Have you thought much about fluoride? This lovely product is added to many water supplies and toothpaste. Dentists supposedly say it prevents tooth decay. When I discovered this product has been banned from adding to water in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, France and The Netherlands, I questioned why it is still being promoted as a healthy product here in the States.
Andreas Schuld describes fluoride as follows in an article on the Weston Price Foundation:
“Fluoride is any combination of elements containing the fluoride ion. In its elemental form, fluorine is a pale yellow, highly toxic and corrosive gas. In nature, fluorine is found combined with minerals as fluorides. It is the most chemically active nonmetallic element of all the elements and also has the most reactive electro-negative ion. Because of this extreme reactivity, fluorine is never found in nature as an uncombined element.”
Highly toxic? Corrosive gas? I am not sure about you, but that concerns me. These references are referring to the addition of flouride to most water systems in the US, but there is another form of flouride that is added to your average container of toothpaste.
Fluoride Deception
You might be interested in checking out these videos…
Fluoride Deception – interesting video on harm of fluoride
Cure Tooth Decay – can tooth decay be related to what kind of food you eat?
Fluoride Alert – professionals sign document to end fluoride in water due to its toxic content. Two interesting videos about flouride.
Fluoride Free Alternatives
Fluoride is added to most toothpastes you will find in the store, and although your consumption may be minimal, it is something to consider. Finding flouride-free toothpaste is a spendy pursuit, costing up to $5 per small tube. Sodium lauryl sulfate is included in most natural toothpastes, which is the foaming agent that is added to toothpaste and other bathroom products. There is much controversy whether it is safe as well, so I am seeking to avoid, if possible, and stick to the ingredients that are safe to consume, especially for the little one, as she very well may swallow it.
Here are a few alternatives:
Toothsoap – I have not tried this, but have heard many rave reviews from others. The ingredients are all natural, based upon coconut oil, olive oil and a few other products. The price might sound a bit high at first but I have been told a tube lasts three months for a family of four. Toothsoap is preferred over natural toothpastes because not only does it not contain fluoride but it also does not have sodium lauryl sulfate.
I reviewed the list of ingredients and I thought…why not? These are simple enough to combine together at home. I wanted a toothpaste with quality ingredients that I had on hand, without spending too much on a tube of toothsoap. Here is what I came up with:
Homemade Toothpaste Recipe #1
You can actually just us Dr. Bronner’s as a natural toothpaste, but the texture is very liquidy and very powerful in taste (soap here we come!). Definitely not something the hubby or baby would like. I tried mellowing and sweetening it a bit with these ingredients and all are quite satisfied! Still under a little experimentation. This recipe provided a nice moist but thicker consistency than Dr. Bronner’s alone.
1 Tbsp Dr. Bronners castile liquid soap or any natural castile liquid soap - contains coconut, olive, palm oils – we use Baby Mild unscented (because it is more versatile for us, and covers multiply uses in one product) and then flavor with an essential oil or two
5 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp or more olive oil or water – to get the consistency you want – this makes it pourable to put in the soap dispenser
Essential oil (20-25 drops), I use orange and peppermint together, as peppermint alone is a little strong for me, but you can use whatever combination you like. If using Peppermint Dr Bronner’s soap, you can skip this altogether.
Stevia, or to sweeten to your taste – a few dashes or so works
Warning: Do not test this product more than a few times at a time or just a dab at a time, or else you can burn your mouth (if using peppermint oil/soap), as I experienced. Best to taste by putting it on a toothbrush and brushing your teeth, as flavor is a bit different from just tasting the toothpaste directly.
I store mine in a new soap dispenser in our bathroom. No scooping it up, just pump it out right onto your toothbrush. No messes in the draw from spilled sticky toothpaste tubes either!
Homemade Toothpaste Recipe #2
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
1 Tbsp castile liquid soap
A few drops peppermint, anise, wintergreen essential oil, optional
dash of stevia or xylitol
Combine ingredients with a hand mixer or by hand as desired. Store in a old toothpaste dispenser by cutting the end off and filling with your toothpaste. Seal the end with masking tape until it is ready for a re-fill.
