If you are looking for more natural ways to take care of your teeth without all the toxic chemicals and plastic waste, there are now many options that, with some research and thought, can transform the way you think about dental care.
From bamboo toothbrushes to sustainable dental floss, natural Toothpaste, powders, and even DIY recipes, taking care of your teeth naturally has never been easier!
The Best Sustainable Natural Products For Healthy Teeth And Gums!
Most of us don’t always look at the ingredient lists on cosmetic, bath, teeth, and body care products. For some reason, we assume they are safe because they are for sale in stores, but we need to dig a bit deeper to see what we are using and how we can make better choices by understanding the ingredients that would perhaps serve us better.
Most of us know of the mess too much plastic has made to the environment, but it is also difficult to avoid. Choose Toothpaste and powders in glass jars, use an electric toothbrush, where you are only changing the head, and look for natural ingredients that have remarkable properties, from essential oils to clays.
Why Use Bamboo Toothbrushes?
There is no getting away from the Bamboo Toothbrush when it comes down to the most natural, biodegradable, safe, and effective product. These work like any plastic toothbrush, but more importantly, they are not adding to the massive plastic waste problem.
Three and a half billion plastic toothbrushes are sold yearly, one billion from North America alone. They will stay in landfills for up to 1000 years.
If you want to avoid plastic toothbrushes, consider a bamboo one. Most of us go through three or four toothbrushes a year and toss them out without much thought, but there are some great alternatives to plastic.
What to look for in a Bamboo Toothbrush.
- Bamboo from Sustainable, wild, natural sources.
- Biodegradable bristles.
- Compostable cardboard packaging.
- 100% bio-based manufacture that uses no fossil fuels.
Why Is Bamboo a Sustainable Source for Toothbrushes?
Bamboo is a sustainable material that is replenishable and can be completely biodegradable.
Bamboo grows abundantly, naturally, and sustainably in the wild across five continents: Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia.
It has anti-microbial properties that eliminate the need for pesticides or fertilizers.
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet. A stalk can replenish itself in two to three years without causing any damage to the surrounding environment or the plant’s root system.
Harvesting it within this period improves the plants’ health and roots and keeps soil erosion in check.
Best Bamboo Toothbrush Brands;
Many Bamboo toothbrushes are on the market; SeaTurtle is 100% biodegradable, using plant-based bristles from Castor beans.
Look for Natural Bristle Bamboo toothbrushes that use no nylon.
Go with the brushes that appeal to you the most; even those made with nylon bristles are better than plastic toothbrushes. The less plastic in our environment, the better, and planting more Bamboo has a positive impact.
Wide-scale planting of Bamboo over vast areas could reverse the damaging effects of global warming within a decade.
Now you’ve got the toothbrush sorted. It’s time to look at what kind of Toothpaste is better for you. Toothpaste goes in our mouths, and we are swallowing amounts of it, so it is worth it to source the cleanest possible products.
Every product we use doesn’t just go on our skin but is absorbed and flushed down drains and into our environments.
What To Look For In A Natural Toothpaste?
Toothpaste has been used in one form or another in most cultures for centuries. Ancient civilizations of the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians used Toothpaste made from crushing shells, bones, charcoal, salts, bark, seashells, and herbs. These were mainly abrasive to remove food from the teeth.
Modern Toothpaste and powders as we know them developed in the nineteenth century. It was common in Britain from the 1800s, made from chalks, soaps, bones, and groundnuts.
Toothpaste became increasingly popular, and Dr. Sheffield, a renowned dentist from New London, developed a collapsible tube that made it easier to use. Today, you can still buy this Toothpaste made with natural ingredients inspired by their original recipes.
While most people use Toothpaste, many natural tooth powders are gaining popularity.
These often use different clays and other natural ingredients to detoxify and polish the teeth. They are very effective, and you can easily make your own with DIY toothpowder recipes.
If you are looking for natural Toothpaste, most supermarkets and drugstores in the USA carry brands such as;
These can all be purchased online if you don’t access these products in nearby stores.
Read ingredient lists on the outer packaging and the mission statements from the brands to find the choice that resonates with you.
Natural Toothpaste needs to clean teeth, freshen the breath, maintain the teeth and gums’ health, and look by removing plaque and food debris.
Many natural ingredients are very effective without resorting to unknown chemicals. Active ingredients added to these kinds of Toothpaste prevent cavities and gum disease, freshen the breath, and strengthen the teeth.
Ingredients To Look For In Natural Toothpaste.
