Demystifying Natural Dental Products: Do They Actually Work?

By Rachel Kibbe

Demystifying Natural Dental Products: Do They Actually Work?

by Stephanie Wilson

I am a big fan of green beauty and I've transitioned *most* of my personal care to natural products. However there is one part of my personal care routine that remains stubbornly conventional: taking care of my teeth. I've always felt that oral hygiene is just too important to rely on the largely unregulated natural products industry so I've passed on dubious green and eco trends.

How can you know which of natural dental products actually work and are good for you and the planet. Which ones are just snake oil?

I've done a little research so you don't have to.

Sustainable Toothbrushes

This is one dental trend that I can get on board with. They are just the same as plastic ones, but don't trash the planet. In the United States alone it is estimated that nearly a billion toothbrushes, or 50 million pounds of waste, are discarded and end up in land fills every single year! I get annoyed at the dentist when I'm offered yet another plastic toothbrush. There are so many quality brushes made out of sustainable (and compostable) bamboo on the market today, so why are there still so many plastic versions kicking around?! They're just not necessary.

Another great way to go eco with your dental care is by switching up your floss. More and more companies are bringing plastic-free varieties onto the market that are biodegradable and still good for your teeth.

Cleansing with Coconut Oil

Ahhhh the oil pulling. Many of us have heard of it, many of us have not tried it, or have tried it briefly and stopped. Personally, I have actually tried oil pulling and did not enjoy it. The purported benefits of having a cleansed mouth, fresh breath and whitened teeth for me are far outweighed by the jaw muscle ache and the willpower required to keep the oil swishing around your mouth for 20 minutes straight without gagging.

Historically, oil pulling has been practiced as a part of Ayurvedic medicine and is prescribed to balance various bodily humors, called doshas. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the alternative medicinal system that have their origin and are largely practiced in India (along with others such as Unani and Siddha).

According to the principles of Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling is recommended as part of holistic, individualized oral health care. Depending on what ails you sesame oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil or others may be used daily or seasonally. It can be used as part of oral care if you have dry mouth or other dosha imbalances. However, practiced improperly or too often can also lead to imbalances.

So this one is a toss-up. If you've seen benefits from the practice, go again and continue! But for me, this one is a hard pass.

Coconut Oil

Baking Soda Toothpaste

When I first got into green and natural personal care, some of the first ingredients I sought to eliminate from my routine were triclosan and SLS. Triclosan is the scariest ingredients that's included in toothpaste, and can lead to thyroid disruption and infertility. SLS is less concerning but can still cause irritations and may be contaminated with other nasties.

It's definitely worthwhile to seek out toothpaste that is less toxic and concerns over fluoride in toothpaste especially have lead many people to seek out oral health alternatives. Fluoride, while harmless in the amounts found in toothpaste, can be toxic at very high doses. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used in many natural toothpastes as a polishing and plaque neutralizing agent instead of fluoride.

The problem with baking soda is that it is a physically abrasive substance that can, over time, wear down tooth enamel. So neither fluoride nor sodium bicarbonate is a perfect solution for protecting teeth over our long life spans. Where are all the innovative dental care products when you need them?!

Activated Charcoal Teeth Whitening

Activated Charcoal for Teeth Whitening

This one is a massive trend that you may have seen all up in your insta feed. Pics of influencers posing with blackened teeth may be intriguing, but what's actually behind the trend?

Activated charcoal has traditionally been used by doctors and vets when toxins are accidentally ingested by people or their pets. The substance helps to (ahem) cleanse the digestive tract and prevent the absorption of toxins. From there, the 'cleansing' aspect of the compound took on a life of its own popping up in diets, skin care products and teeth whitening products. Some of these come in capsule form, some as a loose powder.

I will say this about the trend: it does work in some cases. If you have a naturally yellow hue to your teeth, it won't work. But if you've accumulated stains from ingesting tea, coffee, red wine or blueberries, this substance will actually help loosen and whiten those icky brown striations. However, it comes at a price.

Like sodium bicarbonate, activated charcoal works through physical abrasion and so again, it will wear down your enamel. And once that enamel is gone, it's just a hop, skip and a jump to total tooth decay. Like any trends, the ones that come and go for natural oral care should be taken with a grain of salt and a truckload of skepticism.

Toms Toothpaste

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