An Overview of Natural Toothpastes & Ingredients

DO YOU WANT AN ALL-NATURAL SMILE?

To qualify toothpaste as natural isn’t as straightforward as you may think. A defined set of standards for it to be labelled as natural doesn’t exist. On a more practical side, the term natural is often used to mean that your toothpaste is free from particular chemicals associated with health problems. According to the majority of dentists, the most well-known toothpaste includes detergents, sulphates, and parabens. Natural toothpaste usually doesn’t have these ingredients.

A typical toothpaste contains some basic ingredients like:

1. A detergent to produce foam while you brush your teeth.
2. Humectants to avoid dryness and water loss.
3. Flavouring agents to add taste and freshness.
4. A type of abrasive to remove stains and residual food debris.
5. Additional ingredients include whitening agents, desensitisers, substances that fight gingivitis and plaque, and flouride to prevent tooth decay and avoid cavities.

Specific Natural Ingredients Found in Your Toothpaste and Other Oral Hygiene Products:

1. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). I think almost all of us are familiar with how baking soda looks. Besides being primarily used as a leavening agent (bread), did you know that it can be used as teeth whitener and cleaner? It can be utilised alone or be listed as an ingredient of natural toothpaste.

Pros of using baking soda	Cons of using baking soda
Disrupts dental biofilms (plaques) on the surfaces of teeth. It makes your oral cavity less acidic and less conducive for cavity-causing bacteria to multiply. It has natural whitening properties and is effective at removing stains. Widely available and affordable.	Pure baking soda or baking soda paste doesn’t taste good. It would be best to try a natural toothpaste that lists baking soda as one of its ingredients.* Teeth whitening properties may not work as well as microbead abrasives or hydrogen peroxide. Pure baking soda doesn’t contain fluoride for cavity protection.
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*According to a 2018 research study published in the British Dental Journal, commercial toothpaste that contains baking soda is better at preventing and removing plaque than toothpaste without baking soda.




2. Xylitol. This sugar alcohol is available as an ingredient in toothpaste and other dental care products (tablets, lozenges, chewing gum, mints) or as a type of toothpaste (xylitol toothpaste). Research on xylitol toothpaste has yielded mixed results. A 2015 study from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that fluoride toothpastes with 10% xylitol decreased dental cavities by 13% compared to toothpastes that only contain fluoride over three years of constant use. Other research studies have led to opposite findings.



Advantages of xylitol include its sweetness like sugar, but, unlike sugar, it’s not converted to harmful acids in your mouth. These acids can promote tooth decay. It also slows down the growth of bacteria linked to tooth decay (IStreptococcus mutans).



3. Coconut oil. As if coconut oil hasn’t done enough, huh? It’s not just a superfood; it has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to a 2019 research study, the medium-chain fatty acids abundant in coconut oil may benefit your oral cavity. Coconut toothpastes and oral health products that contain coconut oil have the potential to decrease gingivitis and plaque formation.




Are you familiar with oil pulling? Oil pulling involves swishing a tablespoon of oil (olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil) in your mouth when you wake up in the morning. After about 20 minutes of swishing, the oil becomes cloudy. It’s time to spit it out in the sink. The oil is pulled between your teeth and attracts bacteria. It also stimulates saliva production. Coconut oil is as effective as chlorhexidine (a well-known mouthwash) in reducing the population of harmful bacteria. At the time of writing this article, dental associations from around the world, including the Australian and New Zealand Dental Associations, don’t recommend the practice of oil pulling.




4. Salt (sea salt, table salt). Dentists advise against the use of salt toothpastes because of their highly abrasive nature. It’s possible that they may cause permanent damage to your teeth. Salt works best for saltwater rinses in the following conditions:


1. After tooth extractions. Warm saline mouthwash decreases the pain after tooth extractions. Use it at least twice a day.
2. Oral thrush . Dentists recommend using a saltwater rinse (warm) if you have oral thrush.
3. Canker sores. Saltwater rinse decreases inflammation and reduces harmful bacterial numbers surrounding canker sores.


5. Neem oil. Azadirachta indica is the scientific name of neem, an evergreen tree. It’s been used by Ayurvedic practitioners since time immemorial to treat different diseases. It has antioxidant, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties. For centuries, communities in the Middle East, Africa, and India have used neem twigs as a toothbrush. It’s also available as Neem toothpaste or as an ingredient, neem oil. Advantages of neem oil include:


1. Reduction in harmful bacteria that live on the surface of your teeth.
2. Neem mouthwash is as effective as chlorhexidine mouthwash at decreasing plaque formation and preventing gum bleeding.
3. Neem oil may aid in relieving pain from gingivitis.



