All Smiles: A Guide to Holistic Oral Care

Is the way you clean your mouth totally toxic? Read this!

This post comes to you from our friend and beauty contributor, Kari Molvar.

The wellness boom has made it easier to go natural in so, so many ways (from how you care for your hair, skin, eyes, nails…) But your teeth have generally not been part of the conversation—until now. Thanks to a steadily increasingly number of thoughtfully crafted, botanical-based oral care brands hitting the market now, it’s possible to avoid questionable ingredients and toxins as you floss, brush and swish. Like all cleaner alternatives, though, the question is always the same: do they perform as well as their more chemical-laden counterparts? Because brushing up with plant formulas and going fluoride-free shouldn’t mean you have to suffer with dull, dingy teeth.

Here’s your guide to five ultra-effective, ultra-safe essentials that will transform your twice-a-day routine…

Switch Your Toothbrush:

Besides looking super cool next to your sink, Binchotan’s toothbrushes really deliver a deep clean: the bristles are infused with activated charcoal—a natural purifying and detoxifying ingredient that removes plaque, deodorizes your mouth and prevents bacteria (even between brushings).

Go for a Non-Toxic Toothpaste:

It’s pretty scary that putting fluoride in toothpaste requires a warning label about not ingesting too much (yikes!). If you’d rather do without, Davids toothpaste is a fluoride-free option made with natural, sustainable ingredients (like calcium carbonate, baking soda, peppermint oil) that founder Eric David Buss found through “exhaustive research” with industry experts that will safely remove plaque, whiten your teeth, and freshen your breath. Yes, please!

Whiten Without the Chemicals:

Oil pulling has used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to detoxify the mouth and body. What exactly is it? It works like mouthwash—you swish a mixture of oils that “pull” dirt and bacteria off your teeth. Keeko’s blends are made with coconut and lemon to naturally brighten your teeth, chamomile to speed healing, and myrrh to strengthen your gums. Do it once a day for five minutes for two weeks and say hello to pearlier whites.

Make Flossing Fun (and Good for You):

Cocofloss is made with plant-based ingredients, like fruit oils and coconut, and has a totally different texture than regular floss—it gently scrubs your enamel like a loofah to make it super clean and remove plaque. One container lasts for two months, and it’s vegan (no beeswax!).

Last step? Soften your lips!

Straight from Australia, Pure Paw Paw is loaded with ultra-healing papaya extract to leave your lips super hydrated and kissable. Plus, the tubes are so cute and come in four fruity flavors.

+ Have holistic oral tricks of your own? Let us know below…

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Flossing is something I’m always too lazy to do… so ashamed to admit it. That being said, I was actually looking to invest in an electronic toothbrush and changing up my teeth routine! Thank you for the tricks!

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

Diana Free
7 years ago

I love how natural these products are

Anonymous
7 years ago

I love oil pulling! Every morning for 20 mins! So many people have commented on the whiteness of my teeth!

Love this article!

x

7 years ago

I floss every night. And I brush electric. Whenever I switch back to a normal toothbrush it’s absolute horror for my teeth.

7 years ago

Wow, thanks for recommending these great natural products! Definitely gonna try ’em out — especially that keeko pulling oil!

Anonymous potato
7 years ago

Hi! I’m currently a student dental hygienist who’s a few months away from graduating! This is a cool article and I like that it provides people with alternatives for what’s already in the market. However, I do want to clarify that fluoride isn’t actually that toxic. True, we warn against ingesting too much, but in reality the amount of fluoride one needs to ingest in order to induce a toxic response is basically a whole tube of toothpaste in one sitting… and really.. who even does that? Lol. It’s more of a problem when kids try to eat toothpaste out of the tube, the reason for this being that kids still have their permanent teeth forming in there and too much fluoride can cause the developing teeth to have white spots. Adults who already have all their teeth in won’t have this problem though! So I guess what I mean is that, fluoride is toxic, yes, but only if consumed in REALLY HUGE amounts. Otherwise, it’s totally fine and actually helps strengthen enamel. Using toothpaste with fluoride is only a topical application that (hopefully) does not lead to any ingestion of fluoride (unless you’ve got a condition that makes swallowing difficult to control.)
But anyway, just wanted to leave that little tidbit there. I do respect a person’s decision though because after all, anything is better than not brushing at all!

Tt
7 years ago

Hello, Anonymous potato. Unfortunately, “isn’t actually that toxic” is not the same as non-toxic. So I guess what I mean is that, “fluoride is toxic, yes”…

I’m just going to stop here and ask you to think about what you are being taught. I’m also going to ask you to consider why European countries do not put fluoride into toothpaste or drinking water. Finally, I’m going to ask you to consult the studies on PubMed, which are much more recent than the outdated, reiterated stories in your textbooks, regarding the toxicity of AND the ineffectiveness of fluoride in promoting dental health.

7 years ago

Wow.. great list of natural products! It is great that more “natural” products are becoming available nowadays…

Juli
7 years ago

Tt- I must ask you what you are learning – just b/c the UK does something doesn’t mean it’s better? Can you reiterize your expertise on the subject and maybe quote some of the PubMed studies? Thank you

7 years ago

Great to hear about some natural products. I have been using some so called whitening toothpastes. Thinking to switch real soon!!

Anonymous
6 years ago

Tt- Have you ever looked @ the British teeth…Any thing can be Toxic in large doses…even water…. Electrolytes Imbalance. Im a Retired RDH, i floss, oil pull, use Baking soda & hydrogen peroxide toothpaste. BTW…all that is in those Bleaching gels is Hydrogen vPwrox

Leslie
6 years ago

Im not Anonymous… Leslie RDH
Hydrogen peroxide oxygenates & kills bacteria As well as lift stain.

6 years ago

nice home nattress

5 years ago

Great article i personally use baking soda to brush my teeth and love it no chemicals!

5 years ago

Excellent article on holistic oral health care! Will def use these tips!