I am against fluoride. There, I’ve said it.
My family has not used a fluoride toothpaste in over 10 years. Before this recent move, we had a terrific Natural Grocersh nearby. We also lived within walking distance of a co-op type natural food store. Both stores carried several brands of fluoride-free toothpastes that were made with natural ingredients. I had the luxury of buying whichever natural toothpaste was on sale when I went looking for it. (and with 4 kids still at home, we go thought a decent amount of toothpaste!). However, since the move I have not been able to find natural, fluoride free toothpaste anywhere. Granted, we bought a house and land in the sticks, so the nearest big town is a 35 minute drive. In that town, there are 2 natural health stores of which I’m aware. I have only been to one of those stores because of location and time. The one I have checked does not carry toothpaste. They carry lots of great organic food, teas, supplements and other great stuff, but I am not happy with their toothpaste selection. The other store remains on my “To Do” list.
Well.. we ran out of toothpaste a month ago.. and the kids are really starting to complain about brushing with baking soda. Even flavored and sweetened (with stevia) baking soda. So, it was time for me to get serious about either purchasing or making a kid approved toothpaste.
I decided to make it. I wanted something that is not baking soda based, because the kids are starting to revolt against baking soda. Fair enough.. I don’t like the saltiness of it either. So, I went hunting on “Dr. Google” and found this recipe for Re mineralizing Toothpaste over at Wellness Mama.
I liked the fact that the toothpaste helps teeth regain minerals, but I didn’t like the fact that it included baking soda. If I want my kids to use this batch, I need to be able to tell them that there is NO baking soda in it.
While reading through the comments on Wellness Mama, I noticed that several people commented that DE is abrasive all by itself. And, from what I know about DE, that makes sense. So, I played with the recipe a little bit and came up with this:
Ingredients:
2 parts Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth
2 parts coral calcium. (because that is what I had on hand, you can use calcium carbonate, too.)
Coconut oil – let it sit at room temperature so it is liquid.
Stevia ( I use organic, pure powder, but you can use liquid, too)
Essential Oil
Directions: Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Add enough coconut oil to make a nice consistency paste. Then, mix in the stevia and a few drops essential oil, to taste. For this recipe I used spearmint essential oil.
A note about ingredients. You’ll notice from the picture that I used an inexpensive brand of coconut oil. Like most people, we are on a budget. I use inexpensive coconut oil for cosmetic purposes – toothpastes, hair conditioners, lotions, etc, and the more expensive brands for eating. I do this because we use a LOT of coconut oil around here, and I have to keep costs under control somehow. I have also found the inexpensive brands of coconut oil to be a “gateway oil” for those people who have never used coconut oil before, or who don’t want to try it because they dislike coconut. So, while not ideal. the inexpensive coconut oils do have their uses. It’s the same with supplements. I use the good ones when quality matters, and the inexpensive ones when quality doesn’t quite matter as much.