Both of these recipes work well for cleaning your teeth and are completely safe and natural…so no fear for the little ones! Just make sure to only give them a little dab on the toothbrush because the ingesting essential oils is the only concern here. So please use less essential oils if you are concerned.
Other fluoride free toothpastes on the market:
Tom’s of Maine Fluoride Free Toothpaste – they sell a children’s brand as well.
Trader Joe’s Fluoride Free/SLS free toothpaste – this is a very inexpensive alternative if you have access to TJ’s!
Nature’s Gate Fluoride Free Toothpaste
Check out Mountain Rose Herbs for the best quality and lowest priced coconut oil around!
Great alternatives. But if anyone does not want to take the trouble they could simply go for a toothpaste without fluoride (Rare though). Baby toothpastes and a few from Tom’s of maine and Arm&Hammer do not contain fluoride. Also naturally sourced fluoride is said to be safe.
The trouble with non fluoridated toothpastes is they contain glycerin. In order to remove the layer of glycerin you’d have to brush your teeth 20 times. It coats your teeth and your saliva cannot remineralize them.
You’re correct about the glycerin. However, sub coconut oil and it’s not a problem.
…and just another suggestion for those asking about keeping the paste ‘pasty’ rather than setting hard. In winter I add some fractionated coconut oil (which stays liquid at lower temps than the whole oil) – look it up, very useful stuff when the weather turns cold.
Hiya,
just wondering why the soap? Is it just to give a soapy clean feel? I actually think just the brushing action is enough in most cases but once a day I use a 50:50 coconut oil:bicarb mixture, with sesame oil, stevia, peppermint oil and tea tree oil added for flavour. I know some people LOVE foamy toothpastes but they’ve always made me gag so I’m really happy to have a non-foaming (and non-toxic!) toothpaste.
Thanks for posting this! I am planning on trying out your recipes and seeing which one works best for our family. I’ve been recently diagnosed with perioral dermatitis, so hopefully this will be an awesome solution!
As a side note and Christian to Christian–I’m a science teacher and wanted to add that your part about “fluorine” and “fluoride” is a bit misleading. To say that fluoride, a compound, and fluorine, a volatile element, are the same is not necessarily true. Pure potassium explodes when it comes in contact with water, yet we safely eat potassium–neutralized with other elements as a compound–in bananas and it is absolutely essential for the functioning of our cells. Oxygen, O2, is what we breathe, but add one Hydrogen atom on–H2O–and you get the substance we drown in, water. Because fluorine and fluoride are different substances–like oxygen and water–you cannot judge the properties of one based on the properties of another.
Some people believe that brushing with glycerin can actually coat your teeth and take up to 20 brushings to remove. Your teeth can not regrow enamel properly when covered with glycerin. It is also possible for teeth to regrow enamel over time as long as they are not coated with fluoride or glycerin.
Dr. Gerald F. Judd has expressed concern for the dangers of using glycerin and fluoride for cleaning teeth in his book “Good Teeth — Birth to Death.”
I’ve used the first recipe (with alterations) from a different site for over a year and my teeth are actually WHITER as well.
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I havent read all the posts – just wanted to mention that we have been using for years, and LOVE, the MiEssence mint toothpaste. It’s an Australian made product by MiEssence. VERY natural, and our son has been using it since his first teeth.
Here’s the link which includes a complete list of ingredients too: http://www.mionegroup.com/en/product/13101
Peace! Some good ideas here for sure, but it’s important to note that glycerin actually prevents the teeth from re-mineralizing & therefore should not be used. Re-mineralization of the teeth is how we are able to heal our own cavities & replenish the enamel. Our saliva naturally contains minerals like calcium (assuming we get enough in our diet) that work to re-mineralize our teeth.
Just as our fingernails grow back when we cut them, our other bones (including teeth) can do the same given the proper environment. Baking soda & coconut oil (50:50) is a great & affordable toothpaste that promotes an antiviral & antibacterial environment in the mouth (bacteria from foods are the cause of tooth decay). Once the bacteria are removed via baking soda brushing/rinsing after meals the true healing can take place in the form of re-mineralization.
