April/17/2025

TOOTHPASTE TESTED

"Most of 51 brands tested, including those for children, contained dangerous heavy metal

Lead Safe Mama Founder Tamara Rubin said the contamination seems to lie in some ingredients added to toothpaste, including hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate and bentonite clay.  Hydroxyapatite is extracted from fish bone and cow bone and added because it allegedly helps teeth absorb calcium" Tom's of Maine is on this list but I'm not sure which one they tested. Tom's of Maine brand has one option without calcium because calcium is often contaminated with lead, I wonder if the one without calcium is lead free or has less lead, maybe they will list the specific ones they tested. Link

*hydroxyapatite is made from bones, animal bones are also known to be a source of toxins, they have valued minerals in them but its important to keep in mind they're can be a source of toxins or metals, pesticides and sometimes radioactive elements or compounds. Carbonate Carbonate is a abrasive. Be careful with abasvises they can damage the tooth  enamel. Maybe a it can be lessen if abrasives aren't used everyday just every now and then or not at all. Dr. Joseph Nemeth has a video on YouTube about the best toothpaste he warns about using abravises. It would interesting to hear his opinions on the best toothpaste after he read the Guardian article test on toothpaste.

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Toothpaste Complaints

There are many dentist and consumers who have complained about the ingredients in toothpaste. Not all dentist agree about the good and bad qualities of various toothpaste ingredients its important to keep that in mind.

I mention calcium below, ⚠️for teeth calcium hydroxyapatite might be the exception for some people I go into more detail below about why calcium hydroxyapatite might be the exception.       

    There are complaints about the added abrasives like adding zinc, calcium, salt and baking soda, the soap and eye shadow ingredients added for sudds and color like C142090 a synthetic  dye, there's complaints about the harmful preservatives like sodium benzoate which turns into benzene, the fluoride plus other ingredients like xylitol and other sugar alcohols or sugar substitutes, without goldenseal, goldenseal is considered toxic by the oehha, cinnamon, bentonite clay, tumeric, green tea extract and more. Toothpaste manufacturers need to stay in tune with consumers who've purchased their brand for years customers who expect them to stay updated with scientific research and consumer's needs. 

We absorb things through our mouth tissue, this is why several doctor have suggested to patients who aren't absorbing enough B12 to use a toothpaste with b12 added so the person will absorb some while they brush.  So for people who cannot have added calcium or zinc, they don't want to brush with it and absorb those minerals through their skin they should have options in stores to purchase toothpaste without calcium, zinc or other harmful substances. Bentonite clay is known to have high lead levels, along with some brands of cinnamon and all calcium, calcium is abrasive and  calcium supplementation is known to cause strokes, heart attacks, dementia plus more. Calcium is best gotten from the foods it naturally occurs in, not the added stuff even in the form of leavening. Zinc also has shown levels of toxic metals.

  When toothpaste manufacturers create a  toothpaste with helpful ingredients only,  a toothpaste without these harmful ingredients and not replace them with other harmful ingredients, we'll be better off. And, they'll sell alot.

    People should not have to feel reluctant to use the toothpaste they purchased only because they could not find one without any harmful ingredients so they purchased a toothpaste with only two harmful ingredients instead of five.

Organic echinacea tested to be free of toxic metals is a good ingredient it kills alot oral bacteria and a rinse made with two drops of the organic Echinacea purpurea tincture,  the alcohol free tincture in 4 oz of water kills some oral bacteria,  it could  also be ingredient in  toothpaste, along with organic Ginger extract, organic Black Seed Nigella Sativa, organic Cranberry extract all should be tested and have results of no toxic metals and they all have been shown in scientific studies to help stop buildup of and kill harmful oral bacteria. There are some toothpaste that have one or two of these types of ingredients but they'll also often have sodium benzate and or titanium dioxide to preserve the ingredients,  unfortunately these ingredients are toxic as well so we need better, we need non-toxic preservatives for toothpaste. Because it is possible to make a toothpaste without harmful ingredients. It's important that toothpaste manufacturers who provide and create these products to get letters of encouragement from consumers to get a toothpaste without these harmful ingredients in stores soon so people will have better options and  won't have to struggle with this issue at all anymore. Hopefully this will change soon.

