Homemade Toothpaste: Want to Ditch the Fluoride?

crunched by Crunchy Betty on February 16, 2011
filed under Household, Natural Beauty Recipes

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Many thanks to Fiance for letting me be creepy toothbrush stalker.

You might’ve heard the big controversy swirling around fluoride these days.

It’s not new.

But it’s heating up lately. A lot.

In fact, Natural News just ran a very impassioned op-ed piece about the dangers of fluoridation in water. Calgary recently voted to stop fluoridating its water supply, while nearly simultaneously, parts of England are now fluoridating their water for the first time ever.

It’s a clusterpekingduck.

I don’t know how you feel about fluoridation, but I’m a little concerned about it. I’m in an extra special situation, because the fluoride levels in Manitou Springs are naturally sky high. They don’t fluoridate artificially here. In fact, they send out letters to expecting parents recommending that children under the age of 9 never ever never drink the water.

It has that much fluoride in it.

And that’s natural, mountain run-off fluoride – not the waste products from the phosphate fertilizer industry in the form of fluorosilicic acid that’s added to most water supplies (and called fluoridation).

While this post is all about homemade toothpaste, I do want to go on record as saying that I don’t ever support mandatory “drugging,” which is how I view fluoridated water.

The scout’s honest truth is, though, I have no idea whether or not artificial fluoridation of water is harmful or helpful, but my gut tells me it’s both.

Which gives this whole controversy all kinds of crazy legs – like a schizophrenic octopus fighting itself with toothbrush-shaped hammers.

That being said, it’s my humble opinion that if we’re going to put fluoride in the water, we don’t need to overdose ourselves with fluoride in the toothpaste. You may disagree. I respect that.

Originally, I had planned on using this opportunity to talk about my very favorite fluoride-free toothpaste: Himalaya Neem and Pomegranate. Instead, I tried making my own.

And, gosh, Himalaya, I’m sorry, but I’ll never buy toothpaste again.

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe – Now With Coconut Oil

Ingredients for the yummiest homemade toothpaste ever.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve tried several different toothpaste recipes. Some of them made me cry giant tears of nausea, they tasted so icky.

Some of them were tooth powders, which included salt. And I thought, y’know, I probably get plenty of salt in my diet already. I don’t need to fill my mouth with it at the end of every day.

(But if you’re not afraid of too much salt, try this tooth powder – I really did enjoy the taste: 1 Tbsp baking soda, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cloves.)

Ultimately, my very favorite was this doozy I found at Tammy’s Recipes. I fiddled around with the amounts for a while, and eventually ended up with something that put a smile on everyone’s face. Sweet, smooth, and mintally delicious.

Better yet, it’s SO FREAKING HEALTHY!

Seriously – coconut oil? Incredibly heart-healthy and great for your skin. Baking soda? Some people take baking soda daily to balance their pH levels and swear by its effects. The stevia in it isn’t bad for your teeth at all, but you could use xylitol (sold in the sweetener aisles at most health food stores) for extra added tooth decay prevention.

What I love most about it is that there’s nothing I’m putting in my mouth that I don’t know how to pronounce with said mouth. It all makes sense. And it all makes sense … without fluoride.

So, first. Here’s what it looks like while mixing it up:

Homemade toothpaste in the making.

And here’s my fiddled-with recipe.

Homemade Coconut Oil Toothpaste

3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp baking soda
25 drops peppermint essential oil
1 packet stevia
2 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)

Put the coconut oil and baking soda in a bowl and mash up with a fork until blended. Add the peppermint essential oil, stevia and optional vegetable glycerin and continue to mash and stir until you’ve reached toothpaste consistency.

And reach toothpaste consistency, you will. The original recipe (before adding more oil and glycerin) was a little lumpy and TOTALLY doable, but I wanted something that felt like toothpaste, or else the boys wouldn’t touch it.

Adding the extra glycerin gave it a very realistic toothpaste feel, plus it bumps up the sweetness factor a bit, leaving everyone smiling when they’re done polishing the choppers.

Here’s what it looks like, finished and dipped onto a toothbrush:

Homemade toothpaste on a brush.

Does Homemade Toothpaste Work?

Well, if by “work,” you mean, “clean your teeth” the answer is: HECK YEAH. It’s minty fresh and super cleansing, and my teeth feel and look sparkly after using it.

One thing to keep in mind: The coconut oil (especially if made without the glycerin) might solidify pretty well if temperatures are nice and cool, but if things get hot, the coconut oil will melt a bit. I put mine in a small wide-mouth jar with a lid, and I just dip my toothbrush in when it’s time to brush.

You could also reuse a toothpaste tube by piping your homemade goodies straight back in.

The big question you might be asking is whether or not coconut oil is actually good for your teeth.

It’s antibacterial, so it’ll kill a fair amount of germs. But the one thing that interested me most in this particular recipe is its close relationship with a little known Ayurveda practice called oil pulling (which I tried, briefly, two years ago and lost patience for).

