I get asked all the time by my patients about the safety and efficiency of DIY toothpaste.
DIY toothpastes are good and economical alternatives to store bought toothpastes for daily use except for one thing…Fluoride.
Despite the controversies surrounding fluoride in the water, I still recommend fluoride in your everyday toothpaste; especially for children.
You may not believe fluoride is essential in your toothpaste…and that’s OK.
My mind remains open to the controversy of fluoride and until I see better research on the subject I’ll continue to recommend fluoride in toothpastes.
I do not recommend fluoride in the water or mouth-rinses. Continue to filter your water to remove fluoride, bromide and all the halogens except iodine.
I would like to share a natural toothpaste recipe that I use.
I have to give a shout out to DIYNatural.com for the recipe:
Simple Ingredients
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (optional – direct application of the minerals in sea salt is great for teeth, but can be left out if the taste is too salty)
- 1 – 2 tsp peppermint extract or 10-15 drops peppermint essential oil (or add your favorite flavor – spearmint, orange, etc.)
- tap water or filtered water (add to desired consistency)
- feel free to add a few drops of essential oils like tea tree oil, clove oil, rosemary, lavender, and others, to your liking.
Other Options
- grind the baking soda and sea salt to make it less abrasive.
- spray peroxide on your toothbrush and dont mix dry ingredients
- add xylitol to sweeten if you like sweet toothpaste
- glycerin + baking soda + aloe vera gel; leave out the salt and water
Cost Breakdown & Savings
Here is the breakdown in cost analysis for 5.33 oz of homemade toothpaste (same amount as one tube of our old toothpaste):
- baking soda @ 16 oz = $1.00 | 2/3 cup is 5.33 oz which = $0.33
- fine sea salt @ 22 oz = $2.00 | 1 tsp is .17 oz which = $0.02
- peppermint extract @ 1 oz = $3.00 | 2 tsp is .33 oz which = $1.04 | Better yet, use peppermint essential oil @ 1 oz = $13.00 | 15 drops = $0.28!
Note: you can use as much or as little peppermint, or other flavors, as you wish. Add the flavoring little by little until you reach an amount you enjoy.
Prior to making our own, we were using Tom’s of Maine Spearmint Gel® costing an average of $5.00 for a 5.2 oz tube. Based on the calculations above the same amount of this homemade toothpaste will cost between $0.63 and $1.39 for 5.33 oz, depending on how much flavoring is used.
The cost savings will be between $4.37 – $3.61 per tube!
Aside from cost, there are many other benefits of homemade products. By making this toothpaste not only are we cutting costs by upwards of 300%, but we also know the exact ingredients and count time spent as fun, educational, and useful for all involved!
Making Homemade Toothpaste
Remember, each batch yields the equivalent of one 5.3oz tube of toothpaste which you can store in a small storage container somewhere close to your toothbrush. When you are ready to brush, simply wet your toothbrush, scoop or spread as much paste as you like, and begin brushing.
Homemade Toothpaste FAQs
Isn’t baking soda abrasive?
No, on the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) scale baking soda is MUCH less abrasive than commercial toothpaste.
Are essential oils safe for consumption?
First, you’re not supposed to swallow toothpaste. That said, some may run down our throats – and most essential oil providers are legally obligated to print, “not for consumption” on their packaging – but we use it with confidence. Here’s our line of thought: would you rather put the essential oils of a mint plant in your mouth or commercial toothpaste that has poison control warnings on every package? We know what our answer would be, but we always encourage people to do what they’re comfortable with.
What should we store the paste in?
In a container of your choosing close to your toothbrush. We prefer to use essential oils in our toothpaste, which should be stored in glass. We use a small glass jar and store out of heat and light so oils don’t degrade.
Should we each have our own container, or can we share with others?
If cooties bother you then get your own container, if not then don’t worry about it. My wife and I share one.
How do we get it onto our toothbrush?
Simply wet your brush, scoop or spread on some paste, and brush away.
Does this really work?
Yes. I actually like it better than store bought and find it gets rid of onion and garlic breath better than any toothpaste I have ever used.
Where do I get the ingredients?
At pretty much any store, or you can buy them online through the links above.