The Best Toothpaste Is A Fluoride-Free Toothpaste You Make Yourself

So What Is The Best Toothpaste?

That’s an important question, but before we talk about the best toothpaste — that is the right fluoride-free toothpaste that doesn’t have any dangerous, toxic ingredients — there are other things that are just as concerning to me about overall health. Once we’ve addressed those, I’ll tell you my ideas about toothpastes and how to make your own toothpaste to use every day.

My biggest concern is with the big picture — the overall health of people like you and the things you do to sabotage your health, including consuming unhealthy foods and using unhealthy products that contain additives and chemicals and expose you to toxins on a regular basis. Soaps, detergents and even the air we breath all contain chemicals we should find ways to avoid.

But now, let’s talk about the best toothpaste for you and your needs.

Choosing The Best Toothpaste Or Using Homemade Toothpaste

Even a fluoride-free toothpaste that is promoted as safe and natural contains potentially harmful chemicals. These chemicals can be absorbed by the permeable oral mucosa and into our systems. Some of the most concerning ingredients are:

• Triclosan, which can be contaminated with dioxin, a pesticide that causes strong hormonal disturbances.
• BHT, an allergen that can cause immunologic and reproductive problems.
• Fluoride, which has developmental and reproductive toxicity.
• PEG-12, which is toxic and may be contaminated with ethylene oxide.
• FD&C Blue, which can bioaccumulate and become toxic.
• Sodium hydroxide, which is toxic to organs.
• DEA, a foaming agent that can cause cancer and disrupt hormones.
• Propylene glycol, a primary ingredient in antifreeze that the EPA requires workers to handle with gloves and is quickly absorbed by the mucosa in the mouth.

The best toothpaste also does not contain sorbitol, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium saccharin, carrageean or manganese gluconate.

While few toothpastes on the market are perfect, the following brands market themselves as natural, and many of them also offer flouride-free toothpaste choices:

• Auromere Ayurvedic Herbal
• Desert Essence
• Dr Ken’s
• Jasons
• Kiss My Face
• Nature’s Gate
• Spry
• Tea Tree Therapy
• Tom’s of Maine (owned by Colgate)
• The Natural Dentist
• Vicco
• Weleda

Make Your Own Great-Tasting Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

Some of the brands above taste terrible, and some still contain objectionable ingredients. For the best possible toothpaste solution, consider making your own homemade toothpaste. Here is my not-so-secret-anymore recipe for great-tasting, highly effective and completely safe toothpaste:

• ½ cup of non-hydrogenised virgin coconut oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons baking soda OR 1 tablespoon fine pumice
• Xylitol, a sweetener, to taste
• 12 to 20 drops cinnamon or peppermint essential oil (or any other flavor you like)

To create the toothpaste, soften the coconut oil slowly over gentle heat, then add other ingredients and mix well. Cool completely before use, and store in a glass jar.

This healthy toothpaste isn’t just safer than what you’re using now, it can be made at a fraction of the cost too.

It’s Worth It For Good Health

Making your own toothpaste is worth the effort to avoid sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS. This common ingredient in soaps, shampoos and lotions is found in most toothpastes and functions as a surfactant. Some people have no immediate reaction to it, but others are allergic. It has also been linked to canker sore flare-ups and dry mouth. It can even temporarily alter taste, ruining your next meal.

Studies on SLS are inconclusive, but many researchers have indicated concern with its use. That means it may be safest to use an SLS-free toothpaste. A Harvard study has even endorsed use of safer toothpastes.

A healthy oral environment can also reduce the risk of serious disease, including stroke, respiratory disorders, heart disease and even problems during pregnancy. While a toothpaste labeled as natural may be good enough, a natural, homemade toothpaste can be even better. The best toothpaste formula like the one above contains nothing that’s harmful or questionable.

In addition, keeping your mouth healthy is almost impossible if its pH level is wrong. For the healthiest possible mouth, you need to neutralize the overall pH of your mouth. That keeps acid from being able to destroy tooth structures, and it helps keep plaque from forming too. Since plaque contains bacteria that can be harmful to your teeth and your health, it makes sense to eliminate it.

Bacteria love acid, and acid directly destroys too, so neutralizing it is an intelligent idea. Saliva helps with pH balance, and using my homemade best toothpaste recipe helps even more.

Would you like to learn more about the best toothpaste possible and make sure your oral health is as it should be? Contact natural dentist Dr. Daniel Vinograd at [email protected] or (619) 630-7174.