Toothpaste - Make Your Own

We read the ingredient label on the foods we purchase (unless, like me, you mostly buy natures raw ingredients and stuff yourself) to be sure what we're putting into our bodies is safe and good for us.  On the other hand most of us don't read or understand our toothpaste label, even though we put the stuff into our mouths up to 1,000 times per year.

According to Dr. Harold Katz, Dentist and Oral Hygiene Expert, there are several harmful ingredients in many commercial toothpastes including:

• FD&C blue dye No. 2. This dye is in many toothpastes, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest warns against it as it might be related to learning and behavioral issues, severe allergic reactions and other health problems.
• Sodium lauryl sulfate. The American College of Toxicology says it can cause skin corrosion, irritation and canker sores. In lab rats, the ingredient led to depression, diarrhea and death.
• Triclosan. The anti-microbial ingredient is listed as a pesticide and is used in OTC toothpaste and hand soap. But the Environmental Protection Agency demanded more research be conducted because of triclosan's negative effects on thyroid and estrogen levels.
• Saccharin and aspartame. Both are artificial sweeteners, and both made the Center for Science in the Public Interest's list of additives to avoid.

In an effort to stand out above the crowd toothpaste makes have been in a "feature" race with toothpaste that initially claimed it prevented cavities (though the fluoride they put in as an active ingredient is a poison and remains controversial to this day).  When fluoride became nearly universal they began to add other features such as bad-breath prevention, prevention of gum disease, reduction of plaque, reduction of tartar, and even whitening your teeth.  All of these "features" have required adding chemicals that pose potential health risks to users (e.g. sodium fluoride, synthetic dyes derived from petroleum or coal tar, sodium hydroxide--also known as lye or caustic soda, sodium lauryl sulfate, titanium dioxide, artificial sweeteners, and triclosan).  Commercial toothpaste is also expensive.

Before all the hubbub brought on by competing toothpaste companies families took care of their own oral hygiene by using powders and homemade compounds.  These powders and compounds nearly always started with bicarbonate of soda (baking powder).  Many people are returning to the old days and making their own toothpaste with simple, known ingredients that do an effective job.

The most effective and simple approach to your own oral hygiene is to brush your teeth with baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide.  Baking Soda weakens and breaks up layers of bacteria that form on your teeth, then the Hydrogen Peroxide kills the bacteria that cause odors and create acids which attack your teeth.  The problem with that combination is that it tastes bad and makes you gag!  I've developed a recipe that incorporates Coconut Oil for consistency and flavor, and natural flavorings including Peppermint, Vanilla, and Stevia.

Here is how to make your own toothpaste for better health and lower cost:

• 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil - melted
• 6 Tbsp Baking Soda
• 1.5 tsp Liquid Stevia (or an equivalent of powder)
• 1.5 tsp Peppermint Extract
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbsp Hydrogen Peroxide

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly into a paste.  Add more of the flavorings and stevia if you prefer.  Let the paste cool to room temperature.  Store in an opaque container (light will degrade the hydrogen peroxide).

Use this as you would any toothpaste by putting just a dab on your toothbrush and brushing thoroughly, then rinsing well.  It leaves your mouth feeling fresh and clean.  The ingredients in it are pure and readily available, and you can make this for pennies on the dollar.  Try it out for simpler purer oral health and enjoy the savings in the process.