- Coconut Oil
- Natural sweeteners, stevia, xylitol, erythritol
- Fresh mint
- Aloe Vera
- Clays, Bentonite, white Kaolin, French
- White Turmeric
- Essential Oils, spearmint, peppermint, sage, clove, cinnamon, tea tree, oregano, sage
- Activated Coconut Charcoal
- Baking soda
- Calcium carbonate and magnesium.
Ingredients to avoid in Toothpaste.
- Artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and saccharin.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate {SLS}
- Propylene glycol
- Carrageenan
- Triclosan
- Artificial fragrances
- Artificial colors
- Preservatives
Fluoride In Natural Toothpaste.
There is a continuing debate on whether or not to use fluoride in Toothpaste; is there a potential to use too much of it, or is it necessary to strengthen the teeth?
Whatever your preferences, there doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing approach. Many natural toothpaste brands offer fluoride-free or fluoride options. Rotate between different brands to get a balance of ingredients.
The Benefits Of Natural Mouth Wash.
There are many good reasons to use a natural mouthwash, which, along with daily brushing and flossing, can strengthen the teeth, reduce gum sensitivity, and freshen the breath.
Don’t skip this step; choosing a product with beneficial ingredients helps maintain a healthy mouth and gums. Mouthwash can;
- Freshen breath
- Soothe sensitive areas of the mouth
- Loosen embedded food particles that a brush doesn’t reach.
- Balance PH levels in the mouth
- calm sore throats
While more commercial chemical mouthwashes can be harsh and contain ingredients that aren’t always the best for you, look for natural mouthwashes with a simple ingredient list of active ingredients and essential oils to keep the mouth fresh and healthy.
The Best Natural Mouthwash Brands.
Some great, influential natural mouthwash brands are on the market, often incorporating oil, which acts as a mouthwash and oil-pulling product.
Oil pulling, an ancient, traditional natural oral care treatment, is rooted in Ayurvedic practices.
She swished such sesame, coconut, or organic olive oil around the mouth for up to twenty minutes a few times a week.
Oil pulling helps soothe gums, reduce inflammation, kill excess bacteria, relieve bad breath, and even whiten teeth.
You can easily make a pulling oil, get this oil pull recipe for fresher breath and whiter teeth, or try some natural products on the market.
We love products like;
Uncle Harry’s Natural Alkalizing Mineral Mouthwash: Organic formulation for fresher breath and PH-balanced oral care.
GuruNanda Oil Pulling Oil, Natural Mouthwash: Ayurvedic blend of coconut, sesame, sunflower, and peppermint oils for fresh breath and healthy white teeth and gums.
Lucky Teeth: Organic mouthwash whitens and refreshes teeth with food-grade peroxide and essential oils. —Megan and cruelty-free product in a gorgeous glass jar.
Jason Healthy Mouth Tartar Control Mouthwash: Made with tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract, perilla seed extract, and aloe vera gel. Cruelty-free and free of gluten, parabens, petrolatum, phthalates, and harsh sulfates.
Swish with a mouthwash after brushing, once or twice daily, depending on the issue. Look at the ingredients to determine what will best fit your needs.
The mouth and gums are sensitive and absorb trace amounts of the product used, so choosing natural ingredients can help heal the mouth and gums, not just mask the odor.
Why You Should Use A Natural Dental Floss?
A big reason to switch to natural dental floss is an environmental concern. Floss can contain nylon and plastic fibers that don’t biodegrade and tangle and choke wildlife. They also contain chemical ingredients that may have health implications.
IN ONE YEAR ALONE, the USA discards approximately three million miles of dental floss. It ends up in landfills and the ocean, taking up to 1000 years to decompose.
Chemicals and toxins also leech from these products, and the floss is a harmful environmental hazard that threatens many life forms.
Look for products that use biodegradable thread, like silk floss and bamboo charcoal threads, and a container that is not plastic. There are plenty of reusable glass or bamboo containers that are refillable.
ME MOTHER EARTH offers bamboo and charcoal dental floss that uses Candelilla wax and peppermint essential oil and is 100% biodegradable, breaking down in only 60-90 days. They come in fully recyclable and biodegradable glass or bamboo containers and offer refills.
Wowe uses 100% biodegradable peace silk floss with candelilla wax in a refillable stainless steel container.
Why You Need A Tongue Scraper?
Scraping the tongue of build-up can help relieve bad breath and keep excess bacteria out of the mouth. Tongue scraping originates in Ayurvedic practices for oral hygiene, and it is a simple step to maximize a natural dental care routine.
Look for eco-friendly products with sustainable packaging in either copper or steel. They can last a lifetime with proper care.
A few simple changes in the type of products bought for dental care can help significantly in reducing the number of potentially harmful chemicals that go into the environment and ourselves.
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