Mix baking soda with coconut oil and use the mixture as toothpaste. It will get the job done, there's no question there but since there's no fluoride to strengthen your teeth and prevent tooth decay, wouldn't the resulting problems [developing cavities for example] cancel out all gains made?
I have done a fair amount of reading on this and from what I have read you should be safe just using the baking soda and cocounut oil. It is dentist recommended and it says it is much better for you and your teeth.
It's a myth that you need fluoride to strengthen the enamel of your teeth. Millions of people get by without fluoride and they have perfect teeth. In fact, look at the teeth of some of the Pacific Islanders who have never seen a commercial tooth paste in their life. It all depends on your diet and oral hygiene. I've used baking soda, sea salt and turmeric for years now without the enamel of my teeth being affected in any way at all. In fact, I was diagnosed with periodontal disease ten years ago. The dentist at the time told me that eventually I would loose many of my teeth due to gum disease. Well, I didn't believe a word of what he was saying. I started researching alternative ways of how to cure my infected gums, and all these years later I haven't lost a single tooth. My gums are healthy and firm, and people often comment on my nice teeth which I keep white by brushing them with a paste made of turmeric and water.
Oh wow thanks for the posts on this thread! I have never thought of using baking soda or turmeric as a toothpaste. My mom usually drinks turmeric everyday and we have a huge bag of it at home. We also have baking soda. I think coconut oil is quite easy to get hold of. Toothpaste can be quite expensive and there are some people who are against it. I must try this natural toothpaste!
I also have never heard of this method, I haven't even heard of turmeric so this is worth looking into. It would feel odd though brushing without the bubbles, lol.
Using baking soda every now and then is alright. However, I don't think it can replace toothpaste. As you mentioned, toothpaste has fluoride to strengthen teeth, while baking soda doesn't. I am not sure exactly on how you can save money by using just baking soda. Personally I wouldn't do that. There are methods all over the Internet about tooth care other than toothpaste though. Whatever it is, maintain your teeth guys!
Your overall diet is what you should be relying on for the strength and health of your teeth.. not an additive in toothpaste. As someone else mentioned, there are people all over the world not using fluoride and have perfect teeth.. I bet their diet isn't a western one
If I'm being totally honest, this method wouldn't work for me. I know it's basic and doesn't contain all sorts of nasties. But I wouldn't feel as if my teeth and breath were cleaned enough to my liking. I'd miss that minty fresh flavour in my mouth. I mean, I guess I'm ok because we use a minty herbal toothpaste we get from a regular supermarket that doesn't cost all that much.
It also depends on where you live. In the US, there is flouride already in our tap water. In fact, there have been warnings shared online with regards to purchasing items such as toothpaste from discount/dollar stores, because some of them are imported from other countries that don't have flouride in their drinking water, so those specific toothpastes are formulated with a higher amount of flouride. For someone in the US using these, it would cause them to get too much flouride in their system, which could have adverse health effects. My grandparents used to just brush with plain old baking soda itself, mixed into a paste with a little water.
I too would agree that diet or rather what you put into your body plays a more important role in looking after your teeth and gums than the fluoride in toothpaste. In fact as there are a large number of the older generation where I live - who have only ever eaten totally natural healthy foods - that still have all there own very strong healthy white teeth even though they've never used toothpaste in their lives - as they still use the old method of using salt as a paste and as a mouthwash - which is just as effective and very much cheaper - it does have to make you question whether commercially made toothpastes are actually necessary.
They aren't.. most of what happens to our teeth, happens from the inside out and toothpaste doesn't matter.. the action is what takes care of the build up from the day. The flossing takes care of what the action doesn't reach. The food, which people disconnect from absolutely everything about themselves (aside from weight, which they put above all else for some reason) is what builds and rebuilds every last cell.. it's also very quick to destroy when you live on things your body spends more time attacking, thereby attacking itself. Most people in the developed world use toothpaste.. and most have dental issues of some sort. It's the diet.
Well baking soda is relatively cheap, but then so are some toothpastes. Most water is fluoridated so I think you would get your fluoride that way. I live in the country right now though and unless it is a naturally occurring mineral it might not work for me. I don't find it that expensive to buy toothpaste...and I don't like the taste of baking soda so I think I will stick with toothpaste.
Pardon me but the best toothpaste is the commercial toothpaste that we can buy. A mixture would be cheaper in cost but we don't know the exact benefit we get from it. During my younger days when the toothpaste tube has nothing more to give, my mother would tell us children to brush our teeth with salt. And that's what we do in times like that.
I have thought about this because I have read that toothpaste doesn't need to foam. It is just made to foam because we expect it. Studies have shown that brushing with water is just as effective too! Might as well save some money!
Bicarbonate of Soda is excellent for whitening, I really recommend using it once a week to take care of any staining. It's better than any toothpaste in that department. However, I've tried using all-natural methods before and always felt disgusting after about 48 hours. I'm sure the mintiness is nothing more than a psychological trick but even so, there's nothing worse than feeling unclean. So it's regular toopthpaste, twice a day for me.
There is so much to save money with...I wouldn't do it with toothpaste that is so cheap. If you are in a tight budget you can just buy the cheaper ones, doesn't have to be the expensive whitening ones. People can say it's safe and better, but I don't trust using only baking soda...
When I was young I remember seeing my grandmother brush with baking soda. I have never heard of brushing with salt. What type of salt is used for brushing teeth? We have coarse salt but I don't think I want to brush with that! I haven't heard of tumeric being used for teeth as well.
Glad I stopped by here for I've learned much reading your posts. I love coffee and it stains my teeth something awful. I'll look into some of the suggestions posted. Thanks everyone!
Yes I can relate to that feeling - as that was my initial reaction too - but no worries - as salt when used as a toothpaste is generally used moist rather than dry - any type of salt will do - coarse or smooth - it doesn't really matter as the addition of water softens it. However that said - I think rather than using it the way many people do nowadays - which is to just to wet the toothbrush prior to adding a pinch of salt - it might be preferable if using coarse salt - to use it the old fashioned way and make it into a paste - by mixing the salt with a drop or two of water or alternatively - if you didn't want to brush your teeth with it - salt is quite effective when used as a mouthwash.
