Non-toxic oral care

The ritual of caring for our teeth the conventional way comes with a fair share of questionable ingredients and toxic exposure. Many toothpastes out there include: SLS, triclosan, dyes, fluoride, polysorbate 80, etc.

I could go on at length about why you want to avoid those ingredients but my goal here is to introduce you to new DIY oral care options. My usual protocol goes like this:

1. First thing upon waking, tongue scrape
2. After breakfast, floss
3. Oil pull
4. Brush teeth

Usually in the evening, I will use mouthwash instead of oil pulling. I’ll also go through phases of using activated charcoal when I want to whiten my teeth.

And remember… what you EAT is an important consideration for oral care and it should not be ignored.

Here are some of my favourite non-toxic DIY recipes.

DIY Toothpaste Options

I use a few different types of homemade DIY toothpaste recipes and most are just one ingredient with an added essential oil. There are no specific proportions to these one-ingredient toothpaste recipes… I usually just use enough to cover the bristles and add more if necessary.

1. Coconut oil + 1 drop of pure, therapeutic grade clove and/or tea tree essential oil
2. Baking soda + 1 drop of pure, therapeutic grade tea tree essential oil
3. Activated charcoal (I gently brush enough powder to cover my teeth, leave on 1 – 2 minutes and brush off with water – careful, this gets messy!)

I also keep a jar of re-mineralizing toothpaste on-hand and follow this recipe minus the cinnamon and clove powder.

But even before brushing my teeth, I love to tongue scrape. I made a habit of doing this first thing when I wake up. You can use a tongue scraper tool (pictured above) or simply a spoon.

Patchouli Mouth Rinse

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1 drop patchouli essential oil

Instructions

1. Combine baking soda and water in a small cup.
2. Add essential oils and mix well.
3. Swish mixture around in mouth for one minute before spitting into the sink.

(Source)

DIY Breath Spray

Ingredients

• 5 mL glass spray bottle
• 3–5 drops essential oil (try peppermint, spearmint or cinnamon)
• Distilled water

Instructions

1. Place 3–5 drops of essential oil into your spray bottle.
2. Fill the remainder of the bottle with distilled water.
3. Shake well to combine and spritz in mouth for a refreshing burst of flavor.

(Source)

Simple Mouthwash

Ingredients

• 5 drops essential oils (try peppermint, myrrh or cinnamon)
• 1 cup water
• Mason jar

Instructions

1. Add water and essential oil to mason jar.
2. Shake well before each use. Take small sips and swish. Do not swallow.
3. Store in a dark location.

Oil Pulling

My gums love it when I oil pull. I have super sensitive gums and they get irritated quite rapidly if I don’t oil pull for a while. Plus, oil pulling can help whiten your teeth naturally

My favourite is to oil pull for 2 – 3 minutes with castor oil and one drop of an essential oil. Many people use coconut oil but you have to oil pull for much longer – 20 minutes, ideally…

For more information on the benefits of oil pulling, see my dedicated post on this topic.

Non-toxic whitening

Another natural way to whiten your teeth is to use activated charcoal. I simply wet my toothbrush, dab it in the activated charcoal and gently apply the paste to my teeth. I make sure to leave a thick, black coating for a good 3 – 5 minutes before rinsing and brushing out.

Repeat regularly to maintain the whiteness…

Enjoy your new non-toxic oral care routine! Feel free to ask any questions 🙂

M.

PS – be part of the non-toxic living conversation… join The Non-Toxic Living Collective Facebook group!