We won’t get into oil pulling details here right now, but basically the way you do it is, instead of brushing your teeth, you fill your mouth with oil and then slowly pull the oil in and out through your teeth for a long period of time. The claimed benefits include ridding your body of toxins and treating any number of ailments. (You can read a bunch more about it here.)

Now, that’s not to say that using coconut oil is the same as using the oil pulling method. But it’s something.

Want to Talk Toothpaste? Or Fluoride?

You guys are a smart, savvy bunch. I’d really love to hear your opinions on fluoride – in toothpastes or in our water supply.

Tell me what you think.

And tell me how you feel about brushing your teeth with coconut oil.

Pretty weird, huh?

But totally worth it.

SMILE!

http://www.booksrecipesandlifeohmy.blogspot.com Jennifer

Very cool! My only worry is does it fight cavities?

Susan

I suppose you just have to think about what causes cavities…bacteria. Fluoride and other components that are added into toothpaste to help kill bacteria also “fight” cavities. Bacteria lies in the plaque that gets stuck to your teeth and if you don’t get that plaque removed properly, then that is when cavities can form. If you are getting rid of that plaque, the substrate in which bacteria loves to grow, then yeah it this toothpaste probably does help to fight cavities. Another great way to help get ride of plaque? Floss! Also…maybe a fun recipe for a mouthwash may appear in the future…please?

http://mirisplace.blogspot.com/ miri

don’t know if you’ll consider this fun, but it’s very easy and takes me just a few minutes to make:
-1/2 cup water
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-2 drops peppermint essential oil
-2 drop tea tree oil
instructions: put in bottle. shake well. presto – instant mouthwash (I also shake it before poring some out)

http://mirisplace.blogspot.com/ miri

oiy, pouring, not poring…

Mema

Actually, this is really a farce. Cavities don’t happen because of bacteria. It happens because of poor diet and gut health. If you aren’t getting enough minerals and nutrients in your diet your body will deteriorate, it will leach the minerals needed for other body functions out of your bones/teeth and other tissues, so to at least keep your heart and blood pumping…Yes our body needs minerals not only to grow teeth but also for muscle function, cellular growth, brain function etc… So then when you eat foods like sugars it’s not the sugar ON your teeth that do damage, it’s when it’s in your gut that it does the damage. It robs your body of oxygen, creating an anaerobic environment in which yeasts and fungus and opportunistic bacteria thrive, taking over the gut environment and taking up those vital nutrients…where as an optimal functioning gut is in balance with healthy gut flora and ample essential nutrients and it is able to actually ABSORB those nutrients.

So then with poor dietary habits = poor gut health and poor nutrient uptake, the body suffers and starts to decay. Teeth are just one of the more visible “symptoms” of this. Brushing teeth will make you feel good but it won’t “cure/heal” your teeth. Yes it’s still important and keeping plaque/tartar out of the gums is important too, but again is not the only answer.

Also killing “all the flora/bacteria” in your mouth, just like your gut is not healthy either. You still need healthy bacteria in your mouth. That is why after you brush with these “bacteria” killers your mouth gets nasty after a bit and you have to do it again. Why is that? Our bodies should not be “sterile” we must have healthy flora/bacteria on and in our body at all times….same with our skin, there are numerous studies showing the dangers antibacterial products are having on our environment and the growth of super bugs etc… A healthy mouth SHOULD have a healthy flora! SUPPORT it, don’t sterilize it..yes try to keep the sugars and starches at bay, in your mouth and in your gut but like I said it’s not simply the topical aspect we need to focus on. teeth are bones, living parts of our body. NOURISH your body, nourish your teeth and bones! Get MINERALS, all of them not just “calcium” that’s another huge misconception.

http://www.suite101.com/content/schuessler-cell-salts-a88821

Jess W

I’m a dental assistant and Fluoride doesn’t actually fight cavities, it just makes your teeth harder so it’s slightly more difficult for a cavity to form. The downside of this is that it makes the teeth dense but brittle, and it’s easy to get fluorisis which can include white spots or bands, or even brown spots in severe cases. Clearly the better option is xylitol which is actually anti-cariogenic (kills the bacteria that causes cavities) Stevia is non-cariogenic (meaning it doesn’t cause cavities) so this too is a good option. I haven’t used fluoride toothpaste for 5 years and I haven’t gotten a cavity yet.

http://califia7.blogspot.com/ Shonneky

I don’t know enough about fluoride to make a really educated decision one way or the other BUT I think that something that has a poison control label on it shouldnt be used in my kids’ mouths ever. Thank you so much for your recipes and tips. I have tried your homemade washing detergent and your lip balm and loved them. Next up I will be making the homemade deodorant and this toothpaste. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks again!

Crunchy Betty

Yay! Hope you love the deodorant – don’t forget to give it a while before you abandon it. I still use it – and only it – to this day. Can’t even imagine going back! Do keep me updated on how it goes, k?

