Should You Quit Toothpaste?

You may already know that your average brand of toothpaste (and other oral care products for that matter) is teeming with harmful ingredients. You’ve probably switched to a more natural brand or converted to making your own powder or paste. More natural is always the way to go, but is toothpaste even necessary?

SHOULD YOU QUIT TOOTHPASTE?

Here’s what to consider when thinking about quitting toothpaste.

Even natural brands use harmful products.

Your new, more natural toothpaste may be more natural with its array of essential oils and other whole ingredients. What about the other stuff on that list, like glycerin?

Any paste you buy at the store will contain glycerin. It’s what makes it into a paste. But do you really want to coat your teeth in glycerin? No. Glycerin has been found to reduce the hardness of your enamel.

Softer enamel makes your teeth more susceptible to the harsh foods, like nuts, acids and sugars. These things are either physically or chemically tough on your teeth. You don’t need glycerin making it worse. 

In addition, glycerin covers your teeth like a shield. It prevents your saliva from rebuilding the enamel with needed minerals. So not only is it reducing your enamel’s hardness, but it’s also preventing your saliva from rebuilding your teeth.

You can significantly reduce plaque with dry brushing.

Dry brushing is just like the dry brushing you do on your skin. Take a dry toothbrush to your teeth.

Specifically, start with the inside lower teeth first. One study shows that when you start in this spot with dry brushing, you can significantly reduce plaque buildup and improve gum health at the same time.

It creates less waste.

Waste is an ever-increasing problem on this planet. And toothpaste tubes (and toothbrushes) add to the problem.

If you eliminate your use of toothpaste, then you help to limit your waste production and environmental burden. The same goes for tooth powder. The less overall product you use to get by on a day-to-day basis the better.

Dry brushing only requires your toothbrush. At the very least, a little salt or baking soda (items for multiple purposes).

Toothpaste is linked to a marketing tactic from the early 1900s.

The famous ad men of the early 1900s gave advertising its footing and propelled it to prominence today as one of the most annoying parts of modern society. You may be familiar with advertising’s clever tricks to get you to purchase items.

For instance, when natural products started to come on the scene the word “natural” was on labels up and down the dry goods aisle. Just because it said natural didn’t mean it was healthy.

The ad men of the 1900s deployed the same tactic to convince Americans that toothpaste was necessary to remove the “film” from teeth. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg talks about how these men got people to buy and use Pepsodent toothpaste by creating a habit loop.

The ads targeted a film on teeth. When people felt the film they were triggered to brush their teeth with what they were told was necessary to remove the film – toothpaste. It was a ploy to sell toothpaste. Toothpaste isn’t necessary to remove the film, as shown by the study about dry brushing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ultimately, how you take care of your teeth is between you and your body. Your body knows what works best for you. Hopefully these ideas will open you to new and alternative ways of caring for your teeth that you may not have considered before.

Happy brushing!