6. Charcoal. There are a lot of charcoal toothpastes available in pharmacies and online. They’re made from fine grain powder that comes from coconut shells, wood, and other oxidised substances under heat. Dentists don’t recommend charcoal toothpaste for teeth whitening because it’s too abrasive. It can also increase tooth sensitivity, and you run the risk of staining dental restorations (veneers, crowns, bridges, and white fillings).

Charcoal toothbrushes are also not recommended by some dentists. On the other hand, dentists who believe in their effectiveness state that they’re more efficient in whitening teeth, removing bacteria, and providing fresher breath.




7. Natural essential oils. Adding essential oils like spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, green tea, and sage to your toothpaste will fight bad breath and improve the flavour of your toothpaste or mouthwash. Note: pure essential oils are very strong and often need to be heavily diluted before taking internally.

TOOTHPASTES VS TOOTH POWDER? WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

Tooth powder is just toothpaste in powder form. It has similar ingredients to toothpaste, but they have been dried out and mixed into powder form. Some powders have been reshaped into tablets for convenience and less mess. Both forms can have delicious flavours, the same cleaning detergents, fluoride, and abrasives. These ingredients combine to freshen your breath and remove plaque from your teeth.

Tooth powders are not as widely available as toothpastes. However, depending on the brand you buy, some tooth powders also contain clay, herbs, charcoal, and other natural ingredients to promote teeth whitening.

Toothpaste is still considered the gold standard when cleaning your teeth effectively. If you prefer tooth powders, just make sure they contain similar ingredients to toothpaste. Tooth powders are also simple to use. Just run the bristles of your toothbrush under water and put a small amount of tooth powder over the bristles. Brush your teeth normally.

A 2017 randomised controlled trial study evaluated which is better of the two (toothpaste vs tooth powder) over six months. The researchers concluded that the tooth powder group was better at preventing gingivitis and dental plaque formation than the toothpaste group. In the end, it will come down to your preference as to which of the two you may want to choose.

Another alternative to toothpaste is tooth gel or dental gel. Generally speaking, among major brands of toothpastes, whatever is available in toothpaste form is also available in gel form. Dental gels are touted to have the same benefits as toothpastes and don’t foam in your mouth the same way toothpastes do. There are also different types of dental gels to choose from. Examples of these types include whitening gels, fluoride gels, hydrochloride gels (for gingivitis), and gels that soothe toothache.

WHY WOULD YOU CONSIDER USING NATURAL TOOTHPASTE AND OTHER NATURAL ORAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS?

Do you suffer from frequent canker sores? You may want to consider a natural toothpaste. The parabens and detergents in traditional toothpastes have been notorious for causing irritation for some vulnerable groups of people.

Do you experience sensitivity or an allergic reaction around your mouth when brushing? Avoid toothpastes with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). It can irritate the structures found in your oral cavity. Triclosan, an antibacterial and common foaming ingredient in toothpaste, has been regarded as carcinogenic, so you should avoid it. Titanium dioxide and plastic microbeads, also found in traditional toothpastes, can be too abrasive on another level for some people. Do watch out for these chemicals on the labels.

You want to do your part in saving the environment. Most conventional toothpastes use plastic packaging (tubes) and contain harmful ingredients that can lead to pollution. Several natural toothpastes, toothpaste tablets, and tooth powders don’t need to depend on recyclable packaging because their packaging is entirely zero-waste.

If you decide to try out natural toothpastes, you have to ensure that it still contains flouride. It’s the only natural ingredient that has sufficient evidence of preventing cavities. Other natural ingredients you have to look for include tea tree oil, salt, coconut oil, and aloe vera. Any natural toothpaste with baking soda will make an excellent whitening solution. Some dentists recommend staying away from using charcoal because it can potentially scratch your teeth. Don't forget to ask your dentist for recommendations.

There are no specific guidelines or official rules as to what’s actually called natural toothpaste. It would be best to read everything on the label before buying it at the supermarket. Going au naturel may be entirely up to you based on your specific preference, condition, and need. Remember, everything you put in your mouth could make its way into your bloodstream and negatively affect your overall health.