Organic Remineralizing Tooth Powder

Description

You grow your own food (or eat organic), you use coconut oil for moisturizer, and you clean your house with vinegar and maybe lemon oil. Why? You probably want to be self-sufficient, you don’t want to eat or clean with toxic chemicals, you want to save money and preserve the environment. So why on Earth are you still brushing your teeth with a product that’s packed with so many questionable ingredients? Organic remineralizing tooth powder to the rescue!

4 Reasons to Avoid Commercial Toothpaste

Fluoride
Nearly all commercial toothpastes contain fluoride, a mineral that the government started putting in our water in the 60’s. [source] Fluoride is purported to be good for the enamel on your teeth and is currently a topic of hot debate in the medical community because of links to cancer. Though there are studies that support both sides, I choose to avoid it.

Here’s what an article by Dr. Axe has to say…

Is it just kooks and conspiracy theorists that are continuing the pointless complaining about a public health victory?

Quite the opposite proves to be true after a bit of digging. A growing body of research has existed since before fluoride was ever approved for dental use finding it has the ability to cause long-lasting negative health effects in various bodily systems.

If you’d like to know more about the hazards of fluoride, read the rest of that article at Is Fluoride Bad for You? It’s Not Just in the Water

Glycerin
Again, this is an ingredient that is purported to be benign but there is data to support that it may leave a film on your teeth that can prevent your teeth from absorbing the minerals they need to stay healthy. Since removing that type of film is kind of the point of brushing your teeth, I’ll pass.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This is a surfactant, which basically means that it’s a soap that’s added to toothpaste to clean your teeth and make the toothpaste foam. Though it’s been deemed safe by the FDA, it has been shown to aggravate existing canker sores and may actually cause them, though the research about that is unclear. Either way, it’s something that I just don’t want in my toothpaste, and you won’t find it in any of these recipes.

Artificial Colors and Flavors
In its natural state, toothpaste isn’t gleaming white or sparkly blue and it doesn’t taste sweet. Commercial toothpastes add artificial colors and flavors to their product to get these results.

Organic Remineralizing Tooth Powder Ingredients

Bentonite Clay

This natural clay has the unique ability to bind to toxins in the body. It is especially useful in eliminating toxins from heavy metals in your mouth, like mercury from mercury fillings. Also, this clay will never bind to any of the beneficial elements in your body. Bentonite clay is also rich in minerals that can nourish teeth and gums making it perfect for tooth powder.

Calcium Carbonate

Clinically proven to reduce sensitivity and harden dentin. Our teeth are very porous on a microscopic level. They are made of calcium and phosphorus.

Diatomaceous Earth

Did you know that DE is a compound almost entirely made of Silica (a hard, non-reactive, colorless compound most commonly found in nature as Quartz). It is gently abrasive similar to pumice powder and highly absorbent. DE also adds an abrasiveness to the tooth powder, but it’s not as salty as baking soda. Using diatomaceous earth helps if you are sensitive to baking soda. That is why we add this to the Sensitive Teeth formula. It helps remove plaque and calculus (tarter), and will help prevent or improve the condition of periodontitis (gum disease) and gingivitis (gum inflammation). And the best part is that it is safe for both children and adults. (as with all supplements, double check with your doctor first!)

Baking Soda

Baking soda has been a natural tooth cleanser for hundreds of years. It gently polishes teeth and naturally whitens your smile. While the FDA cut off for abrasiveness is 200 on the RDA scale, baking soda as less abrasive than most commercial toothpaste. In fact, it is MUCH lower than commercial toothpastes. Everyone is probably familiar with using baking soda to clean teeth. Even commercial tooth pastes often incorporate it! So I’m sure it won’t surprise to see it here. It’s abrasives helps remove plaque and stains, plus, like bentonite clay, it is both alkaline, and packed with minerals.

Sage

Sage has been recognized by many cultures for its natural tooth-whitening abilities. Known for its astringent properties, sage is great for oral health and whitening teeth making it perfect for tooth powder. You can’t really taste it, it just quietly goes about doing its thing.

Non-GMO Birch Xylitol

Research has shown that xylitol has many benefits for oral health. Xylitol helps the mouth keep a neutral pH, and prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth. It also adds sweetness to the tooth powder. It is, however, completely optional. You can read more about it here.
Research has shown that the use of xylitol also helps repair damage to the enamel. Saliva in itself protects the mouth and teeth.

Stimulated saliva in particular contains all the components needed to repair early cavities. [1]

Himalayan Salt

Pure sea salt is full of tooth-nourishing minerals and is especially helpful in healing irritated gums.

Cinnamon Essential Oil

(only in cinnamon)
This spice has long been used for its medicinal properties, specifically its antifungal, antibacterial properties. Recent research showed that cinnamon essential oil has the greatest antimicrobial potency against streptococcus mutans bacterium — a common cause of cavities, tooth decay, and enamel erosion — in children with cavities , and lactobacillus plantarum, one of the bacteria responsible in gum disease.