Beth

Using the deodorant but really miss antiperspirant (sp?)… any thoughts on this? I do get the healthly part behind sweating but not always socially acceptable…

Llama

Best deodorant ever: mix coconut oil with baking soda and corn starch (or arrowroot powder). I started with equal amounts baking soda and corn starch, but found I liked it better with more corn starch. Just mix it with enough oil to make a spreadable paste. I LOVE IT! Never any odor, and so easy. The only “drawback” is it’ll be liquidy in high heat and a little more solid in winter. But it doesn’t change it, I put it on in summer and either soften it in my hand or under hot want for a min or two in winter. You could microwave it too.

Em

You could also ditch the coconut oil and use the powder as a deodorant. Spread it around (some will fall, so do it somewhere you can clean easily afterwards), but it’ll work for most of a day. No worrying about it being to liquidy or hard, and no chance of grease stains on your clothing.

sarah

cocunt oil…thats my deoderant

http://radiant-brown-beauty.com Michelle – Radiant Brown Beauty

Hi-

I use Young Living toothpaste Ultra Dentarome with Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. It’s fluoride free and all natural too.

However, me and my family still get fluoride treatments at the dentist twice a year. I think it’s still important to do so but not to ingest fluoride daily.
http://www.theeducatedlife.com Clara

OMG thank you for this! I’ve been looking for a good homemade toothpaste recipe and this sounds great! Just had my daughter’s 2-year check up, and we found out that apparently water in our county is NOT fluoridated (yay!), but because of that, they want her to take a fluoride supplement?? I’m a little scared of that. However, they want her to continue to use non-fluoride toothpaste. Super confused and not sure if I should get this pills for her or not…..

Crunchy Betty

It’s nice that your water isn’t fluoridated, lucky! But as far as fluoride supplements, I’d ask a couple of other health professionals (mainly, say, a naturopath and a more open-minded doctor) what they think of it. I’ve no clue, of course, but I’d want more opinions than just one doctor (and from a wider “health” standpoint) before I took the risk.

Still, lucky you! No fluoridation.

http://abundanceonadime.blogspot.com Karen @ Abundance on a Dime

Oh my goodness, is there anything coconut oil can’t do? I am definitely going to give this a try!! I’ve been doing some research on holistic treatments for gum disease, as (despite meticulous oral hygiene and general good health) I have problems with gingivitis and receding gums. Some of the most frequently recommended are turmeric, cloves and tea tree oil so I think I’ll try to incorporate those into the recipe (it might not taste so good, but I can live with that!). I’m going to start playing around with a mouth rinse, too – planning on trying a strong sage tea with some tea tree oil and hydrogen peroxide to start out with and see how that goes.

Crunchy Betty

Haha. Just so you know your little comment “is there anything it can’t do” totally inspired my next (and taking forever) post. As I’ve been fiddling around with different toothpaste/powder recipes, I tried to work one out that used sage and bay leaves, but kept ending up with sage and bay stuck in my teeth. Let me know if you figure out a way to keep the green stuff from sticking in your teeth!

http://www.alifewellnourished.wordpress.com Nicole Rice

sage and bay essential oils?

http://www.makeitbakeitbuyitfakeit.blogspot.com Stephanie

I would definitely like to try this. The store-bought pastes are often so over-minted that I can’t wait to spit them out. I kinda think that goes against the point of thorough brushing. How long does it keep? Do you need to refrigerate it?

Crunchy Betty

Nope. No need to refrigerate, and I would imagine it keeps for a very, very long time. There’s nothing in the recipe that spoils easily, and I wouldn’t see any reason why it wouldn’t last as long as coconut oil itself lasts (which is years).

However, I wouldn’t make more than one batch up at a time (which you’d probably go through in a month or two anyway).

And that’s the best part about this – you can adjust the “minty-ness” to YOUR preference (the recipe is actually pretty minty, at the request of Fiance). Start with 15 drops of peppermint and adjust up from there.

Let me know what you think!

M

I know this query comes late in the game, but I’m confused as to when and how you can use essential oil of something like peppermint or cinnamon leaf in a toothpaste (i.e., something you ingest). How do I know what essential oils I can ingest? When I went to Mountain Rose Herbs, there warning info was a bit overwhelming. I considered using Peppermint extract but didn’t know if that would make the paste spoil. I also considered cinnamon powder, which would be good for taste and health, but it would probably be kind of a pain to rinse.

Thanks for the help.

Hallee

Wow. I could cry tears of joy. You always know the perfect times to post things. Generally speaking, how expensive is coconut oil?

Crunchy Betty

Generally speaking … it’s really not that expensive, in the long run. Often, the Nutiva brand (a good brand to go with) will do specials on Amazon and other places where you can get two jars for under $15.

Just be sure to ONLY use virgin, organic coconut oil. Anything else is going to be tampered with too much.

The brand I have in the picture there – Tropical Traditions – kicks some major butt, but the oil is a tiny bit pricey. Good news, though: Keep an eye out on their site (and sign up for their sales newsletter). They’re ALWAYS having the best sales, and not just on coconut oil.

