Why You Should Switch to Natural Toothpaste & How to Choose the Right One

     There is a lot of confusion around "going natural," and what exactly people should be looking for in their products. Today I'd like to dive into the world of toothpaste, and how to ensure the toothpaste you choose is truly beneficial for your teeth.
      First, let's get out of the way all of the reasons someone would want to switch to a natural toothpaste. Common ingredients in conventional toothpastes include:

• Humecants (usually glycerin)
• Abrasives (sometimes in too high of amounts, like hydrated silica, which is extremely abrasive and can weaken enamel).
• Surfactants (such as sodium laurel sulfate, which has been found to induce an increased incidence of canker sores in this study; other surfactant possibilities include polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and sodium laureth sulfate).
• Thickening agents such as carrageenan (an extract from seaweed known to cause inflammation to human tissue. In fact, there is a preliminary study using this in animal models to test inducing inflammation to quicken orthodontic tooth movement, which you can find here).
• Antibacterial agents like triclosan- which the FDA banned in hand soaps, but yet is totally okay with you putting it in your mouth.
• Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, etc) which have the ability to impact estrogen metabolism, leading to hormone disruption (source).
• Fluoride (which can impact thyroid function, validated by this study about drinking water). Plus, I'm just personally annoyed with fluoride because it gave me spots on my teeth as a child that still remain. *insert eye roll here*
• Titanium Dioxide (This ingredient is linked to cancer right now through inhalation, which is obviously not possible from toothpaste, but it is being questioned again due to the introduction of nano-particles. Unless a product specifies "non-nano titanium dioxide," it is potentially carcinogenic).

     Just like many conventional toothpastes, many natural toothpastes still contain ingredients that may not be the best for your teeth. The prime examples being glycerin and carrageenan. Glycerin is a bit controversial, but Dr. Judd (Ph. D) states that, "Glycerin is so sticky that it can take 27 washes to get it off." (And yes, he was talking about your teeth). This would interfere with the tooth's natural remineralization process which is dependent upon the saliva coming in contact with the teeth.

      I've been incredibly "lucky" when it comes to my teeth (age 27 and cavity free, HEYYOOO). I put lucky in quotes because I once went 7 years without visiting the dentist and then of course was riddled with anxiety about how many cavities I would have, and did I develop gum disease, and were my wisdom teeth going to need yanked??? Nope. All was good. So good in fact, my dentist told me, "you must have a really good diet, your teeth look great." But beyond that, a couple of years ago, I did a lot of work to find out what products were not only "safe," but also beneficial for tooth remineralization and cavity prevention. Here's what I found:

• Toothpastes don't need glycerin in them to be effective.
• Bentonite clay, sea salt, and ionic minerals can aid in tooth remineralization because of their mineral content.
• Xylitol also can aid in remineralizing the teeth (as seen here). Plus, it's a great natural sweetener for toothpaste.
• Colloidal Silver is a natural antibacterial ingredient (shown here).
• Even certain probiotic strains can prevent tooth demineralization (shown in this study). You can buy tablets for your mouth to replenish the healthy bacteria.
• And of course, diet is a major player tooth health. I plan to write a post about this later.

So, with all of that being said, here is a list of toothpastes that include brands that I see a lot of people using around me, and some of my very favorite alternative brands. Ingredients potentially harmful for health are in red, and ingredients aiding tooth health are in green.

1. Uncle Harry's Peppermint Toothpaste - $10.95
Ingredients: Bentonite clay, calcium carbonate, colloidal silver, water, sea salt, ionic minerals, mustard seed, essential oils of peppermint, eucalyptus, clove, wintergreen, and oregano.

2. Redmond Earth Paste - $10.46
Ingredients: Purified water, food grade Redmond Clay®, xylitol, peppermint essential oil, menthol, Redmond Real Salt®, tea tree oil.

3. Young Living's Thieves Toothpaste - $10.50 for members ($13.82 retail)
Ingredients: Water, Calcium carbonate, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil, Sodium bicarbonate, Glycerin, Xylitol, Xanthan gum, Mentha piperita† (Peppermint) oil & other essential oils, Stevia rebaudiana (Stevia) leaf extract, Lecithin.

4. Native Toothpaste - $12.00
Ingredients: Glycerin, Water, Hydrated Silica, Xylitol, Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Bicarbonate, Xanthan Gum, Peppermint Oil, Stevia Leaf Extract, Wintergreen Leaf Oil, Spearmint Leaf Oil.

5. Dessert Essence Tea Tree Oil Whitening Plus Toothpaste - $5.29
Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Gaultheria Procumbens [Wintergreen] Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia [Tea Tree] Leaf Distillate, Carrageenan, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Melaleuca Alternifolia [Tea Tree] Leaf Oil, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Zinc Citrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calcium Ascorbate [Vitamin C], Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract [Horsetail], Sodium Bicarbonate, Sea Salt, Phytic Acid, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Powder.

6. Doterra's On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste - $8.50 for members ($11.33 retail)
Ingredients: Glycerin, Water, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxyapatite, Xylitol, Calcium Carbonate, Cellulose Gum, Mentha piperita (peppermint) Essential Oil & other essential oils, Stevia rebaudiana (Stevia) Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Carrageenan, Titanium Dioxide.

7. Nu Skin's AP 24 Whitening Toothpaste - $20.00
Ingredients: Sodium Monofluorophosphate . 86% (0.15% w/v fluoride ion), Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate, Sorbitol, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Cellulose Gum, Dimethicone,* Poloxamer 338,* Poloxamer 407,* Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Flavor.

8. Colgate Total Advanced Whitening Toothpaste - $3.99
Ingredients: Sodium Fluoride 0.24% (0.15% w/v Fluoride Ion). Triclosan 0.30%, Water, Hydrated Silica, Glycerin, Sorbitol, PVM/MA Copolymer, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Carrageenan, Sodium Saccharin, Titanium Dioxide.

And there you have it. If you didn't notice, for the most part, you get what you pay for.

Uncle Harry's (bonus points for the glass container) & Redmond Earth Paste win by a landslide. Both can be found on Amazon (thank goodness for Prime, am I right?)

I wasn't too surprised to see NuSkin or Colgate at the bottom of this list. . . however, in complete transparency, I was actually really surprised to see Doterra's toothpaste land on the back half of the list. I've always lumped Doterra and Young Living in a comparable quality category. This makes me curious for future product ingredient reviews.

That's all I've got on toothpaste. Keep a look out for a post about all of my favorite dental care products in the future. Now, go love on your teeth and get some mineral toothpaste goodness; your mouth will thank you later (and so will your dentist).