This is link to consumers reports test on cinnamon they list the ones that are okay to use and ones that are best to use. Link

Calcium Hydroxyapatite (not vegan) but it is a promising ingredient for some folks because brushing teeth with it has been shown in studies to have the ability to repair small cavities so they progress. It's the kind of Calcium in bones and teeth. Brushing with this one might be ok. There is very little Calcium carbonate in the human body so added more through supplements might not be helpful, I'm not sure it a good idea for people over 60 to take calcium hydroxyapatite as a table or pill due to the health warnings, but brushing with might be helpful and safe. Hydroxyapatite is better than fluoride according to reports about the conclusions of a study done in Texas. 

   Be careful with belief in ad claims for toothpaste with hydroxyapatite and know it might help with repairing the beginning stages of a cavity on the surface of the tooth but if the root of the tooth has a cavity from having a cavity on the tooth before it got filled or from having a filling that is damaged,, hydroxyapatite probably might not repair that from brushing with it., especially if any calculus has formed on top of the decay, many dental health care providers say calculus isn't removed with brushing. But there are some who believe that "Aragonite has a hardness that allows it to physically remove calculus buildup during brushing." Link Make sure to do your own research on it, it's from animal sources. Some dental experts don't advise abrasives. Also because sometimes people have to wait a long time for appointments this also allows more time for decay to spread. 

I haven't heard of any studies that show hydroxyapatite will repair the root from the inside out by taking hydroxyapatite a supplement internally. Help from a dentist is very important when it comes to situations like this. Having decay on the root can cause pain, infection and discomfort. Dentist might recommend antibiotics  and a root canal. But as always checking with your dentist is important because it's very personalized or tailored to your specific needs.

There are toothpaste without calcium carbonate that contain only calcium hydroxyapatite not many but there are some. One of the toothpaste that doesn't  have calcium carbonate or citrate is "Super Teeth prebiotic mineral toothpaste with hydroxyapatite" it does have a aluminum foil seal, for those who don't  or can't used products packaged with aluminum this one won't work. link

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⚠️ Lemon And Vinegar On Teeth "Is Apple Cider Vinegar Destroying Your Teeth? (A Dentist Perspective) This dentist gives some great information about the damages acid can cause to our teeth specifically drinking vinegar. I noticed several videos suggesting people mix baking soda and lemon juice together and use it as a tooth powder. Be careful of using the anything like that on your teeth. If you going to drink vinegar drinks and lemonade try drinking it with a straw and drink water after so none is left on your teeth.

  For people who don't  know and want more info about how acid in vinegar and lemon can hurt your teeth check out this video Link

Brushing your teeth won't save them - dentist explains brushing does not mean no plaque will build up and you'll never need a dentist again. Brushing is part of dental health and going for dental cleanings at the dentist so they can remove the stuff your toothbrush won't remove. This dentist shares some informative info. He suggest two minutes of brushing and that doesn't work for everyone but there are those that it works for. There info about why we should consider using a kids size toothbrush for the rear molars and other good information  in this video.

For some reason Arm & Hammer does not make a kid's toothbrush with replaceable heads or a kid's size toothbrush for adults with replaceable heads. Oral B does, so the Oral B fans have that choice but the Spinbrush fans don't  right now.  Hopefully Arm & Hammer will consider making those sizes available with replaceable heads. Link

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Salt and Teeth and Gum Care

There's many opinions on salt sodium products and teeth. Some dentist recommend that and many do not. Keep it in mind when you use baking soda or salt, sodium intake is serious.

    People use salt to tenderize meats so be careful not to make your gums more senstive and tender by brushing with salt, brushing with salt will undo your hard work you've done to make your gums stronger. Brushing with salt can cause salt burns in your mouth, and put a halt to your toothwash routine, be careful with it. 

If you use baking soda careful not to let it get packed in between teeth. There other thing is to much sodium can cause heart attacks strokes and more, your mouth/body soaks up some of the sodium if you brush with salt or soak/ hold salt water in your mouth so be careful. If your teeth start to look dull after continuous use of a salt, baking soda or tooth products that have high levels of sodium back off for a while and see if there is difference try something different. Also you don't want to cause enamel removal or any possible stroke caused by soaking high levels of salt. There's many tooth products that are very low in salt and baking soda try those.