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com

http://mirisplace.blogspot.com/ miri

I’d love to hear if you crack one of the mysterious (to me) so called tooth soap recipes (example here – http://www.etsy.com/listing/54864998/toothpaste-soap-natural-soap-for-teeth)!

Crunchy Betty

Ooooh. You got my brain churning, lady. It took a lot of willpower not to start putzing around with some of those ingredients right away. However, I have such a ridiculous overabundance of different homemade toothpastes now, I’m gonna have to wait a bit.

Tooth soap – just the name alone – has always piqued my curiosity. Talk about conjuring up some weird taste-ideas. Ha!

Katie

Heehee! This is a FANTASTICALLY-timed article . . . I’m from Calgary and am trying to figure out how to get ENOUGH flouride now!

That said, I’m seriously happy that we did away with it. Drugging the water is so unethical.

Hallee – coconut oil runs cheaper than olive oil, in these parts. I spend about $18 for 3L of it, and even though I use it as an all-over moisturizer, in my bath, in my food, in homemade deodorant and hair shiner, and as a leather polisher (melted in and then rehardened with beeswax), it usually takes me about 2 months to go through the whole tub. And when you compare that to the price of deodorant, moisturizer, bath oil, hair product, cooking oil and leather polisher . . . well, it’s SOOOOO worth it!

Crunchy Betty

I have absolutely NO idea if this link will help, but they seem to have so many different articles on fluoride: http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Maybe they’ll have recommendations somewhere on how to get the needed fluoride?

When you think about it, though, it’s not just fluoride that we need. So many other vital (natural) minerals are stripped from our water supply and leeched out of the ground from over-harvesting of crops. I wonder if there’s maybe not a really good mineral supplement that contains “good” fluoride and other vital minerals you could use to replace.

If I come across one, I’ll let you know. Do the same for me, yeah?

Rosemary Burton

Sprouts are a great natural source of fluoride and many other minerals.
Gloria

I put spirulina into our smoothies and my children’s teeth always look better when when we do it. Very mineral packed! I might try it in toothpaste
Joanne

Did you ever come across a mineral supplement for your toothpaste?

http://fenrirfitness.com Olly

Wow thanks for this! Awesome article! Anitra said she’s going to make some for us to try out! =)
http://imarriedamoronandsurvived.blogspot.com/ Suzie Q

Is there a difference in the cold pressed, and virgin coconut oil? And what is it?
Gonna try this recipe, thanx!!!

Crunchy Betty

Here, lady. I’m not sure I absolutely understand the intricacies of extracting coconut oil. I just know that you want to stay away from oils that are expressed using high heat, and oils that are refined (using high heat and other adulterating processes).

Tropical Traditions has a lot of information on how they get their coconut oil (and from what I can tell, they’re pretty much the standard by which you can measure “good” coconut oil).

Hope this helps: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/expeller-pressed_coconut_oil.htm

Susan

Ooh, I can help here…

Cold pressed, expeller pressed, and virgin are all touching on similar things, but aren’t all exactly the same thing. Cold pressed is like expeller pressed, but it is defining the fact that low temperatures were used in the pressing process. Virgin also means that whatever means was used to extract the oil was low temperature and did not use solvents. Different oils will have different definitions of virgin depending on what organization is overseeing the labels. So these are describing how the oil was extracted.

Refining is describing what is done to oils after they have been extracted. As for refined oils, they are sometimes RBD, or refined, bleached, and deodorized. Refining happens when the oil that is extracted has things that we want removed from it. I have the most experience with soybean oil (gasp!), and what is removed things mostly like phospholipids and the things that make this crude oil “gummy”. Believe me, if you were to purchase soybean oil in its crude state the way it is normally extracted, you definitely wouldn’t want to put any of it into your food or body. It isn’t that it is harmful, it is just thick and stinky; not the way we normally think of cooking oils. Bleaching is the method of removing mainly the dark coloration of oils. This is normally accomplished with clays; these clays are actually pretty much exactly the same as many of the clays that are mentioned here for beauty products (bentonite and whatnot). The deodorization step uses high temperatures to remove volatiles from the oil. This usually makes the oil smell much better, but can remove some other things that are good too like tocopherols. It doesn’t remove all of them, though, just some.

This is just the basics. Any one want more details? Let me know!!

Katheryn

http://www.xylitol.org/dental-benefits-of-xylitol

I think there is a distinctive advantage on the xylitol as sweetner.
Beth

Wow! Talk about timing! Just went to my conventional dentist this morning. Have been using a non-flouride toothpaste from Trader Joe’s for about 3 months – good report from dentist! I do have have concerns about flouride in the water supply – many issues and I don’t think this is the best and/or most ethical delivery method. Too hard to control levels and adjust for individual needs. I believe for now I am in the group that agrees with flouride in some capacity but not in my water supply. We’re moving soon to well water – hooray!
I may have to give this recipe a try. My husband and family have pretty much stopped reacting to my homemade recipes (many I got from Crunchy Betty) so I am sure this won’t even raise eyebrows!! )

Crunchy Betty

Yay well water! That, my dear, is VERY crunchy.

