I’m a little crazy about taking care of my teeth. In my efforts to live simpler, I have been changing
what I use as far as health and hygiene. Tooth paste is one of them. Many of
the popular brands contain chemicals and additives that are not necessary for
achieves a clean smile. The most alarming ingredient is fluoride. Fluoride is most known for being in the tubes
of toothpaste that sit on drugstore shelves. But it is also in most city
drinking water and in a lot of grocery store items as well. Most consumers are completely unaware of the
dangers of fluoride. Even some may know a little about how unnecessary the use
of fluoride is on a daily basis, but in the end it is difficult to avoid since
it is pretty much added everything these days like juice or soda drinks. When it comes to toothpaste, it is just easier
to buy whatever is there, or in most cases the tube that is most appealing to
the buyer’s eye.
Given that there is
fluoride in the water we use to brush, I really think anymore then that is
overkill. So in my efforts to eliminate unnecessary crap I decided to change
what we use to clean our little toofers. First I was using Tom’s of Maine for a
while but I decided to make my own. I had the ingredients anyway…and I am
always up for something new…and practically free.
There are a few variations to this recipe but this is how I
put mine together…
You will need:
- Baking SODA – available pretty much anywhere if you don’t already have this buried in your kitchen somewhere.
- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil – I get mine at the health food store, some have success finding it at Walmart or Target, but I haven’t around this neck of the woods anyway. It’s up there $ wise but this magic oil has billions of uses and will last forever!
- An essential oil such as Peppermint, Spearmint or Wintergreen (optional) – Health food store.
Now in a clean bowl mix equal parts baking soda and coconut
oil with a clean spoon. I emphasize clean because this is your dental hygiene
we are talking about, you don’t want to brush your teeth with yuckiness now do
you? You can do less or more depending
on how paste-like you would like it to be but keep in mind that too much baking
soda can be bothersome to your gum line. This last batch I put together is on
the oily side and I like it this way. Add as many drops of the essential oil of
your choice. Store your paste in anything that can seal. I re-purposed a
sterilized glass baby food jar and used this to hold the tooth paste.
 |
| I have too many of these empty glass jars. |
I have been using this for a couple months now... it is
different but I have grown to like it. Keep in mind, getting clean teeth isn’t
all about what is used to clean them. It is all about diligent brushing and
religiously flossing. I had a cleaning today and I am proud to say that Ms
Dental Hygienist lady was impressed with how immaculate my teeth are. No
lecture. That’s something to smile about!
