Making Your Own Natural, Healthy Toothpaste For A Raw Vegan Diet

by Bryan

Bryan's Question:

Andrew,

I've been looking into making my own toothpaste since I can't seem to find one that doesn't have any questionable ingredients in it, plus this way I'll know exactly what is in my toothpaste.

Besides using baking soda are there any other ingredients to consider using, such as coconut oil for example?

Andrew's Answer:

Hi Bryan.

You're right, there are a lot of questionable ingredients in most toothpastes, which is why I stopped using them.

If you haven't already seen it, you should check out my article on caring for your teeth on a raw food diet.

When looking after the needs of my teeth, I ask myself, what do they need me to do for them?

I think the evidence is clear that the most important thing we can do is remove any bits of food that stick to them or in the gum line, which can very quickly start to cause problems in your mouth. It make sense, then, to brush, floss, and perhaps clean a bit around the gums with a dental scraper.

However, I've found that brushing alone may allow for some build up on the teeth, and a bit of toothpaste can often take care of that.

If I'm going to use some sort of toothpaste, what should it consist of?

I'm basically looking for it to have the characteristic that's going to remove film from my teeth: mild grittiness.

I can't really think of a secondary requirements beyond that.

Baking soda, then, strikes me as a the toothpaste that best fits my needs. I just need to dip my toothbrush in it and put it in my mouth. The saliva will wet it and let it do its thing as I brush.

Sure, I could try to make "true," gel-like toothpaste by adding in all kinds of crazy ingredients, but I'm doubtful they would benefit my teeth in any way.

Baking soda also lasts more or less indefinitely. If you start mixing it with oils, water, and other ingredients, it's probably going to be something you'd need to mix daily or weekly, which is just another time sink for your life.

So, because I can't see any purpose to adding more ingredients, I think I'll stick to just using baking soda.

Following Up:

Learn how to eat a healthy raw food diet.

Figure out what foods are best for the health of your whole body, including your teeth, here.