Peppermint Essential Oil

(only in Peppermint)
This essential oil has antibacterial, antiseptic, and pain-relieving properties. Peppermint is extremely effective at killing anaerobic bacteria, the type of bacteria that thrive in a low oxygen environment like the mouth. In addition, it adds a cool, minty fresh flavor to this remineralizing tooth powder.

Orange Essential Oil

(In Sensitive & Orange)
This essential oil is able to protect teeth and gums from infection because it has the ability to fight microbial growth. It also helps in teeth whitening.

Clove essential oil

(only in cinnamon)
Clove is an antimicrobial standby. Clove also soothes sensitive teeth. (in Sensitive & Cinnamon-Clove)

Direction for Using Your Remineralizing Tooth Powder

Scoop up a mounded heap of the tooth powder with a dry toothbrush, then place in the mouth without wetting the brush. Your saliva will quickly provide more than enough moisture. As you brush, pay extra attention to getting the mixture into the space between your teeth and your gums as well as the usual scrubbing on both the front and back of each tooth.

Brush lightly, as there’s plenty enough abrasiveness with the salt, baking soda, and clay to clean well without heavy-handed scrubbing.

References

1. Lobo PL, Fonteles CS, Marques LA, Jamacaru FV, Fonseca SG, de Carvalho CB, de Moraes ME. The efficacy of three formulations of Lippia sidoides Cham. essential oil in the reduction of salivary Streptococcus mutans in children with caries: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Phytomedicine. 2014 Jul-Aug;21(8-9):1043-7. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2014.04.021.
2. da Silva TF, Vollú RE, Jurelevicius D, Alviano DS, Alviano CS, Blank AF, Seldin L. Does the essential oil of Lippia sidoides Cham. (pepper-rosmarin) affect its endophytic microbial community? BMC Microbiol. 2013 Feb 7;13:29. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-29.
3.  Botelho MA, Nogueira NA, Bastos GM, Fonseca SG, Lemos TL, Matos FJ, Montenegro D, Heukelbach J, Rao VS, Brito GA. Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Lippia sidoides, carvacrol and thymol against oral pathogens. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2007 Mar;40(3):349-56.
4. Burt, Brian. “The use of sorbitol-and xylitol-sweetened chewing gum in carries control.” (PDF). American Dental Association. JADA, VOL. 127.
5. Silje Storehagen, Nanna Ose og Shilpi Midha. “Dentifrices and mouthwashes ingredients and their use” (PDF). Institutt for klinisk odontologi. Universitetet i Oslo.
6. Kleber, CJ; Moore, MH; Nelson, BJ (1998). “Laboratory assessment of tooth whitening by sodium bicarbonate dentifrices.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 9 (3): 72–5. PMID 10518866.
7. Koertge, TE; Brooks, CN; Sarbin, AG; Powers, D; Gunsolley, JC (1998). “A longitudinal comparison of tooth whitening resulting from dentifrice use.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 9 (3): 67–71. PMID 10518865.
8. Yankell, SL; Emling, RC; Petrone, ME; Rustogi, K; Volpe, AR; DeVizio, W; Chaknis, P; Proskin, HM (1999). “A six-week clinical efficacy study of four commercially available dentifrices for the removal of extrinsic tooth stain.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 10 (3 Spec No): 115–8. PMID 10825858.
9. Mankodi, S; Berkowitz, H; Durbin, K; Nelson, B (1998). “Evaluation of the effects of brushing on the removal of dental plaque.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 9 (3): 57–60. PMID 10518862.
10. Mankodi, S; Berkowitz, H; Durbin, K; Nelson, B (1998). “Evaluation of the effects of brushing on the removal of dental plaque.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 9 (3): 57–60. PMID 10518862.
11. Putt, MS; Milleman, KR; Ghassemi, A; Vorwerk, LM; Hooper, WJ; Soparkar, PM; Winston, AE; Proskin, HM (2008). “Enhancement of plaque removal efficacy by tooth brushing with baking soda dentifrices: results of five clinical studies.”. The Journal of clinical dentistry 19 (4): 111–9. PMID 19278079.
12. Iraj Rasooli, Shojaedin Shayegh, Massoud Taghizadeh, Shakiba Darvish Alipoor Astaneh. Phytotherapeutic prevention of dental biofilm formation. Phytother Res. 2008 Sep;22(9):1162-7. PMID:18729251
13. Shojaedin Shayegh, Iraj Rasooli, Massoud Taghizadeh, Shakiba Darvish Alipoor Astaneh. Phytotherapeutic inhibition of supragingival dental plaque. Nat Prod Res. 2008 Mar 20;22(5):428-39. PMID: 18404563