I don’t know about you, but I have eliminated the refined sugars and processed foods from my diet, made sure that all my produce is organic and clean my home with environmentally safe products. What most people overlook is something that you swish around in your mouth everyday—your toothpaste.

Since cleaning your teeth has been around for ages, the first toothpastes consisted of things like crushed oyster shells, bones and eggshells mixed with powdered charcoal and natural flavorings. Nowadays, you would be hard pressed (unless, of course, you happen to be a pharmacist) to figure out what the heck is in your toothpaste. While some of these chemicals may clean, polish and preserve your teeth, some are unhealthy, several are unnecessary, and some are actually dangerous. If you are like me and worry about what goes into your mouth, you are going to want to scrutinize the product that enters your body twice or even three times a day.

There are some who believe that we wouldn’t have to brush if we ate correctly. In fact, if you do the research, you will find that there are studies done on primitive tribes and cultures whose populace wouldn’t have known a toothbrush from a twig, and yet retained near-perfect dental health. There are some natural health advocates that believe diets with lots of crunchy, raw produce and a balanced pH level would afford us the luxury of losing the toothbrush. “A good, balanced diet with raw food will self-clean your teeth as you chew,” says Fullerton, California, dentist Richard Hansen. “A good diet will also give you saliva that will help remineralize teeth and wash away any substances accumulating in the mouth. People with dental problems usually have very poor diets.” Sounds reasonable to me! We tend to consume more processed fibers than whole grains, and more cooked produce than raw, so we have to brush to remove the plaque, food particles and bacteria that hang onto our teeth.

If you are like the majority of the people out there, you are probably brushing with toothpaste that you purchased from the local drugstore or supermarket. A paste that has been touted to make your teeth whiter, brighter and healthier—but no where on the label does it tell you that all the chemicals are safe.



Fluoride - A Dirty Trick Indeed

Well, let’s see……the two biggest names in the toothpaste world don’t even have ingredients on their tube. Instead, you will notice a warning to call the Poison Control if you swallow more than a smidgen. Boy, that made me feel good—how about you? Their explanation for the warning equated to the fact that one of the ingredients is fluoride, but that didn’t make any sense because numerous toothpastes out there have fluoride and no warning. “There have actually been a couple of deaths from young children eating a tube of toothpaste,” explains Dr. Hansen. “Toothpaste tastes good, and small children are susceptible to fluoride poisoning. But the likelihood of having a toxic episode if you’re not swallowing the toothpaste is pretty remote.”

Disputes continue to rage over the long-term usefulness and dangers of fluoride. Here is just one concept contributed from an article by Darlene Sherrell, author of the Dental Fluorosis Prevention Program:

“Earlier in the 20th century, scientists discovered that one of the most common chemicals in our environment, fluoride, has the ability to ruin teeth, lower I.Q., and cause arthritis, back pain, stomach problems, kidney stones, muscle cramps, osteoporosis, cancer, impaired immune function, thyroid problems, hearing loss, chronic fatigue, and even wrinkles. Meanwhile... In the production of aluminum, steel, cement, glass, fertilizer, fuels, refrigerants, rat poison, pesticides, uranium and many other items, fluoride wastes are unfortunately released to the air, water, and soil....constantly increasing our exposure to this bio-accumulative substance which is more toxic than lead. Eventually, as a result of the alarming levels of fluoride wastes from mining and manufacturing, laws were made to regulate its disposal and curb releases to the environment. This presented a costly problem to industry....which was solved with typical U. S. ingenuity. In essence, the solution was to dissolve and disperse fluoride into our public water supplies, thereby saving billions of dollars in disposal costs, and actually turning this toxic waste into a marketable product using the ploy that it would improve dental health.”



What Else do They Put in my Toothpaste?

In addition to fluoride, the major ingredients of many mass-marketed toothpastes are polishing agents, humectants, thickeners, detergents, foaming agents, artificial flavors and sweeteners.

Karyn Siegel-Maier, the author of the 1999 book The Naturally Clean Home, states that toothpastes are full of worrisome and potentially toxic chemicals. Several, in particular, are PVM/MA copolymer, which is irritating to the eyes and skin; the sweetener sorbitol, which can act as a laxative in high concentrations; and the extremely troublesome sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).

