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toothpaste alternatives | (Read 610 times) |
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paul wheaton
Administrator
Posts: 1343
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January 05, 2008, 12:33:15 PM |
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I've been using the "Tom's of Maine" products for a few years now. And while my teeth cleaning habits have not changed, I have noticed that my gums are bleeding a little more with each passing year. It could just be that I'm getting older.
But! A friend mentioned something about how toothpaste is terrible stuff and how switching to a mixture of oil and mint fixed her problems with bleeding gums.
So now I'm thinking .... I took a look at the Tom's toothpaste package ... "sodium lauryl sulfate" - hey - isn't that supposed to be nasty stuff?
Has anyone here done much research down this line?
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Marilyn Queiroz
Administrator
Posts: 59
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January 08, 2008, 10:10:05 PM |
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Last time I went to the dentist, I was complaining how the toothpaste made my coffee taste bad and was told that toothpaste doesn't do much except freshen your breath. The brushing (and particularly flossing) is much more important than the toothpaste. Over the years I've used baking soda and salt as well as various toothpastes. Currently when I wake up I'm brushing with only water on the brush. In the evening I use the toothpaste.
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permaculture.dave
Posts: 113
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January 17, 2008, 03:52:18 PM |
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Here's a homemade toothpaste recipe I read in a vegan cookbook called "How It All Vegan":
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CINNAMON TOOTHPASTE
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 drop tea tree oil(OPTIONAL!!!)
In a cup or small bowl, mix together the soda,cinnamon and tea oil.Place wet toothbrush in cup the brush.
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Also I believe that "Jason" brand toothpastes don't include sodium lauryl sulfate, but you'd have to look at the package to be sure.
Up on the farm I believe Doug just uses water or straight up baking soda (old skool!).
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jen m
Posts: 21
Jennifer A Moore, Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbs
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March 11, 2008, 11:43:30 AM |
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there is something called 'oil swishing' that is supposedly very good for teeth, gums, and is reputed to be a miricle cure for what ails you. i have/do use it as part of my nomal personal hygene routinte, what you do is get some sesame oil, the non refined type, and swish it in your mouth for a while (20 minutes or so) and then spit it out, then rinse with salt water, then brush with soda or toothpaste, and floss. i did this on a regular basis for a couple weeks, daily, then once a week, and when i went to the dentist after not going for about a year, they were quite impressed with how clean my teeth were. oil swishing, it's called. it cleans the teeth and flushes the salivary glands. they say that the oil that comes out of your mouth when you do this is toxic, so make sure it's disposed of prpperly.
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"a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu
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MJ Solaro
Administrator
Posts: 131
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March 12, 2008, 08:49:07 AM |
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Yeah, stay away from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. That is not a wonderful compound.
It's created by mixing Sodium, monododecyl ester, and Sulfuric Acid together. Yikes! When it's sitting around in a pure state, the fumes it emits are toxic to humans.
Basically what it does in shampoos and toothpastes is help out with foaming. Foaming is totally over-rated though. These days I try to avoid personal care products that foam.
Factually, it is *not* carcinogenic, despite what the e-mails that you get in your inbox say. American Cancer Society has repeatedly stated that is an urban legend.
However, it is a known skin irritant. Labs actually use sodium lauryl sulfate in higher concentrations to *create* patches of skin irritation on animals so that they can "cure" them with their product du jour.
Also, some medical studies have shown sodium lauryl sulfate in high concentrations causing mutagenic effects, like cataracts in older people, and halting eye development in younger folks.
If you want to avoid SLS in toothpaste, all you need to do is buy the "sensitive teeth" version of toothpastes. These all omit SLS, assuming that SLS is one of the ingredients irritating gums and canker sores.
Toms of Maine actually makes a couple of SLS-free toothpastes. This is what I use:
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/product.asp?dept_id=400&pf_id=TP-Sens
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« Last Edit: March 12, 2008, 09:13:25 AM by MJ Solaro »
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