I just ordered a Berkey water filter (with the fluoride removing filters, too). It’ll be here on Monday.

Every glass of water I drink until then seems sooooo wrong.

hehe

Rosemary Burton

I donâ€™t know why I havenâ€™t been using coconut oil in our toothpaste! I have been using baking soda with essential oils dry as a powder and it cleans the bath too. Adding the xylitol will be a tremendous improvement both in taste and in protection. I also make a mouth wash that is sweetened with xylitol and the same essential oils, (thievesâ€™ oil blend equal parts of 5 oils; cinnamon, eucalyptus, lemon, clove, rosemary) and comfrey leaf tea and tincture. Comfrey has amazing healing properties and will knit the worst mouth ulcers over in record time.

Crunchy Betty

Ooh. Thanks for the comfrey info. I have a big bag o’ comfrey leaves that I haven’t ever done anything with at all. I also happen to have a chipped tooth that keeps irritating the side of my cheek. Now I know what to try when it starts making me crazy.

Of all the recipes I tried, I had to use something sweet (I have yet to buy xylitol, but it’s on my next shopping list). Never can get used to the taste of baking soda without a little sweetening going on.

Voce

Fluoride shouldn’t be added to our water. It’s bad for the bones. We bought a special water filter that removes fluoride. However, I do use toothpaste w/fluoride (Tom’s of Maine Whole Care.) My thinking is that using it right where it’s needed (locally, to fill in little gaps on the tooth’s surface that could lead to a cavity) is totally different from drinking it. This is my philosophy regarding many things related to health: Treat locally rather than systemically whenever possible.

Crunchy Betty

One of the most curious claims about fluoridated water is that it calcifies the pineal gland. I haven’t done NEARLY enough research to make a decision on whether or not that’s true … but if there’s one gland I don’t want calcified, it’s that one.

http://www.trickynag.blogspot.com TrickyNag

Who really knows whether fluoride is safe or not. We’ll never really get the truth about it. We have fluoridated water. I’m not happy about it, but it’s tough to go against the contingent that believes because it helps out teeth it’s ok to ingest. Ranger, I agree with Voce – toothpaste is ok because its localized.

But, I say that and I’m totally going to track down some coconut oil this weekend and mix us up a batch!!

Crunchy Betty

Y’know, I hadn’t even thought of this until I read your comment, but if you’re keen on the idea of fluoridating your toothpaste, I bet there are TONS of natural, organic fluoride supplements you could add to the toothpaste recipe.

The added bonus there is knowing that you’re using 100% fluoride, you know EXACTLY what’s going into your toothpaste in terms of other ingredients, and you have (pretty much) absolute control. As long as you totally trust the people you’re getting your ingredients from.

http://www.inhisimage-rwilliams.blogspot.com Renae W.

Great recipes! I use lots of homemade beauty/health supplies and I’m considered weird but, oh well! Katie, could you share your recipe for hair shiner with coconut oil? I have tried some things with it for my hair but non have worked to my liking. thanks y’all! This southern girl loves all this stuff!

Crunchy Betty

I’m no Katie, but I’ll tell you two things I do on a regular basis for my hair using coconut oil.

The first thing, I actually did today.

1. Use it as a deep conditioning mask before you shower. Just slather plain old coconut oil through your hair. You can either wrap it in a warm towel or just leave it be. Let it soak into your hair for an hour or two. In the shower, just shampoo. You might even need to shampoo twice to get it all out. Don’t condition (you probably won’t need to at all). Style normally. My hair’s always SO soft and moisturized after I do this.

2. When I have flyaways (with my straight hair), I’ll just take a teeny tiny itty bitty dab of coconut oil and warm it up in the palms of my hands. Then smooth it over my hair. The key is – it has to be a TINY amount (like, less than 1/8th of a teaspoon) or your hair may end up looking greasy.

Try it. Let me know what you think!

http://stupidhippy.com Aimee

I have a mint-hating family (which is a benefit to me sometimes, I can make/buy treats that won’t get snapped up before I even get ONE!), can you recommend any other flavors?

I’ve been using your homemade deodorant recipe since a little after Christmas. You know what’s funny? For a while, it was working okay. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked as well as most deodorants and without any side effects, no itching or anything, so I thought, well, I’m going to stick with it. At about the six week mark, suddenly, it was like a miracle of no smelling at all. It was crazy, like one day it was just okay and the next, it was like sunshine outta my pits

Shannon

You were probably experiencing very mild detox. Sweating is one of the top ways our bodies expel waste and this is especially concentrated in the underarm due to the proximity of lymph nodes there.

