Homemade toothpowders vs. storebought toothpaste

[Yogini]

Does anyone know if I get just as much anti-decay protection from a homemade toothpowder as I would from a storebought toothpaste?

I ran out of my Ecodent toothpowder this morning and can't get to the store right away, so I threw together some baking soda, salt, and peppermint oil to tide me over. But now I'm thinking that if my stuff is just as good, why spend $6 on Ecodent? But is it just as good? Their other listed ingredients are: tartaric acid, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, silica, guar gum, and myrhh. Do I really need all these minerals and stuff to keep my teeth from rotting?

[PygmyGoat]

I'm interested in this as I use plain Baking Soda once a day and toothpaste twice, but the Baking Soda cleans them so much better!.

[maxxev]

found these in my armoatherapy book;)

2 dessertspoons clay
1 teaspoon salt
2 drops peppermint oil
2 drops of lemmon oil

mix in blender and keep in a box. dip your toothbrush into the powder and wet with a tiny amount of water befor brushing.

1 tablespoon ground dried orange peel
1 dessertspoon ground dried sage
1 dessertspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 drops of lemon oil
1 drop peppermint oil

mix in blender and use as above.

[enjoylife]

I do beleive that homemade toothpastes can and are better than the store bought kinds with all the added food colorings and junk that most conventional brands use. Here is what i found out about homemade toothpastes on a natural web-site:

Stevia has been found to help destroy harmful oral bacteria, reduce cavities, and stop bleeding gums. It is the stevioside (the sweetest component of the stevia leaf) that creates this process. The bacteria that cause the various gum diseases and tooth decay ingest the stevioside but are unable to digest it, so many of the bacteria die, which significantly reduces the living bacteria colonies in the mouth. The result is improved oral hygiene, including fewer cavities and less plaque. The exact opposite goes for sugar, the bacteria eat the sugar and quickly multiply creating tooth decay and many cavities.

Here is a recipe for homemade stevia toothpaste I found to love. I particularly like to add cinnamon to this recipe because cinnamon is anti-bacterial, and nothing takes garlic breath away as well.

Stevia Toothpaste:
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon white SweetLeaf stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Blend the ingredients in a small glass jar. Scoop on a dampened toothbrush and brush as usual.
You could also use 2 drops of pepermint oil, oregano oil or wintergreen oil if you don't care for cinnamon flavored toothpaste.

[Yogini]

This sounds like a great recipe, but I have to be honest with you. I effin' hate stevia. It tastes like saccharine to me.

[Dreamer]

Seven years ago I was in the military and we were all learning how to 'properly' brush our teeth. You think we'd already, know, lol... Anyways, the military dentist told us that there is no need for toothpaste and since then i've only brushed with water. I had a dental checkup a few months ago and all is fine. The water has floride added anyways.

This goes with shaving as well. I havent used shaving cream since then either. I shave only with water. No rash at all. Why waste when you dont have to!?!

[VanillaBean]

Does anyone have health concerns regarding Stevia though? I have read mixed thoughts on it which confused me.

[Tigerlily]

Seven years ago I was in the military and we were all learning how to 'properly' brush our teeth. You think we'd already, know, lol... Anyways, the military dentist told us that there is no need for toothpaste and since then i've only brushed with water. I had a dental checkup a few months ago and all is fine. The water has floride added anyways.

This goes with shaving as well. I havent used shaving cream since then either. I shave only with water. No rash at all. Why waste when you dont have to!?!

Are you male or female?

Certain sensitive areas need shaving cream, IMO. Like bikini line or even armpits.

[HappyVegan]

Yeah, I've tried shaving my armpits with water only when I was in a pinch and it wasn't a pleasant experience :eek: !!

[Tigerlily]

:eek: Don't try your bikini line unless you want to go to the ER to get ingrown hairs the size of cysts removed! :eek:

[howdawg]

I've found that some people can 'dry shave' and others can't.. I have pretty sensitive skin and if I use a safety razor of any kind (like a bic or a mach3 for example) I break out with or without cream. I use a straight razor and can shave with or without cream without any problems.

As for toothpaste, I have tried both, and I feel cleaner when using something natural but store bought (not sure if it's rational though). I would like to make something at home that I feel as comfortable with....

[Yogini]

:eek: Don't try your bikini line unless you want to go to the ER to get ingrown hairs the size of cysts removed! :eek:

That happens to me whether I use cream or not. So I just let it do it's thing.