Are These Toxic Ingredients in Your Toothpaste?

When you purchase toothpaste for your family, are you considering the ingredients your loved ones are putting in their mouths? Most common store-bought toothpaste brands typically include ingredients which have no place being in your  toothpaste. Many of which are toxic.

AskTheDentist.com released an informative post about common toxic ingredients which have no place being in your toothpaste. Go grab the tube in your bathroom and check out the list of ingredients to see if any of these are included:

• Triclosan, a pesticide and hormone disruptor.
• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) which causes canker sores for many people.
• Artificial colorings linked to ADHD and hyperactivity in children. Toothpaste does not need to be blue!
• Fluoride, which can be toxic if swallowed and doesn’t even work in toothpaste.
• Titanium dioxide, which is added to make a toothpaste white. Most of the data shows it’s safe and is not absorbed by the skin, but I have yet to find a study done to measure absorption by oral tissues. The EWG has a good list of safety concerns around titanium dioxide, but the take-home message: it’s just there to make toothpaste white, not improve your health. So why bother with it?
• Glycerin, which isn’t toxic, but has no place in the mouth as it’s a soap that strips your body’s natural oral mucosa and leaves a film. This film could coat the teeth, messing with the structure of the biofilm which could alter the microbiome in the mouth and impact the natural remineralization process — your body’s natural cavity-fighting mechanism.
• Highly abrasive ingredients, which damage enamel, making teeth sensitive and more prone to gum recession and cavities. Toothpaste should be only a little bit abrasive — this graininess aids the brushing motion to remove the biofilm of the tooth.

 

Are You Swallowing Plastic When You Brush Your Teeth?

One harmful ingredient not listed on this list of common mainstream toothpaste ingredients… plastic microbeads.

That’s right. Sadder thing is there is no requirement for companies to list plastic microbeads in their ingredients. They are often added under “exfoliants”, so be particularly wary when seeing that descriptor word. Think about it – every time you and your loved ones brush your teeth, you could be swallowing plastic.

 

Healthy-Mouth Resource Guide

The best way to assure that all the ingredients in your toothpaste and mouth-health products are safe – make your own. (It’s way easier than you think!) Here is my DIY healthy-mouth recipe as well as a list of my top picks for healthy, non-toxic, environmentally friendly dental related products.

Earthpaste – Toothpaste made with 5 simple ingredients. My top pick.

Eco-dent Extrabrite SpecialCare Toothpowder – My favorite travel toothpaste includes more ingredients that I’d like to see, but they all check out.

Brush With Bamboo – Toothbrushes that are 100% biodegradable – made from bamboo and plant materials. Use Coupon Code: “ditchplastic” for 10% off their website!