I’d bet your that your body had been expelling years of built up waste after you stopped using commercial deodorant, and when it was done detoxing is when you had sunshine coming out of your pits.

http://stupidhippy.com Aimee

*nod nod* I would have thought that, too, but I haven’t used commercial deodorant for many years, I switched from a crystal, which I’d been happy with for a long time, but then it started giving me a rash (ow). Could still be detox, but not from commercial products.

andrew

would this be ok for braces? as i cant use whitening products and im scared the baking soda is going to rust them..

Susan

Of course I would ask your orthodontist, but I don’t see why baking soda would rust braces. Whitening products usually contain peroxides which can oxidize metal (what metal are your braces made out of?). Rust is iron oxide, usually from exposed iron in contact with water or oxygen. But like I said, check with your orthodontist first!
sugarcoatedbeth

I use baking soda to clean my jewelry and it’s also recommended to use for polishing silver so I can say with confidence that it will NOT rust your braces.

http://bkfamily-andthentherewerethree.blogspot.com/ The Zany Housewife

Oooh intrigue. I’ve been giving making my own toothpaste some serious thought lately and now you’ve given me the extra oomph that I needed.
La

I made half a batch yesterday in case I did not like it, but it was wonderful. I used Tangerine essential oil, SweetLeaf stevia (1 packet), and melted the coconut oil briefly in the microwave to make it easier to stir.

Then I went further and looked at the informaton on Oil Pulling. On 3/28/2008, Molly from San Francisco, says that the acids in oil melt plaque. So it just goes to show you that this little gem of a toothpaste is what the whole world needs to get better checkups at the dentist! Forget fluoride….

Thanks for the legwork in putting this recipe together.

Justangie

I tried it the same way, but used orange essential oil. I didn’t think it was too bad. Different taste, for sure, but once I was finished brushing, my mouth felt very fresh. I like it!

LaP

I just have one question. I live in a fairly cool environment, so once I stored my toothpaste in its little plastic container, it got solid rather quickly. I did not use the vegetable glycerin.

If I were to use this in Puerto Rico or Hawaii where it is much warmer, this time of year, would I need to refrigerate it? Would it store safer in a sterilized glass jar?

Your comments are most appreciated!

Thank you.
Clair

I’ve been brushing my teeth with just 2-3 drops of essential oil on my toothbrush, and nothing else. My mouth and teeth have never felt cleaner! I use the essential oil blend called Deliverance by Butterfly Express, which is the equivalent of Thieves by Young Living. But my kids won’t do this so perhaps I will try this recipe for them to have something more toothpaste-like for them to try. Spending $4-plus per tube of Tom’s is getting too pricey!! Thanks for the awesome resource. Love your site!
Sarah

Would adding more coconut oil instead of the glycerin affect the efficiency or anything at all?
http://www.alifewellnourished.wordpress.com Nicole Rice

You might want to give some more thought to adding glycerin to your toothpaste. It coats your teeth- which means your teeth can’t re-mineralize. Your teeth will heal and fill cavities back in if you give them the minerals they need, and you don’t put any barrier up. Last year I switch from toothpaste that has glycerin, to one without, and (in addition to some dietary changes- making sure my body got enough nutrients) I was able to actually heal a cavity. From cavity- to check up 6 months later- no cavity.
Julie

I was just telling my fiance that I haven’t found a good homemade toothpaste yet, and voila! Here’s your blog! Thank you, Universe! Also, I’ve been ‘poo free for about a week, and my hair LOVES me for it! I found that idea on another website, but I’m totally trying a few things from here, toothpaste included!
miri

My toothpaste seems salty and unpleasant. This seems to be from the baking soda.

Did I get anything wrong (I used 1.5 Tablespoons of coconut oil, 1.5 Tablespoons of baking soda, 12 drops of mint essential oil and 1 teaspoon of Xelitol)?

Jackie

Hmmm. I made mine the other day without sweetener (because I didn’t have any). I would describe mine the same, salty and unpleasant.

Of course, the texture is awkward, it now being cold, hardened coconut oil.

I can’t even think of asking the kids to try this batch, though I’m getting used to it.

What can be done to improve the taste, and the texture?

http://mirisplace.blogspot.com/ miri

I’m trying the recipe with less baking soda. I cut it to a third (1 Tablespoon to 3 Tablespoons of coconut oil above). It tastes better.

Marcin

I think it’s better to have a healthy toothpaste than delicious one.

http://mirisplace.blogspot.com/ Miri

Hi Marcin, In this case, I don’t think the saltier one is healthier, because I’m worried it’s too abrasive and can hurt the enamel of the teeth. Miri

Tim

Miri, i also use one part sodium bicarb to two parts coconut oil and found it better. i think the salt is more irritating to the gums rather than abrasive to the teeth. Commercial pastes have sand and chalk to do that job! What a crime. the layering of the oil should be a good barrier to bad damage. Like all of this, i am sure we will all learn and evolve as we go.

http://livegreenmom.com Helga

I’ve been using a homemade deo made from coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch. It works perfectly for me as a deo, surprisingly, I just needed to get used to sweating after using anti perspirant since I started using anything.

