FINDING THE BEST NATURAL TOOTHPASTE FOR YOUR TEETH

FINDING THE BEST NATURAL TOOTHPASTE FOR YOUR TEETH

Kanishk Chhabra

Toothpaste is normally formed of abrasives, active ingredients, and flavorings. It is intended to help remove plaque and freshen your mouth, while also delivering active ingredients meant to help protect against caries (aka. cavities).

REMOVING PLAQUE?

While many people think of a toothpaste as being the important part of your dental hygiene routine, thinking that something magical in the toothpaste will help eliminate plaque and keep you from getting cavities, unfortunately it’s not that simple. In fact, if you’re using toothpaste mainly as a mean of removing plaque, you may be surprised to find that a review study done last year found that using a toothpaste when brushing didn’t provide any extra plaque removing abilities.

So, brushing your teeth, even without any toothpaste at all, already does a pretty good job of removing plaque and helping in the fight for optimal dental health.

SO WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF TOOTHPASTE?

Most commercial toothpastes have additives meant to help prevent cavities in other ways.

Fluoride is the most popular active ingredient added to toothpaste.

FLUORIDE- TO BE OR NOT TO BE!

Fluoride is added to toothpaste in an effort to remineralize teeth that have been demineralized by the bacterial plaque. Under the right conditions, the fluoride ion can substitute part of the missing crystaline structure of the enamel. Enamel is mostly formed of what it called hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), but fluoride ions can become incorporated into the enamel structure forming what is known as fluorapatite (Ca10(PO4)6F2).

In the presence of fluoride, remineralization takes place more quickly, and the newly formed fluorapatite is said to be less soluble than hydroxyapatite, which means that it is less likely to demineralize again if and when the acidic conditions return.

THE PROBLEM WITH FLUORIDATED TOOTHPASTE

While adding fluoride to toothpaste can help prevent cavities, it also brings with it toxicity concerns. According to CERS, Since fluoride is present in water, food, fish, tea and some fruits and vegetables as well as in some drugs containing Sodium it could lead to Excess. At high doses, fluoride may affect bone formation, cause digestive issues, kidney problems, or suppress the thyroid. At lower doses it can cause cosmetic issues like fluorosis of the teeth.

To prevent having toxic amounts of fluoride in the toothpaste, in case young children were to ingest an entire tube of toothpaste, the levels of fluoride in toothpaste are pretty low for a topical application.

When you think about it, the method of trying to incorporate fluoride into the tooth structure through toothpaste doesn’t sound that effective. Most people are brushing for only a minute or two at best, simultaneously removing the layer of plaque while trying to topically deliver a dose of fluoride to the teeth. In order to incorporate the fluoride ion into the enamel structure, you need an ideal environment with a high pH.

To make up for the non-ideal method of giving your teeth their fluoride dose, they tell you that you shouldn’t be rinsing after you brush to help keep the fluoride in contact with your teeth for longer. (Of course, that also means that you have the fluoride in your mouth for longer and are involuntarily swallowing small amounts of it during that time.) Toothpastes with a higher concentration of fluoride are available with a prescription, but should be used with caution.

Each person has to weigh out the potential benefits and risks of using a fluoridated toothpaste. While fluoride may help in the fight against cavities, relying on fluoride toothpaste to keep cavities away isn’t your best bet. Cleaning up your diet, and removing cavity causing foods, is not only a healthier way of keeping cavities at bay, but it also a lot more effective.

Plus, there are other less toxic substances that can help with remineralization instead…

OTHER PROBLEMATIC INGREDIENTS IN TOOTHPASTE

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE

The main ingredient to avoid, that happens to be found in most commercial toothpastes, is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS in toothpaste has been linked to an increased recurrence of canker sores. SLS is a surfactant that helps give toothpaste its foaming quality, but in exchange can irritate the mucosa of your mouth. 

TRICLOSAN

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent that remains in your mouth for hours after having brushed your teeth. It is added to prevent the bacterial plaque from forming, thereby preventing cavities, gingivitis and periodontitis. It has been removed from most brands due to safety concerns, but some big brands still use it. While their studies conclude that the benefits outweigh the risks, there isn’t really a lot of non partial data to study.

Triclosan has been banned from hand soaps because it was shown that antibacterial soaps weren’t more effective than using plain soap, and that using antibacterial agents like Triclosan risked the creation of antibacterial resistant bacteria. It was allowed to remain in toothpaste, though, because Colgate convinced the government of the increased potential benefit.

But there are several problems with it.

One, Triclosan has been shown to be a hormone disruptor.

Two, just as taking antibiotics every day isn’t the best way to keep yourself disease free, you cant keep using antibiotics in your mouth  to keep your mouth disease free. Our digestive system has a delicate balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria, and taking antibiotics constantly can wreak havoc on our digestive system by killing off the good bacteria along with the bad. Our mouths, the beginning of the digestive system, is the same way.

CHOOSING A NATURAL TOOTHPASTE  BENTODENT WITH MINIMUM AND ONLY NECESSARY INGREDIENTS?

BENTONITE CLAY

Bentonite clay is a great addition to toothpaste because it has a high pH, (pH=8-9.7), which, once again, helps to combat cavities.  Bentonite makes for an excellent mouth wash because it’s so good at absorbing toxins and neutralizing bad bacteria. It gives equal cleaning efficiency without the deteriorating effect of foaming agents. It cleans by binding to heavy metals and toxins around your teeth and gums. Bentonite Earth along with tea tree oil gives back an array of minerals including calcium which helps remineralize your teeth. 

CARDAMOM

The use of cardamom to treat bad breath and improve oral health is an ancient remedy. In some cultures, it’s common to freshen your breath by eating entire cardamom pods after a meal. The reason why cardamom can lead to minty fresh breath may have to do with its ability to fight common mouth bacteria. Cardamom is a safe and effective way to improve your oral health. Also its an alternative to mint which is mostly find in every other toothpaste which also makes it compatible with homeopathic medicines. Since the flavour is likeable by kids too, it makes a complete family toothpaste for entire family including kids.

WHY NATURAL TOOTHPASTE BENTODENT?

  • GENTLE and SAFE:- Bentodent natural toothpaste gently cleans      bacteria from your teeth without doing any harm to your teeth enamel. It  does not contain any artificial colors and flavors those in general negatively impact the body, so the Bentodent natural toothpaste becomes  the safest and viable option to use on everyday morning teeth brushing  with confidence.
  • FRESH BREATH:- Bentodent natural toothpaste contain spearmint  essential oil which helps in effectively freshen your breath as like most of the commercial toothpaste on the market. Bendodent keeps the breath freshening for the whole day effectively without chemical additives and ingredients.
  • NO REACTION:- Being natural toothpaste, which would not be the cause of any kind of allergic reactions. Major toothpaste contains Sodium Laurel Sulfate as the ingredient which is highly irritating and can cause  mouth inflammation or allergies. Using a natural toothpaste is your choice  to prevent allergic reactions and protect the health of your mouth.
  • SAFE FOR KIDS: This’s being the major issue with children while  brushing their teeth they will often swallow their toothpaste completely  instead of spitting it out which is really not safe. Natural toothpaste like Bentodent with all organic composition and without any laurel sulfate, fluoride becomes entirely safe for children.

08 May
2023