a thought. God bless 🙂
I’ve been brushing without toothpaste for quite a while now – I’ll sometimes use a dab of baking soda but usually I’m too lazy. My teeth feel every bit as clean as it did when I used yucky toothpaste!
neither does Oprah
I read that baking soda can erode tooth enamel if used more than once a month. Have you heard this?
I had a lot of allergic reactions to toothpaste & my dentist was OK w/me going to baking soda. And she is not a holistic dentist.
I’ve been using baking soda as tooth paste for more than 40 years, No eroding that I know or my dentist know of…lol
Hi, I want to use baking soda too, can you teach me how? Is there any mixture, amount of ingredients and how many times a day I should use it? Please? I really need to whithen my teeth but my family can’t afford bleaching. Thank you..
can this ‘baking soda+salt’ be used if there are bridges already?
Interesting. I wonder if I could get my kids to do this too.
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My kids use baking soda mixed with very fine sea salt (3:1 ratio)
Thank you also for that precious tip (glycerin)!
Yes, most folks don’t realize that the toothpaste you choose can actually cause more problems than it solves! Glycerin is just terrible for teeth!
@ Sarah: I wonder if this includes pure vegetable glycerine? I use this on a q-tip with a drop of lemon essential oil several times/day to swab my tongue, because I have severe dry mouth due to Sjogren’s Syndrome.
I use a mixture of dolomite or calcium carbonate, coconut oil, baking soda and sea salt mixed up in a baby food jar for my toothpaste of choice. Sometimes I add a drop of spearmint essential oil or something, but not always. I mix a new batch every week. Daily I soak my toothbrush in a mixture of 1/2 H2O2 and 1/2 water to “sterilize” it, especially if I have a cold or something. Then I replace my toothbrush about every 2 months or so.
I have a denture on top (due to a car accident) and instead of buying the pre-made denture soaks, I use baking soda and a drop of peppermint oil, then I brush the denture with a special denture brush. I also soak that brush in an H2O2/water solution daily.
Hi Sarah
I have a question.
I read (cannot remember where) that the frequent use of baking soda destroys enamel with time. Is this true? Thank you 🙂
Not according to my holistic dentist. I’ve been using for 7+ years with no problem.
Thanks Sarah, I just checked my baking soda/salt toothpaste and yep it has glycerin. Checking out the secret now.
Animals in the wild don’t use toothpaste or brush their teeth (obviously), but they don’t suffer from tooth decay or gingivitis or cavities etc..
Baking soda does seem harmles compared to the other things we use.
The bit about wild animals not getting tooth decay is actually not true. http://www.westonaprice.org/notes-from-yesteryear/understanding-weston-price-on-primitive-wisdom
I should rephrase the statement to further articulate the term “wild”. Initially I meant wild animals because they eat raw food whichs greatly helps prevent malnutrition – which your link referenced.
Today sadly, few animals can be considered wild in that they are impacted every day by mans doings. Our oceans are now beyond polluted, so in fact there will be signs of disease among those other species, the likes of which they have never experienced before.
I used to say that no wild animals have cancer, but in 2012, every stream, river, lake and ocean is filled with tons of man made toxic elements. Our earth has been contaminated and it’s soil has been denatured and our rains more acidic – nothing is as it used to be, so every “wild” species from the ant (roaming in the toxic soil) to the eagle (soaring in the toxic skies), to the shark (swimming in the toxic waters) is not spared this dynamic of modern history.
But still, your pet dog and cat will have far worse gum issues than any wolf or lion – because those wild creatures still don’t eat processed, nutrient void foods. 3 out of every 4 cats and dogs suffer from gum diseases in 4 years. Not to mention obesity, which no wild animal experiences.
BOTH SITES STATE RDA LEVELS OF ABRASION OF BAKING SODA/TOOTHPASTES.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/11/is-baking-soda-a-good-alternative-toothpaste/
All animals, wild and tamed, suffer from periodontal diseases. Especially highly bred varieties because most breeds snouts are shortened and narrowed during ‘the chosen one’ breeding process used for asthetic purposes and obviously only admired by very particular humans.
Dogs and cats don’t care what they look like!