A few years ago I started getting interested in commercial toothpaste ingredients.
I was also interested in the general approach to modern dental care.
Everyone agrees:modern dentistry is competent and beneficial.
On the other hand, it has the same problem as Western medicine:it focuses on treatment and not on prevention .
I think the goal of dental hygiene should be the prevention of cavities and disease through a healthy diet and lifestyle.
It starts as early as pregnancy, when jaws and teeth are formed. But also during breastfeeding and throughout the rest of life.
But avoiding cavities and dental problems is not easy these days, especially because of the development of junk food.
When a dentist finds a cavity, the solution in 100% of cases is to do a filling.
What if there was another solution? What if we could remineralize our teeth through a healthy diet and proper oral hygiene?
I think it's something it's possible to do.
As soon as a dentist uses a bur and puts on a filling, your teeth weaken. As a result, they are even more exposed to cavities.
But if we focused more on prevention instead of treatment, we could avoid the vast majority of cavities.
In addition, it would avoid damaging the teeth due to fillings.
When I was a child, the majority of my teeth had dental drills and they were filled.
This is something I would like my children to avoid. I would like their teeth to stay in top shape.
That's why I'm very interested in caries prevention and tooth remineralization.
The goal is that my children can have healthy teeth, and that this also contributes to their general good health.
Be aware that there are several factors that contribute to tooth remineralization, including:
- healthy eating
- pH balance of saliva
- good oral hygiene
Food and pH balance of saliva are related and quite complex factors to understand.
I strongly encourage you to do your own research on the connection between diet and the health of your teeth.
I also hope that you will take a closer look at your oral hygiene.
Because remember that what I share here in this article are conclusions based on my own research:I am not a dentist!
Toothpastes clean teeth and remove plaque. Which is of course beneficial to the hygiene of your teeth.
But be aware that if your goal is to have healthy teeth through a healthy diet, using industrial toothpaste can play tricks on you.
In addition, toothpastes from major brands contain questionable products — products that may do more harm than good:
This ingredient is not bad for your health in itself, if its origin is certified.
On the other hand, its effects on dental health are questionable.
Indeed, it would seem that glycerin deposits a thin film on the teeth which prevents remineralization.
This ingredient may also be harmful if it has been packaged with dangerous chemicals.
And we can be sure that most toothpastes use the cheapest glycerin...
LSS is used for its thickening effects and its ability to create foam. But it is also known to be carcinogenic.
Several organic companies maintain that the use of LSS is safe:but I confess that I still prefer to be careful with this ingredient.
This is the first ingredient for which I expressed serious doubts. Why?
Because I carefully avoid all sweeteners:most are known to be carcinogenic.
In addition, saccharin-type sweeteners contribute to obesity and many other health problems.
Sweeteners are also known to be excitotoxins — meaning they stimulate neurons in the brain until they die.
And despite this, manufacturers continue to use saccharin in toothpaste...
It's hard to question the ingredients in toothpaste without talking about fluoride.
Of course, I don't claim to be an expert on fluoride.
But from what I understand, the type of fluoride used by toothpaste manufacturers is extremely toxic.
Maybe that's why we don't find this form of fluoride in nature?
If your goal is to remineralize your tooth enamel, fluoride is not recommended.
Indeed, as with glycerin, fluoride works by depositing a thin film to supposedly "protect" your teeth.
Moreover, it would seem that this layer is so thin that it is useless anyway to protect the teeth from cavities.
If you're looking for a healthy alternative to mainstream toothpaste, there are several available.
For example, you can buy toothpastes made from natural products. But beware:they are rather expensive and still contain questionable ingredients.
Since I realized how easy it is to make homemade toothpaste and that it allows me to not spend a fortune in branded toothpaste, I started testing different alternatives.
The simplest alternative is powdered toothpaste.
Just use baking soda and add a little salt for a gentle, mildly abrasive clean.
You can also use a calcium or magnesium mineral powder. I use the Natural Calm brand.
Many people add hydrogen peroxide to the powder before brushing their teeth.
Personally, I don't add it because I already use hydrogen peroxide for my mouthwashes.
Then I started adding coconut oil to my recipe to give texture to the dough and take advantage of its antibacterial properties.
I also added essential oils to flavor the dough.
For a long time, the ingredients for my homemade toothpaste were:coconut oil, baking soda, 1 pinch of salt and essential oil.
The only problem with this recipe was the salty taste of baking soda and salt. My children didn't really appreciate...
That's why I started using xylitol to balance the salty taste. Xylitol is a sugar substitute extracted from birch bark.
Xylitol is a product that I discovered recently. But according to my research, it is safe to use and its caries preventive properties are interesting.
Besides, I also started adding a few drops of trace elements to my toothpaste.
- 2 tablespoons of organic coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of powdered magnesium citrate
- 2 tablespoons of xylitol or green stevia powder
- 2 tablespoons of sea salt
- 20 drops of essential oils (peppermint is ideal)
- 10 drops of trace elements
1. Mix all these ingredients in a container.
2. Store your toothpaste in an airtight plastic or glass container. You can also use an old jar of clean cream.
3. Use your homemade toothpaste like normal toothpaste.
There you go, using this homemade toothpaste and dental floss, your teeth are clean and healthy :-)
In addition to a healthy diet rich in minerals (essential for the health of your teeth), your teeth will be healthier and whiter.
From what I understand, having yellow teeth can be caused by demineralization of the enamel.
Why ? Because if the enamel layer decreases, the dentin (commonly called dentin) begins to show through. But the color of the dentin tends towards yellow.
By strengthening your email through remineralization, your teeth are not only protected from cavities, but they naturally become whiter and less prone to cavities.