This doctor says salt is not a long term solution for teeth,  "Longer term, the salt water is acidic, so there would be a problem if you were to use it every day, it could erode the teeth,.." link

Oil Pulling has risks:  There are cases of people getting lipid pneumonia due oil seeping into the lungs while oil pulling. Dr. Greger shares some research that's been done on this by dental researchers. Are the risks worth it?  "The Risks of Oil Pulling" on YouTube link

How To Make Your Own Natural Toothpaste This video is to video clip from a dentist who talks about using coconut oil to make your own toothpaste. She doesn't say alot about oil pulling in this video. I won't use coconut oil to make toothpaste  but for those who will here's a video YouTube Link to Moonlight Beach Dental's recipe and other info.

Hydrogen Peroxide is another good resource for help with killing some of the oral bacteria. Make sure to dilute it properly it too can cause burns in the mouth when it use in a concentrated form, dilute it with water. Make sure to rinse your brush and mouth with toothpaste and water or the hydrogen peroxide will leave a nasty odour/ ordor.

With the above stated about hydrogen peroxide, I have some questions about the use of hydrogen peroxide one is does it trigger the production of toxic forms of hydrogen peroxide in the the brain? Because several scientists have noticed a production of harmful hydrogen peroxide in the brain. That question is based on research information from some of the studies done on this aspect. 

Hydrogen Peroxide Is Generated during the Very Early Stages of Aggregation of the Amyloid Peptides Implicated in Alzheimer Disease and Familial British Dementia

"We conclude that hydrogen peroxide formation during the early stages of protein aggregation may be a common mechanism of cell death in these (and possibly other) neurodegenerative diseases. ...." link to the Science Direct website with written documentation about this. Maybe you'll have your own questions as well after reading about this. Is it only from HP made internally or is exacerbated by using hydrogen peroxide as diluted rinse?

June/6/2024

New study says Xylitol can cause heart attacks and strokes so we all have to re-think what toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum and alternative sweetners we use. For now I won't remove all the links to products that have xylitol in them. It is more about eating it in foods and drinking it in beverages because higher amounts are consumed?  The studies used higher amounts than we get from a pea size amount of toothpaste we use during brushing and we don't swallow it.

I will look for products that are free of xylitol, erythritol, Stevie, monk fruit etc. when I find then I put links to them. I thought I found one brand that did not have it but doing more searching I found out Sprinjene  Toothpaste does have xylitol so I took it down. But there's some other tooth cleaning products below w/out xylitol but no toothpaste yet just tooth powder & tooth soap. 

Link to info about new study saying xylitol causes strokes & heart attacks. Written article on CNN News website link.

"Zero calorie sweetener linked to blood clots and risk of heart disease, study finds" This written article explains how much erythritol the study participants were given. Approx 30 grams, a amount common in sugar free edible products, but in chewing gums many of them 2 pieces is 1 to 2 grams. This good info to know. Link 

*One doctor suggest we minimize our use until we find out more about xylitol blood levels linked to strokes and heart problems on CBS News. Link.

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Here's A List Of Natural Tooth Products I Found with no added Calcium carbonate or Citrate,  (calcium hydroxyapatite is the exception for now, we'll see what results scientists get from future studies current studies have good results), that does do tartar control, kills oral bacteria, helps prevent cavities, good for enamel etc Something efficient without harmful harsh abrasive ingredients. 

Super Teeth prebiotic mineral toothpaste with hydroxyapatite Link

Christopher's Original Formulas Herbal Tooth and Gum Powder $14.49 it has no added xylitol or calcium link to Amazon

Tooth Soap Peppermint Shreds – 4 oz – All Natural, Fluoride-Free Tooth & Gum Cleaner $24.95 on Amazon

Ingredients: Saponified Olea europaea (organic extra virgin olive oil) and cocos nucifera (organic coconut oil), distilled water and essential oil. Shreds packed in a 4 oz amber glass jar, filled by volume

Here's a fluoride free toothpaste without added calcium but it does have xylitol and a baking soda. Xyli White Refreshment toothpaste gel

⚠️ If you buy Colgate with stannous fluoride Dr. Joseph Nemeth gives a warning about it being dangerous for children 12 and under, toxic to adults also but even more toxic to children in his video about toothpaste and why he doesn't  use it but he has patients who do use toothpaste. I also mentioned this in the last article of the first page of the topic along with title Ourstory Toothbrushing link

*[xylitol's possible health effects was recently in the news, the health problems caused by calcium were in news years ago: People over 60 should not take calcium supplements it can cause strokes, dementia heart attacks and more]

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Echinacea might be a replacement for xylitol. 

