Toothpaste & Mouthwash

"She laughs at everything you say. Why? Because she has fine teeth." --Benjamin Franklin

I know that homemade toothpastes and tooth powders are trending a lot online now, which is great, because I've been looking for a while for something to use myself and have just been unable to make a decision until recently. However, I finally decided to give something a try, described below, that I think uses the best of what I've seen and also is a flexible option in that you can use one or more of the ingredients below based on your preference. I have also included a few mouthwash formulas, the first being really more of an after brushing rinse and the others more of a traditional mouthwash intended to freshen breath.

Toothpaste:
2 parts coconut oil and/or
1 part clay and/or
1 part baking soda and/or
1/4 parts sea salt and/or
Lemon essential oil and/or
Peppermint essential oil and/or

Toothpaste Creation:

Choose one or more of the ingredients above and mix well. Store in a little jar or baggie. If storing in a jar, dip toothbrush and use. If using a baggie, you could cut off the corner and squeeze out (sort of like using a tube). I just use a little jar. For my jar size, shown in the picture above, my "parts" were tablespoons and I used 5 drops each of the essential oils.

Comments:

First of all, you should know that I interviewed my dental hygienist about toothpaste and traditional methods and reasons behind current methods and, basically, she indicated that you can use anything or nothing to brush your teeth--it's really just the act of brushing that is important.

Furthermore, she stated that the only reason why those in the dental profession wanted the general public to use toothpaste was for the fluoride in it (oh great) but she thought "naturalists" (her word) didn't want extra fluoride anyway (bingo!). Actually, that is great because now we have no reason to continue to use store bought toothpaste. Hooray!

Finally, she indicated that baking soda was old school and fine to use, so she okay'd it along with clay and oils. Oh, and one last thing, she personally had never heard of "oil pulling" but would look into it for me before my next appointment. Great information, right?!

So based on that interview and my research in books and online, I thought this recipe was the most simple and flexible homemade toothpaste/ powder I could find. Keep in mind you could substitute any oil instead of coconut oil and you could use any combination of the ingredients above. For example, I have made it with only coconut oil, clay, and essential oils and it was pretty tasty. Adding the baking soda and salt makes it gross less tasty. I think I will alternate baking soda and salt in batches, depending on how my teeth look and feel.

Mouthrinse:

1 tbsp vodka

2 drops myrrh essential oil

2 drops peppermint essential oil

How To:

Mix well and add only 2 drops of this mixture to a small glass of water used to rinse your mouth after brushing.

Comments:

The mouthrinse and/ or mouthwash is really important if you are looking for that minty fresh feel in your mouth. This is a mild rinse you can use after brushing and flossing. Myrrh helps to keep gums healthy and heal unhealthy gums.

 

General Mouthwash:

Essential oils that are useful to freshen breath include the following:

 

Peppermint

Lemon

Tea Tree

Thyme

Lavender

Anise

Coriander

Fennel

Myrrh

 

Use 4 drops of oils (any combination of the above) in 1 tsp brandy and add to a glass of warm water to use as a mouthwash. Do not swallow.

 

 

Overwhelmed by all the choices?? Try 2 drops of peppermint and 2 drops of lemon or 2 drops of tea tree and 2 drops of thyme or simply 4 drops of lavender. A peppermint/ lavender combination will leave you with a minty fresh feeling in your mouth. Perfect!

 

Mouthwash for Inflamed Gums:

Thyme - 3 drops

Eucalyptus - 2 drops

Chamomile - 3 drops

Peppermint - 3 drops

1 tsp brandy

 

How To:

Dilute the oils in one teaspoon brandy and then add one teaspoon of the mixture to a glass of warm water and swish well around the mouth. Do not swallow.

 

Comments:

I have issues with clenching at night and after one particularly bad night I used this formula to help soothe and heal my gums and I thought there was a definite benefit. I swished about three times a day for a couple of days and this rinse was very soothing and seemed to expedite the healing process.

 

You could also use tea tree, myrrh, and/ or bergamot essential oils in this formula.  

 

What are your experiences with homemade toothpaste and/or mouthwash? What has your dentist told you? I would love to hear, please leave a comment!

 

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This post was part of Monday Mania, Busy Monday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Natural Living Link-Up, Small Footprint Friday, and the Clever Chicks Blog Hop.