What’s so Bad about Regular Toothpaste?
Let’s start with a few of the main ingredients found in everyday toothpaste:
SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate): This chemical is a surfactant. It’s the agent that makes your toothpaste and other products foam up. When you use it, you think your teeth are being thoroughly cleaned because you see foam and over many decades we’ve been trained by marketing to think that foam or even tiny bubbles = clean. It’s psychological. You’d be surprised to know that SLS is actually a registered insecticide and can have toxic effects on fish, crustaceans and insects. Manufacturers have attempted to have SLS approved as a pesticide for famers but applications have been denied due to the damage it causes to the environment.
Hydrogen Peroxide: This is a fancy word for bleach. Yep, it’s the same corrosive chemical that you’ve been cleaning your bathroom with. It damages soft oral tissues and causes damage to hard oral tissues in higher concentrations when used over time. Not to mention the damage it does to your intestinal tract. If you’re aiming for better gut health, then avoiding this chemical is critical. It has also been linked to cancer and a range of other health concerns.
Fluoride: The jury’s been out on this ingredient for a long time. Fluoride has been the go to tooth decay chemical for decades and is now being scrutinised more closely and for good reason. A recent published article exposed that the layer of fluoride that protects teeth is in fact only 6 nanometers in thickness. To give you a better picture, 6 nanometers multiplied by 10,000 is the width of a strand of hair! Scientists are now questioning if such a thin layer is actually of any use. The fact that fluoride is a toxic chemical, isn’t exactly news, nor is it new information. So what does it do? Fluoride destroys enzymes, and causes endocrine and neurological dysfunction in humans. Kids are particularly susceptible to fluoride use. Research has proven that it is highly common for children to swallow more fluoride in their toothpaste than what is recommended for an entire day’s consumption.
Propylene Glycol: This is a mineral oil that is used in antifreeze, enamels and paints. Propylene glycol causes skin, eye and lung irritation and can cause organ system toxicity.
We spit our toothpaste out, it’s not like we eat it, what’s the big deal?
Here’s a fun fact, your gums are like a highway to your bloodstream. They are super absorbent. Ever seen a movie where a drug addict rubs some kind of substance onto his gums using one finger? That’s because the gums absorb quickly and allow for substances (drugs or toxins) to reach the bloodstream and affect the brain faster. And the brain isn’t the only place they go. Those toxins are carried to every system in the body.
Don’t even get me started on floss and mouthwash… I didn’t even talk about micro-beads, DEA, aspartame and a whole range of other chemicals found in regular toothpaste.
So how do you protect your teeth from tooth decay naturally?
First of all, there is unending evidence to show that tooth decay is mainly caused by diet (mostly from sugars). Cutting back on sugars can have a huge impact on your oral health along with your overall health. Second, you can use turmeric which acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps to prevent gingivitis and gum disease. Cacao contains polyphenols which cut down the effects caused by bacteria by neutralising the micro-organisms that cause bad breath and assist in the prevention of tooth decay. If you are seriously concerned about tooth decay, your best option is My Magic Mud’s Strong Teeth & Gums with turmeric and cacao. You can literally replace your toothpaste with this powder. Also, consult your dentist. I’ve already spoken to mine about using natural toothpaste and staying away from fluoride for myself and for my 2-year-old son and he was all for it.
Other options if you just want a general toxin free toothpaste are below. If you really want whiter teeth, go with a charcoal toothpaste like any of My Magic Mud’s toothpastes or the Natural Family Company’s charcoal toothpaste. Below are the best of the best for adults, kids and babies. All are completely free of toxins, there is nothing artificial, nothing that can hurt you AND they will clean your teeth just as well, if not better than your old favourite. Just remember, they won’t foam up as much as what you’re used to and that’s a good thing!
The Natural Family Company (NFco) BLAK Activated Charcoal Whitening Toothpaste (foams a bit better than My Magic Mud but not as concentrated with charcoal (the more concentrated the charcoal, the whiter your teeth.
The majority of this blog’s information have been taken from the 2 below articles. If you’d like to read further on the effects of regular toothpaste and fluoride feel free to read on.