DIY Brushing Your Teeth With "Dirt"

Hello lovelies! I have had several private messages from people politely asking, “When are you going to talk about tooth powder???”

So, your wish is my command.

We stopped using conventional toothpaste around the time we emigrated to the UK in 2004. 

We had become vegetarian (later transitioning to vegan) and were concerned about the ethical considerations of buying from companies that test on animals.

There is also a concern about the number of harsh chemicals in toothpaste such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which is an industrial degreaser used as a foaming agent. SLS is a known skin irritant and can cause canker sores. Toothpastes also often contain propylene glycol which is component in antifreeze. 

I had also become increasingly concerned about fluoride.  I mean, you read the back of a tube of toothpaste and it says to call POISON CONTROL if you swallow too much.

HUFFINGTON POST reports that a Harvard study links fluoridated water with reduced IQ and brain damage. 

The facts are :
1. Fluoride is industrial waste from the fertiliser industry, specifically phosphate rock which is often contaminated with high levels of fluoride - as much as 40,000 parts per million, or up to 4% of the raw ore.  

2. Fluoride used to be released by smokestacks, but all cattle and food crops on nearby farms withered away and died due to Fluoride Poisoning.

3. Phosphate Mining Corporations then tried to get rid of excessive toxic fluoride chemicals by dumping them in rivers. This killed all the fish, because fluoride is a bio-hazard. It is now a violation of federal law to dump hexafluorosilicic acid or sodium silicofluoride into the water. To do so is considered an act of terrorism unless that water is used for water fluoridation. Because it is somehow acceptable to poison people under the guise of "trying to prevent cavities."  

Dude, I don’t want to poison myself.

For many years we used fluoride free toothpaste we bought at a Health Food Shop. We really liked it, but it cost like £5 a tube. Five Quid a tube, people!

Two years ago, I started a more holistic solutions to cleaning our teeth. Bicarbonate of soda is a natural ingredient you often find in toothpaste, so I thought, "why not just avoid all the harmful chemicals and make some healthy tooth powder?" 

Bicarbonate of soda is antimicrobial, whitens teeth and makes your mouth more alkaline (the more acidic your mouth, the more chance of tooth decay.) Salt is also an ingredient that can improve oral health and even heal ulcers. Himalayan Pink Mineral Salt is a good choice as it is thought that the high mineral count can help with remineralisation of teeth. (I buy mine at Tiger.) Peppermint essential oil provides a pleasant, fresh taste to your tooth powder.  If you do find it too salty you can add some xylitol (just make sure it is from a birch source rather than corn to avoid GMOs.)

Basic tooth powder recipe:

3 Tablespoons food grade bicarbonate of soda (the sort you would put in a cake)

¼ tsp Himalayan pink sea salt (or other natural sea salt)

10-20 drops peppermint essential oil

Store in a small airtight container. To use: wet your toothbrush and dip it in the tooth powder and brush as normal. It may feel strange in the beginning if you are used to a toothpaste that foams.

Last year, I saw an interesting post about a homemade toothpaste on the blog DON'T WASTE THE CRUMBS. She even has a post about how using a homemade toothpaste HEALED HER HUSBAND'S GUM DISEASE 

                             

The star ingredient is bentonite clay. This clay is known to have an abundance of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, copper, iron, and potassium. that support oral health as well as the fact that it is negatively ionically charged and binds to toxins and heavy metals in your body when in contact with water so that you can spit them away after brushing. It is important to NEVER use metal measuring implements with bentonite clay or it will reverse the negative ion charge rendering it useless.

Remineralising Tooth Powder recipe:

2 Tablespoons bentonite clay

1 Tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp Himalayan Pink Mineral Salt

10-20 drops peppermint oil

It is recommended to store this particular tooth powder in a glass container. Remember it must not come into contact with metal, so don’t choose a container with a metal lid. Top tip: A small glass spice jar is perfect for this. I bought mine at Tiger.

Glycerine, which is non-harmful  (I use it in my DIY Jizz Face wash) is very slippery and is an ingredient found in nearly every toothpaste, whether regular or the sort you buy in a Health Food Shop. Glycerine coats the teeth and can prevent remineralisation. This tooth powder is glycerine free. It travels well as you don’t have to worry about it spilling or dripping as it is powder form. I store it in glass at home and plastic for travel. But never metal! (sorry to remind you, but it is important!)

We are *in love* with this tooth powder. Your teeth feel so CLEAN after brushing. Squeaky clean. Seriously, after you brush rub your finger over your teeth and it makes an “EEeeEEeeEEee” sound! 

We really like it the way it is without sweetener. But if you are just transitioning from artificially sweetened toothpaste, feel free to add a bit of xylitol (but be warned, it is kind of expensive.)

So, your next question is bound to be How much does bentonite clay cost? We bought THIS ONE from Amazon and we still have about half a container left, even after a year. Perhaps you could get it cheaper, but this was the one that so many DIY blogs recommended. 

If you are new to the natural scene or the DIY scene, start with the bicarbonate of soda one before you invest in the bentonite clay. 

I bet you will find that you never go back.