With so many commercially available toothpastes on the market, why make your own? Aside from the satisfaction of knowing exactly what’s in it, is there really an advantage to homemade toothpaste over store-bought toothpaste?
According to a number of wellness advocates, there is, and their points regarding store-bought toothpaste are not insignificant.
For starters, most store-bought toothpaste contains fluoride, which has been shown to have negative effects on the thyroid gland when used over a long period of time (1).
In addition, many commercial toothpastes contain agents such as sulfates and glycerin which some claim prevent teeth from getting the minerals they need to stay healthy and strong. Certain sulfates, such as sodium laurel sulfate, can aggravate sensitive gums.
This toothpaste recipe contains the ingredients you need to promote healthy, strong teeth, without any potentially toxic or non-health-promoting components.
Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 4 teaspoons of bentonite clay
- 3 tablespoons of calcium magnesium powder
- 20 drops trace minerals
- Essential oils like peppermint for flavor
Instructions:
Mix all the powdered ingredients together in a bowl. Melt the coconut oil and add it one tablespoon at a time, stirring until you get the desired consistency. Then add the bentonite clay, calcium magnesium powder, trace minerals and essential oils. Store in a small container. If you notice your toothpaste drying out, you can re-moisturize it by adding a small amount of water.
How It Works
Baking soda is a common ingredient in most toothpastes and is the agent that actually gets your teeth clean. Abrasive without being destructive to the enamel of your teeth, baking soda is essential in any homemade toothpaste recipe.
Whether you get it from tablets or capsules, calcium magnesium powder is an important part of this recipe. Calcium is a mineral that helps your teeth develop and stay strong, with healthy enamel, and magnesium is critical for calcium to be properly absorbed (2).
Trace minerals help build bone mass, which makes your teeth stronger and healthier (3). They also contain minerals that can be easily absorbed by your teeth since this recipe contains no coating agents that could prevent your teeth from remineralizing – that is to say, absorbing important minerals contained in this toothpaste.
Bentonite clay binds to and draws out impurities, helping to not only detox the mouth but also whiten teeth by removing stains. Bentonite clay is also high in calcium, magnesium, and silica which help remineralize teeth.
sources:
[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1087230
[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11690570
[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2658806/
[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12693818