Issue 8: Toxic-Free Oral Personal Care

Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Lip Balm and More

Hello again Frens! This week I'll talk a bit about oral health. Admittedly, I'm not super well informed about this area of personal care products, but I'll share what I know and what I believe.

Fluoride

We try to steer clear of fluoride in my family. But this seems to be a personal decision for most people, so I'll share what I know. Make your own choice.

Any compound that contains the gas Fluorine is referred to as Fluoride. Since it's a pure gas in its natural form, it has very damaging effects to any living organism with which it comes into contact.

Calcium fluoride is found in soil and water. Calcium fluoride isn't well absorbed by our bodies and is widely accepted as unsafe when ingested in larger quantities.  We've been told that calcium fluoride is what is added to our water.

Sodium fluoride was considered industrial toxic waste until the 1950s. After that, it was reinvented into a dental health product. From 1945 until the 50s incomplete studies were performed on children across the U.S. to test whether fluoridated water improved the prevalence of cavities in children. According to the CDC, cavities were reduced by 50-70% but there's no data for the control groups.

Fluoride was introduced to public water supplies in the 1960s.

Most likely, we have hydrofluorosilicic acid added to our water, a by-product of phosphate fertilizers that used to be considered toxic waste. Gross.

Hydrofluorosilicic acid contains arsenic. It also leeches lead from old pipes. Sodium fluoride does this as well, but at a slower rate. It's pretty widely and well known that lead is harmful to you; lead crosses the blood-brain barrier and isn't safe in any amount for consumption.

The CDC thinks that the amount of fluoride in our water is safe, but has admitted that over consumption of tap water has lead to an increase in bone fractures in the elderly.

The "minimal risk level" of fluoride set by the CDC is 3.65/mg/day for a 160 lb person. This defines the amount of fluoride that could be chronic if regularly ingested. This doesn't take into account the extra fluoride we get from toothpaste, mouthwash, and the dentist, only our drinking water.

Fluoride helps re-mineralize our teeth. Daily, our teeth de-mineralize based on the foods we eat. Certain foods and drinks slowly strip away the minerals on our teeth and fluoride helps to re-mineralize and calcify them, making them more resistant to cavities. It is thought to help families who don't have access to good dental care.

So there's fluoride in a nutshell. We're fortunate to have good dental healthcare. We opt out of using it and we don't allow our dentist to use it in our care. We also reverse osmosis filter our drinking and cooking water. The risks aren't worth it for us.

What To Look For

We talked about the Dirty Dozen in Issue 6. Most of that applies to oral personal care products as well. I would advise trying to find something that's made without the Dirty Dozen and with a list of ingredients you can pronounce. Our toothpaste is fluoride free and is flavored with essential oils. Not unspecified flavors, because who really knows what that means?!

Most "natural" toothpastes won't foam up like conventional ones. That took some getting used to, I'll admit. But we're much happier with our toothpaste now and all have excellent dental hygiene. I had a lot more dental work done and needed when I used fluoride and conventional products. My dental cleanings were not fun. Now they take 15 minutes and are pain free. We rely on xylitol as our substitute for fluoride. 

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol but also a digestable carbohydrate that includes fiber. If you eat too much of it, it can cause digestive upset. But we don't find that happens with our toothpaste and Devil chews xylitol gum and does fine.

The reason xylitol is thought to work well as a dental product is because it can't be digested by the bacteria in our mouths the same way that regular sugars can. It's also thought to be beneficial for your oral flora (the bacteria in your mouth). There hasn't been any definitive evidence, but it works really well for us. We're happy to replace fluoride with xylitol.

Mouthwash

We're not big mouthwash users. But stick to finding a clean one without the Dirty Dozen ingredients in it and I think you should be fine. I'll link some that we’ve used in the past and liked in the Product Suggestions below.

Oil Pulling

I've tried this in the past, I don't like it. But I have a feeling some of you might be curious about it. Some people believe that swishing coconut oil around in your mouth can help break down bacteria and plaque, thus improving dental health without being intrusive. It is supposed to help with bad breath as well. People swear by this.

How to:

• Swish 1-2 tsp coconut oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes. Spit in the trash can (not the sink!) Rinse well with warm water and brush like normal.

I personally do not enjoy this practice and the oil made me gag when it got warm in my mouth after a few minutes. Try it, see if you like it, and see if it works for you. Also, consult your dentist first if you've had dental work done prior.

Lip Balm

I'm not going to say much here. Take care of your lips. This is a no brainer. I do have a balm I LOVE that I'll link below in the Product Suggestions.

Some Basic Notes

The most important thing you can do for your oral health is eat well. All the things your dentist said about not eating excess amounts of sugar is true. Stop drinking sugary drinks. You know this. When you improve your gut flora, your breath should improve. Nutrition is a major factor for oral health.

Also, floss your teeth. I do this once per day, before bed, before I brush for the evening. I also have a tongue cleaner I use whenever I brush. Rinse your mouth as well. It washes out the bacteria you strip off when brushing. I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't realize how important rinsing was until well into my adulthood.

Product Suggestions:

*This contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission. It doesn't change the price for you. Thank you.

Toothpaste:
We use a toothpaste by Young Living. It's an MLM that I buy from to support my sister and I don't sell it. But I do love their products.

In the past I've used Tom's of Maine which is decent and I liked.

We've also enjoyed Desert Essences toothpaste.

A lot of natural toothpastes contain carrageenan. There's some debate on the safety of this ingredient. We avoid it.

Mouthwashes:

Tea Tree Therapy

Desert Essences

Tongue Cleaner

Lip Balm by Balm Of Gilead, made with beef tallow. THE BEST.

Floss and Flossers:

Devil uses flossers, these are the best I've found.

Floss is better than using flossers, but use flossers before doing nothing. Here's the floss I use and like. I especially appreciate the reusable container.

This is the Xylitol gum Devil likes.

Thanks for reading! Next time we're talking about lotions and moisturizers. 

-Angel