I’ve been using Tom’s of maine toothpaste for almost a year then all of a sudden 2 weeks ago my healthy teeth (just had a check up!) started being sensitive to cold. Out of nowhere. All of them! What happened? It sucks when I go to chomp into a chilled watermelon or a cold lemonade! So now I am trying the coconut oil toothpaste recipe in hopes that maybe it’s just the toothpaste I was using. I’m using cinnamon oil as my flavoring. We will see!
http://www.lunaticsupernaturaldairy.com Reese Barrett

Thank you for the toothpaste recipe..i have wanted a good recipe for awhile now..i have tried to limit as well as avoid several unhealthy chemicals and additives in what i consume..two main ones i try to totally avoid is chlorine and fluoride…my top reason for doing so is that on a spiritual level those two chemicals above all others will cause a persons pineal gland to calcify which will cause many problems for the body, mind, and spirit.
Manda

I stumbled upon this after reading a blog about mouthwash. Got me to thinking about what I put in my mouth (and my son’s) to clean it. Then reading this got me paranoid, and logically thinking…I bet Colorado Springs’s water is heavily fluoridated too. My main concern. I have super, super sensitive teeth. So as you imagine I am forking out a ton for Sensodyne…which definitely helps. I can’t deny its helping factor. Even if it is chemical laden. So I guess my big question is…going totally natural on the toothpaste front…will it help or make worse? I guess trial and error is the only way. But I think I’ll give it time. My husband is already freaked out by my deodorant making….
Penny

I don’t think this is odd at all! I actually do this minus xylitol (sp…whatever i can’t spell) -i hate xylitol flavor- but I use mint oil and sometimes i brush with dr bonner’s… but mostly baking soda + coconut oil. I did that before i read your blog because I read a book “money by the mouthful” if you haven’t read it- you should. you can find it online (they won’t publish the actual book because the dentists in this country don’t approve- although it was written by a dentist….sounds like major corportations don’t like people to realize toothpaste is bad for you!) Anyway, thanks for the blog!
bill

I use Emu oil on my skin.. Seems like I read somewhere some one used it in their mouth & was highly beneficial. Although Emu oil if VERY expensive I think I might try it. Neem oil has some benefits too. I think I will use that too. Any think to get away from commercial products. I haven’t used commercial deo or toothpaste for years now. Did have a cavity last time I went to dentist, but I have always had cavities even when I used floridated tooth paste
http://joyvillephotography.com Juana

is the stevia strictly for sweetening purposes? can we make the exact same recipe minus the stevia?
sugarcoatedbeth

Definitely going to try this. As I use up the commercial toothpaste I bought previously, sometimes I just sprinkle some baking soda on top before I brush. I admit it’s not my favorite taste but it does work well. Also, you mentioned oil pulling and though I haven’t been able to commit to it on a regular basis either, I do it once in a while and it ALWAYS makes my teeth look brighter and cleaner so I can imagine this toothpaste with the coconut oil will work wonders.
http://greenmomintheburbs.wordpress.com Jenn the Greenmom

Okay, I tried, this, and it was SO IMPOSSIBLY SALTY I couldn’t bear it and spit it out. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride would both taste salty, but eew.

Is this just me?

Any suggestions?
–Jenn

Melody

I just made a batch and discovered this as well. I think I will try more coconut oil or another pack of stevia. Anyone else have any solutions to this?

KarinSDCA

I have been oil-pulling with unrefined sesame oil morning and night (4 hours after eating or before eating anything), then gargling with warm salt water. Lastly, brushing my teeth with 2 drops of peppermint Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. Very bright white, very clean teeth! LOVE IT!!!

This morning, though, life happened a little different and I couldn’t do the oil swishing. I decided to try the Dr. B’s anyway, but only put one drop on my toothbrush. EEEWWWWWWWWWWW! ICK!!!!! I basically was washing my mouth out with soap. LOL

So, I have been searching for a homemade toothpaste to use for the times I cannot oil-pull and follow that regimen. I’ll be making a bunch of “samples” this week…FUN!!!

KarinSDCA

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we use an oral irrigator in the shower, which feels awesome on the gums and gets between teeth well.

Elsa

This looks like a great recipe! I’m going to try it this week.

How much stevia should I use, exactly? We don’t have packets, instead we have a garlic-container size amount of it. How much should I use? 1 tablespoon?

Also, I’m wondering about the vegetable glycerin. I have a bottle of the stuff from NOW that I use for making pet shampoo, and it claims to be food grade, no added ingredients. Is it okay to use that in my toothpaste?