 It reduces plaque plus more.  I mention Echinacea also on page about "Pain" listed on the menu 

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Chewing Gum

Chewing gum can help remove food after snacks and meals especially from the tops of molars and it good to use in between brushing for those folks who can chew gum. And now that there's questions about possibe health problems caused by xylitol we can chew the gum with xylitol with caution. The first saliva formed when you start chewing the gum swish that around and after swishing spit out that saliva, basically swish and chew & rinse until the gumno longer taste sweet. Then you'll be chewing and helping your teeth with your own saliva which very  potent against and tailored especially to you & fights the bacteria in your mouth the best.

Pur makes a quality chewing gum product it doesn't  have added calcium but it does add trocopheols.

Spry also makes a good chewing gum however it has added calcium.

Zellie's makes a great chewing gum with no vitamin or mineral supplements added.

Echinacea: Hopefully we'll see gums, chews and more toothpaste with organic third party tested free of heavy metals echinacea soon. Hopefully these products will have just the pure echinacea added without goldenseal or calcium added or xylitol to the toothpaste, chewing gums, chews or mints. There's some exciting research showing its very effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis and reducing harmful oral bacteria. It hopefully does this without reducing of nitric oxide levels and cause heart problems like some research says fluoride does, if it does not reduce nitric oxide levels this could be our winning ticket to better oral health. As one article states current research is showing no side effects from the amounts in toothpaste. 

More research is needed. 🌿(I'm adding this section about Echinacea after I've mentioned this herb several other times on this website, so just know its exciting news to me).

Chamomile is good also, its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory plus more. So next time you're craving a specific herbal tea research what nutrients are in it maybe you're more in tune with what your body is needs than you thought, it's  good to have that kind of validation. 

There's lots of good articles online about various common herbs that are good for dental health read about those sime times it's good knowledge to have. 

Teeth Color

Teeth are inherently yellow, and the color comes from within," says Callaway-Nelson. "Even if you achieve the maximum whiteness that's possible for you—and everyone's whitening potential is different—your teeth will never be as white as Ross's on that episode of Friends. ....." Prevention

magazine link.  Looks like we have taught ourselves to believe white teeth is our natural color and we've  missed something along the way. How each person decides  whether to dye their teeth white or not is a personal choice and not a reflection of the state of their teeth health.

Tooth whitening products don't remove pain from the reddish sore gums nor do they remove stains on gums, along the tooth's edges and in between teeth. Often there's a warning not to get the product on your gums. The article states the tooth color is from the outside in concerning natural tooth color and it's important to remember they will pick up stains from foods and beverages we eat and drink. If you eat something that stains you can finish your meal by eating something that cleans. Eating apple slices after enjoying salsa and or eating a banana before eating the salsa also helps. If you like raisins in your oatmeal save a few bites of plain oatmeal to help remove the raisin stains. Or eating cole slaw when you have barbeque sauce on tofu or meat, save some cole slaw or potato salad for after you've eaten the last of the barbeque sauce or catsup or other red tomato sauces.

These foods won't remove all of the stains but it will give you a head start on stopping dark stains from accumulating. Disclosure foods aka foods that leave dark stains can be helpful some times, when brushing make sure to follow the trail they left around the gum line and in between teeth, and don't leave them there to long so they won't add to the old stain build up you're working on removing. Be aware that white foods also leave stains it's just a lighter stain than dark foods/ disclosure foods that are high in antioxidants. Apples, popcorn help clean teeth. Be careful with popcorn  because hulls from it can get stuck in between teeth and in gum line areas, floss and rinse with water thoroughly after eating it.

Link to more information about tooth color it's on a dental office's site I'm not doing a ad for their office in Hawaii I'm many states away from Hawaii, but the info about teeth is helpful so I linked it here.

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