Tooth Powder for Wellness Wednesday

So a few weeks back, when I had access to a car and some extra funds, I headed over to Abundance Co-op to pick up some supplies that I can only get there (or on the internet and I prefer to support a local business over Amazon).

I have not been happy with toothpaste for a long time. Even the supposedly "natural" toothpastes have ingredients in them I am not happy with. When I moved out (nearly 1 year ago) a friend of mine supplied me with a care package, which included commercial toothpaste. So we used it. I just wasn't happy.

I have done oil pulling off an on (more on that next week) but often I am just too lazy to oil pull and I'd rather just spend the 3-5 minutes brushing my teeth. Over the years I have searched for a natural toothpaste that was palatable for Sampson but would meet mine and Lulu's requirements. The best toothpastes that I could find (without fluoride and/or harsh whitening ingredients) simply didn't cut the mustard for Sampson. 

So while at the co-op in the hygiene aisle something caught my eye. And in full disclosure I didn't pick it up and read the bottle OR the ingredients. There was something about the bottle that I liked (the different shape I suppose).

I was on a tight schedule so I dropped it into my basket with my other items (Apricot and Avocado oils) and checked out.  

At home I put it in the medicine cabinet and didn't give it another thought. Then I went to use it. When I pulled the seal off the top I discovered it was TOOTH POWDER. Check out Lulu's post on making your own simply tooth powder and whitening tooth powder here. 

The first ingredient in this product is Sodium Bicarb (aka Baking Soda)

This box of Baking Soda cost me less than $1 and the tooth powder more than $4

I could have saved myself some money and just used Baking Soda to brush my teeth with! Now, if your handy on the interwebs a quick search will reveal to you that Baking Soda is bad for your teeth because it is TOO abrasive. If you are smart you'll keep reading and discover that the American Dental Association has paid for the research that concludes that Baking Soda is too abrasive for your teeth. Baking Soda is a "soft" abrasive. 

Now I am not a medical professional nor am I a dentist, but I did study Anatomy and Physiology while at Massage School. One of the neat little facts we learned was that your teeth are made of the same substance as your bones, and that enamel (the substance that covers your teeth) is the strongest/hardest substance in the human body. Why tell people baking soda is bad for enamel? Likely to keep dentists in business and fool people into thinking that flouride is good for them. But this is just my PERSONAL OPINION.

Anyhoo, the other ingredients include various essential oils, ground silica (WAIT! WHAT!) and guar gum. So I'll use this product up, then likely keep the bottle for my own simple tooth powder (Baking Soda with an essential oil (Clove or Peppermint)).

The reason essential oils are added to Baking Soda is two fold. Primarily it is to make the powder more palatable. BS is salty. Some essential oils are also antibacterial and therefore add to the power or the powder. 

I've used the charcoal powder and it's OK, but I'd rather just use Baking Soda powder and oil pulling. Both of which over time will whiten teeth. The reason teeth need whitening is because toothpaste isn't doing its job and residue is being left on teeth and leaving them with the appearance of stains. Using an effective tooth powder or oil pulling will (over time 6-8 weeks) brighten your smile without the expense of fancy chemical or laser whitening processes. 

What do you brush your teeth with?