Thanks!
KelseyJoy

I’m against flouride, and it’s that reason which made me switch to homemade toothpaste a year or so back. I’m also however against the use of glycerin in toothpaste. The reason is that the glycerin puts a thin coating over your teeth which in the short run protects them, which is good. But it also prevents your teeth from being able to heal themselves, which is bad. So if you’ve got glycerin in your toothpaste and you get a cavity, you will not be able to get rid of it yourself and will instead have to go to the dentist to have it filled. It takes somewhere around 24 tooth brushing sessions to fully remove the glycerin coating from your teeth. And honestly, I’m sort of weirded out by putting something on my teeth which takes so long to wash away. Because of that I don’t include glycerin in my toothpaste recipe, just baking soda, coconut oil, peppermint essential oil and stevia.
EllaShambles

I read on the internet (well, where else?) that brushing too often with baking soda damages the tooth’s enamel, has anyone else on here experienced any problems like this so far? I really want to try it, but my tooth enamel’s kinda at risk as it is thanks to my tongue piercing
Vikki Furlong

I grew up using baking soda and salt as a tooth powder, we had tooth paste too, but when my baby teeth began to fall out and the permanent teeth came in they were yellow and stained easily. My dentist (this was the early 70′s yeah I’m that old) told me they would never be white. So the baking soda scrub was kind of important to keep them as light as possible.
About 8 years ago I discovered the miracles of coconut oil. While reading a book on the subject, I’m sorry I can’t remember which one. It said the native people of the island the author was living on had used just plan coconut oil to brush there teeth for years. Knowing it’s the brushing and not the toothpaste that cleans your teeth I made the switch. I now just rub my tooth brush over a small bit of coconut oil I keep for this purpose and then dip in a small bowl of baking soda. This is what I have brushed my teeth with for years now. My dentist is impressed. Also, I clean my tooth brush with peroxide, it never bubbles like it did with toothpaste or even just the soda mix. The antimicrobial properties of the coconut oil keep it nice and clean and no bubbles proves it….lol
http://twitter.com/courtcan Courtney Cantrell

When I was three, my parents and I moved to Germany. American dentists advised my parents to put me on fluoride tablets because Germany didn’t put fluoride in the water. (I don’t know if they do now or not.) Sure enough, I developed fluorisis. Nowadays, the spots on my teeth aren’t visible unless my teeth get dry. It’s a nuisance…but I also don’t know what other long-term effects I might still suffer in the future.

In the meantime, I’m now using the Crunchy Betty toothpaste recipe and loving it! Today I made it with lemon oil instead of peppermint. Haven’t tried it yet, so we’ll see how my tastebuds feel about a “salty lemonade” flavor. ; )
Betternaturalhealing

Nice article. I am against fluoride and anything forced onto the public. In medical school we were taught about fluorosis, but also how fluoride reduced cavities…I think we get just as much, if not more, than the past. I keep getting them with brushing and flossing daily.
Amy71sherre

Can not wait to try the coconut oil. I already use it in soap making and for lips, and face and body for lotion. There is a book about the benefits of coconut oil, The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife. I have not read it yet, but have read about the benefits of coconut oil and it is amazing. I was just using the baking soda, but my husband is not a huge fan so I am going to try this out on him and see. Thanks so much! Oh and we do not like the floride thing either! I am a little worried about not getting it as far as cavities go, but read an article that said that we are getting so much that people are thinking that they have Thyroid problems, but are actually overdosing on floride! I have thought that I have had Thyroid problems for the last 10 or so years, but doctors could not find it.
Abu7977

Actually while working for a lab there was a doc’s office that only allowed there expectant mothers to brush with baking soda before having there gestational glucose checked
Sgsidekick

Is there a substitute for the coconut oil? I just can’t stand the taste of coconut. I might use it on my skin, but the flavor just makes me gag.

Sweet Assilem

You don’t taste the coconut oil at all. You could get some brand that says it has no scent perhaps. All I ever taste in mine is baking soda (salt) and whatever flavour I use. The coconut oil scent in the jar is light anyways.

BabsCampbell

Just wanted to let you know I’ve linked to this recipe on my blog and given you credit for the recipe. Thanks for posting this!

I have Type 1 Diabetes and battled breast cancer this past year. 2012 is my year for getting healthy and ditching all those chemicals I can’t pronounce and really don’t need in my system. I plan on trying several of your recipes and really enjoy your website.
Adam783

If you want to rid your brain of fluoride, use 1/8-1/4 of a teaspoon of 20 mule team borax from Dial,THAT BRAND ONLY because it’s pure, in a liter of pure water. Drink it throughout the day for ONLY 4 days a week then break. This will cleanse your pineal gland, and seriously I think it made me happier in general. It will start to create like a serotonin increase. No more Govt. mind control.
Kriskras28

Is it supposed to dissolve in your mouth? As soon as I started brushing it dissolved. I totally could get used to it though. Also I am now curious about the vegetable glycerine after reading some of the comments.
AnaMaria

hey, i have found your article interesting. I have played around with making my own toothpaste and used baking soda and peroxide for a long time. at one point i was using coconut oil for my gums……then i got lazy since we live right across the street from Whole Foods and I buy TOMS toothpaste. Now I am leaving to Thailand to manage a resort where coconut oil is plentiful and googled what i can do with coconut oil and found your article lol so my question…would just the oil and soda be sufficient….just wondering since i don’t know if i can find the peppermint oil there……that is more for the taste right?