Toxic toothpaste? WHY??

I have just found out that there are some really nasty and toxic chemicals in toothpaste. WHY? All I want to do is clean my teeth and protect them from decay. Is this another example of profit focused corporates and time we went back to basics?

Next time you buy toothpaste look at the long list of ingredients. Watch out for glycerin, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sorbitol, aspartame, fluoride, and triclosan all are dangerous. You may also spot ‘not safe to swallow’. Seriously? Something we are supposed to clean our mouth with is dangerous if swallowed?

So just what do these ingredients do? Glycerin contributes to de-mineralization and can prevent re-mineralization. Sodium lauryl sulfate is readily absorbed in the body and is considered a carcinogen. It can also cause skin and eye irritations, hormone imbalances, denaturing of structural proteins, canker sores and mouth ulcers. SLS is a synthetic chemical added to products as a foaming agent. SLS can also commonly be found in things like engine degreaser and garage floor cleaners.

Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, sorbitol, and aspartame are added to the toothpastes to mask the horrible chemical taste. Saccharin is manufactured from petroleum products. Formaldehyde is a by-product of aspartame. These artificial sweeteners can cause side effects like: headaches, dizziness, mood changes, vomiting or nausea, abdominal pains, diarrhea, seizures, memory loss, fatigue, numbness, joint pain, depression, anxiety, blurred vision, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, systemic lupus and various cancers.

Triclosan is not a commonly known toxin. Found in deodorants, toothpastes, antibacterial soaps, etc. this ingredient is highly toxic and causes cancer as well. Researchers at Virginia Tech have found that triclosan, when mixed with chlorine as found in tap water, forms chloroform. Every time you brush your teeth with toxic toothpaste and tap water, you are creating a highly toxic chemical reaction directly in your mouth.

Peppermint, sage & Thyme Tooth powder

Fluoride is categorised as a “toxic drug” by the FDA. Sodium Fluoride was once widely used as insecticide and a rodenticide. So why would we want to scrub this toxic drug all around our mouth so we can ingest it? Chronic fluoride exposure can have serious harmful effects on the entire body. Fluoride can cause side effects like damage to the brain, decreased IQ in children, damage to the pineal gland, thyroid gland, bones, gastrointestinal tract, and cancers.

So what is the alternative? Apparently it is not complicated we need to keep our mouth clean by swilling with water after meals, then allow our teeth to be nourished from inside by blood and outside by saliva.

Did you know there are more than 1166 different proteins in saliva. Studies have shown that saliva has successfully replaced blood during surgical operations! It has been recognised to reduce the degree of erosion in the enamel and re-mineralise early lesions in it. So it can repair these lesions to some degree. Ref: Amaech B.T., Higham S.M., Edgar W.M.

So I have switched to a natural tooth powder containing sea salt, calcium carbonate and essential oils. You can ‘buy now’ here. I have also been told a good way to clean your teeth is to use the soot from your fireplace on a tooth brush. So forget the science and chemicals and go back to basics, just like local food!