These recipes are a great step up from those toxic commercial fluoride products, but removing the glycerin will help you remove that dreaded dentist appointment from your annual to-do list! For more info, just google “heal your own cavities” & explore the excellent information out there that allows us to eliminate dentists from our lives. Peace!
I make my own toothpaste which has been working really well for me for months:
lots of baking soda (you can fill most of your container with it)
some sea salt (a tiny amount in proportion to baking soda, maybe about 1/10th)
coconut oil –antifungal and antibacterial (enough to make a paste; can take alot)
few drops (10+) essential oils (I like tea tree, pepperment, and chamomile-good for sensitive teeth)
mix everything until you have a good consistency (more baking soda, less coconut oil, etc). Should make a nice paste. I put it in a little old jar from a salve I once bought from Whole Foods. You can put it in baby food containers too, or just make a ton and put it in a big mason jar.
When I use it, I either spoon a tiny bit into my mouth, or use a CLEAN finger. I don’t recommend putting your toothbrush directly in it, and it’s better to put it straight into your mouth or it could fall off brush.
The only thing about this combination is that the coconut oil will melt out sometimes in warm weather; a problem during traveling, which is why I keep it in a ziplock during those times. I hope you try it! It’s similar to yours but I used ingredients I had with me in Nicaragua, and glycerine and liquid soap are not options there. I happened to have most of these things on hand.
By the way, my mother, who was having teeth and gum troubles, tried my toothpaste when her gums were giving her pain. She had been developing receding gums, probably from using regular toothpaste with fluoride and sodium laureth sulfate in it, not to mention chewing gum with aspartame in it. So I let her try my toothpaste, and the pain stopped immediately. We then made her some, and she brushes with it morning and night, and her gums have completely gone back to normal, she suffers no more pain, and her teeth are incredibly shiny white now. Amazing how simple solutions, without doctors and medical prescriptions or pharmaceuticals, can make a real difference in someone’s life. Just thought I’d share…
I’m a Dental Hygienist and I can tell you that Fluoride in dental products has nothing to do with the recession of your Mom’s gums. We know that recession comes from the way we bite.
I do believe that many of the new toothpastes have so many chemicals in them that they may be causing more problems than they are curing.
I’m happy that your Mom no longer has pain in her gum tissue. I hope that her bone levels are healthy and she has a healthy “dental” life.
FLOURIDE COMES FROM TOXIC WASTE
I had to do it without the soap, it was a bit tooo soapy tasting for me and my kids BUT I did add aloe juice and spearmint oil instead. How do you keep your paste from becoming a solid block?
Are these recipes safe for toddlers (who aren’t quite ready to spit on command)?
They sure are!
I want to use xylitol in toothpaste… Epic is a company that sells dental products and guarantees NO cavities if you use their products (expensive and only available from dentists), all sweetened with xylitol. ‘They say’ xylitol kills the germ that causes cavities.
I mixed coconut oil, cinnamon leaf oil, and xylitol and use it, but it is one hard lump I want to pump it out of a dispenser. Any Ideas?
thanks for sharing this blog. Chris
Just something to check in to… Glycerin is not good in a toothpaste, as it leaves a sticky coating on your teeth which is difficult to remove, and it prevents your teeth from re-enamelization.
http://www.inspiredliving.com/mouth-care/
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/news/o_dental_health.htm
And this is an interesting article. I’ve heard over & over again that Weston Price claims you can heal a cavity, but no one even said how he achieved his results. Here ya go:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-i-healed-my-childs-cavity/
This is so awesome! Do you know if recipe 2 can be put into a soap dispenser like the first one?
I’m totally going to be doing this ^^
I have tried several of your other recipes and have loved them all! Thank you! I recently had a problem with my order on toothpowder and decided enough is enough; it’s too expensive anyway. I want to try recipe # 2 as it contains baking soda, but I’m wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of the glycerin, as I already have it on hand. Oh, and I am also curious about about the soap dispenser question from SoulEating. Thank you!