Baking soda in toothpaste – concerns and benefits

We are happy with public interest and questions regarding the post about natural toothpaste previously published. In this post, we'll further discuss the use of baking soda in toothpaste.

There is, indeed, a wave of teeth whitening products that uses mainly sodium bicarbonate combined with bleach, which led to arguing about the use of bleaching acids without dentist's supervision and its contraindications to tooth enamel.

Sodium bicarbonate is a weak alkaline compound used in food preparation and it has excellent oral qualities. It cleans, fights heavy breath, remove plaques that contribute to tooth decay and contributes to the overall oral health. In small amounts, it can even be ingested by children since it isn't toxic.

The disadvantage is that, when used repeatedly, in large quantities over time is slightly abrasive to the enamel of teeth ¹. However, the abrasive effect is attenuated if used in small quantities (2 mm balls), light stroking (to brush without too much pressure against the teeth) and / or increasing the amount of herbs in the recipe.

On the other hand, there are so many chemicals in commercial toothpastes and some of them are proved to be carcinogenic such as sodium lauryl sulfate and sucrose, for example. In this regard, the natural toothpaste is a safer and healthier alternative.

As stated above, increasing the amount of herbs is a way of reducing the amount of bicarbonate in each brushing. We've already tested with up to 4 parts of herbs for 1 part of baking and it worked fine (see recipe below). Moreover, there are many other natural recipes of toothpaste without bicarbonate, using specific types of clay as a base, for instance.

Anyway, we always recommend research in many different sources, observing the effects on your body as well as trying and regularly switch your toothpaste recipes.

Pure and healthy breath for all:)

¹ http :/ / www.md-health.com/Brushing-Teeth-With-Baking-Soda.html

² http :/ / www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/10/homemade-clay-toothpaste.html

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SIMPLE RECIPE OF NATURAL TOOTHPASTE

1 part of sea salt (a tablespoon makes a nice amount for a first try)

1 part of sodium bicarbonate

1 part of water and;

1 part of herbs (herbs options: crushed clove, mint, peppermint, fennel, sage, chamomile, fennel, rosemary or myrrh).

Crush the ingredients in a mortar til a creamy texture is reached.

How to use: Brush with a small amount of the paste (2mm pellet) on a regular toothbrush. Stoking lightly works well.

Tip: To increase the herbal sensation and fit to your taste, I suggest using a mixture of herbs. In this case, go up to 4 parts of herbs for 1 part of others (sea salt, baking soda and water). Enjoy the benefits!