A few of the toothpaste ingredients are relatively innocent. Others, if you do your homework, will make you think twice about putting them in your mouth. These are just a few to get you thinking:

FD & C Blue No.1: Widely used to dye paste blue, this coal tar derivative can cause allergic reactions, and has been known to generate malignant tumors at the site of injection in rats. More about FD&C color pigments. Titanium Dioxide: This material makes toothpaste whiter. In high concentrations, it can cause lung damage when inhaled. Sodium Saccharin: This is an artificial sweetener used in toothpaste, mouthwash and lipstick. Saccharin fell out of favor in the 1980’s when test rats developed bladder cancer after being given the substance in high doses. The FDA still lists it as possible carcinogen.

Fluoride: There are several different types of fluoride, such as sodium fluoride, sodium monoflurophosphate and stannous fluoride. Each and every one is derived from hydrofluoric acid, made by reacting sulfuric acid with fluorspar, an ore rich in calcium fluoride. Guess what? One of easiest ways to get fluoride is to capture and filter the airborne industrial waste given off by fertilizer producers. Fluoride in high concentrations is known to case learning disabilities, tooth problems and even death.

For a complete list of ingredients and whether they are harmful to your health, please visit the Environmental Working Group.

If reading this article has given you some food for thought and you decide you want to explore a more natural approach to dental care, you have numerous choices. Be careful, though, as many of the so-called “natural” pastes contain many of the same chemicals that traditional brands do. Do your homework and read the ingredients!



Natural Alternatives to Toxic Toothpaste

Of course, you could do what we do and make your own. Not only would it be more cost effective, but also better for your dental health. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Don’t forget that in addition to using chemical- free toothpaste, it is imperative that you include a balanced diet with raw and crunchy foods, brush after every meal and try to avoid snacking on sugars and junk food. Oh, and by the way, Coenzyme Q10 improves circulation to the gums and can really help prevent gum disease.

Lemon Clove Tooth Cleanser

• Small amount of finely powdered sage
  
• 1 ounce of finely powdered myrrh
  
• 1 pound powdered arrow root
  
• 3 ounces powdered orris root
  
• 20 drops oil of lemon
  
• 10 drops oil of cloves
  
• 12 drops oil of bergamot
  

Rub oils into the powdered ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Fruity Tooth Cleanser

• 1 tablespoon ground dried orange peel
  
• 1 dessertspoon ground dried sage
  
• 1 dessertspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
  
• 5 drops of lemon oil
  
• 1 drop peppermint oil
  

Mix in blender and keep in a glass jar. Dip your toothbrush into the powder and wet with a tiny amount of water before brushing.

Sensitive Teeth Cleanser

• ¼ cup white cosmetic clay
  
• ¼ cup vegetable glycerin
  
• 20 drops tincture of myrrh
  
• 4 drops orange essential oil
  
• 4 drops clove essential oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk them thoroughly until smooth. Store in glass jar. Dip your toothbrush into the powder and wet with a tiny amount of water before brushing.

For Periodontal Disease

• ¼ cup white cosmetic clay
  
• 1/8 cup baking soda
  
• 1/8 cup finely ground sea salt
  
• ½ cup vegetable glycerin
  
• 20 drops tincture of myrrh
  
• 8 drops tea-tree essential oil
  
• 8 drops thyme essential oil

Put all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk them thoroughly until smooth. Store in glass jar. Dip your toothbrush into the powder and wet with a tiny amount of water before brushing.

Tooth-Whitening Treatment

• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste, and brush your teeth for 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat daily, if desired.
  
  

Here are a few herbs for a health mouth that you can add to the above recipes if you wish.

Aloe - Aloe leaf gel has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and aids in the healing of gum inflammation and mouth ulcers. You can apply a small amount of gel directly to the affected area.

Echinacea - Echinacea has powerful antibacterial and immune-stimulating properties and helps to fight infection. Add ½ teaspoon of Ultra Immune to ½ glass of water as a mouthwash to heal gum inflammation. If you have an infection, take ½ teaspoon of Ultra Immune orally three times a day.

Neem - This is an Ayurvedic herb and has antimicrobial properties. It helps strengthen gums and prevent plaque and is found in some natural toothpastes.

Tea Tree Oil - very powerful antibacterial essential oil that combats infection, including the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. You can add 3 drops to any of the recipes above or to ½ cup of water and use as a mouth rinse.

Sage - This is a strongly astringent herb that tightens gum tissue and soothes mucous membranes in the mouth. You can either add the powdered sage to the above recipes or you can use cool sage tea as a mouthwash