Toothpaste Alternatives

Go without

Ironically, according to several more or less "expert" (incl. a dentist's) opinions I have read, toothpaste is actually not necessary to allow teeth to be properly clean. According to this school of thought, the important thing to help your teeth stay healthy is a good toothbrush combined with proper brushing and flossing, and - apart from any benefits derived for instance from any herbal extracts included - basically, toothpaste provides a pleasant sensation in the mouth. As you will see, I somewhat disagree...

Dry brushing

'Dry brushing' is brushing without any toothpaste using a dry toothbrush (but possibly salt and baking soda). Dry brushing is credited with several dental health and healing benefits, including being a very effective bacterial plaque remover, reducing gum bleeding due to gingivitis etc., and this testimonial also reports a tooth-whitening effect.

According to Prevention magazine (September 1997), a study performed with 128 test persons over a six-month period found that thanks to dry-brushing, bacterial plaque build-up on their back teeth dropped by 67% compared with their plaque deposits measured at the beginning of the study. They also showed a 50% reduction in gum bleeding.

According to the same source, one should dry-brush for about 90 seconds  using a soft, dry toothbrush (compared to a moistened brush, a dry one appears to more effectively remove  plaque build-up). If your toothbrush's bristles feel stiff, run your finger through them before starting the brushing process. Begin on the inner surfaces of your lower teeth, continue with those of your upper teeth and finish by brushing the outer surfaces.

Using plain water

While using water may be preferable over using toothpastes laden with any of the above and is one of the things advised by "toxin expert" Dr. Hulda Clark  in her book The Cure For All Diseases², for maximising the beneficial effects of your toothbrushing sessions I think it's best to add some (or several) of the items listed in the following (as well as other natural, herbal etc. items you feel drawn to use or experiment with).

(Sea) salt and/or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

... are two indispensable, inexpensive and time-honoured mainstays in natural tooth care, treatment and healing (compare for instance salt water toothache remedy). Among other things, salt makes you salivate, with the saliva said to create a natural antibacterial protection for the tooth enamel, and sodium being an alkaline mineral, both salt and (particularly) baking soda help to alkalise your saliva, a welcome trait for most³.

Also compare this very interesting, in fact revealing testimonial about the cavity-healing effect of discontinuing commercial fluoride toothpaste and replacing it with salt water brushing and a salt rinse (waterpik).

If at all possible, only use sea salt or other natural "full-spectrum" salt containing all the minerals and trace elements.

A little caveat from Dr. Hulda Clark who also recommends using salt² but adds that "Salt is corrosive—don't use it for brushing metal teeth [i.e. teeth with metal fillings, crowns etc.]".

Much more on using baking soda as toothpaste replacement, tooth powder etc. in Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in dental & other applications.

MMS

See MMS® (chlorine dioxide), The Miracle Mineral Supplement.

Self-made toothpaste based on healing earth
(white clay)

If available, use white clay that has been very finely ground (ultrafine). This type is easier on the enamel than for example whiting or whitening (chalk powder) which is popular in England as a tooth powder.

Instructions:

Mix c. 100 g of white clay with boiled water and a pinch of sea salt (adding the water in drops!) until you have a cream-like consistency. Add c. five drops of tea tree or peppermint oil. They are bactericidal and prevent bacteria from breeding in your toothpaste. Nevertheless it's best to only prepare small amounts of this toothpaste.

Regarding white clay, Annie Karl wrote to me that she "was informed by an intuitive healer, several years previously, that white powdered clay and calcium fluoride (tincture) will rebuild bone tissue, including tooth bone.  I was informed by another intuitive that brushing the teeth with white powdered clay will make the teeth stronger and more resistant to decay."

Natural soap or special tooth soap

See explanations given by Dr. Judd and under Tooth Soap.⁴

Tooth powder, home-made

Tooth powder has been used in earlier times and made from various herbal and other substances, and still seems to be widely used in countries such as India. To make your own tooth powder, simply be creative. You can mix in any of the above-mentioned ingredients⁵ as well as others such as borax powder (one of Dr. Clark's favourites), therapeutic essential oils etc. For "herbal" inspiration have a look at Herbs for strengthening teeth and gums and Gum home remedies and therapeutic mouthwashs, for instance, to see if any of the listed plants could be helpful for your specific needs.

Tooth powder, commercial
(ready-made medicinal herb formulas etc.)

If you decide on using any commercial tooth powder, I would make sure it is made from all natural ingredients. There are a number of brands of toothpowder on offer, often with widely varying ingredients, incl. powders based on ground charcoal and red pepper  (capsicum).

Good tooth/gum powders both self-made and store-bought can be highly therapeutic, among other cure reports, see this powerful gum healing testimonial involving herbal toothpowders which helped to quickly erase all symptoms of chronic periodontitis after several teeth had already been lost. For ready-made tooth/gum powders, also compare Herbal, plant-derived and similar products that may help with teeth and/or gum problems.

Hydrogen peroxide food grade (H2O2)

In her book The Cure For All Diseases, Dr. Hulda Clark also advises: "Or brush with hydrogen peroxide food grade, not the regular variety. ... Don’t use hydrogen peroxide, however, if you have metal in your mouth because it will leach out some of the metal." Dr. Clark also recommends hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash as an alternative to (aluminium-free) salt water².

Warning: I recently came across a person's testimonial who after brushing their teeth for over half a year using hydrogen peroxide developed serious tooth decay in eleven teeth. This may be due to H2O2 (at least in stronger concentrations and/or with prolonged exposure) being able to penetrate the  enamel and possibly "blast away" some of its constituents, thus damaging the enamel and opening a pathway for germs to enter. It could also be due to the fact that when mixing hydrogen peroxide with "normal" tap water you are likely to⁶ get an acidic solution (pH lower than 7, with [at least stronger] acids being well-known for leaching minerals from your enamel). My own experience with using hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash somewhat confirms that H2O2 is indeed able to penetrate a weakened tooth (I experienced a short moment of pain after the solution touched a filed-down tooth - a former bridge pillar). While hydrogen peroxide may only be able to attack already structurally weakened teeth (as in my case), it may still be wisest to only add small amounts of H2O2 to any self-made toothpaste while otherwise reserving its use for mouthwashs, fighting gum disease, sterilizing tooth brushes etc. where it can be a very potent healer/help indeed.

Footnotes

1 See Testimonials
2 Quote: "Don't use toothpaste, not even health-food varieties", see Dr. Hulda Clark's instructions for brushing teeth and natural mouth care.
3 Compare Demineralisation-Remineralisation.
4 Also compare this dramatic chronic periodontitis cure testimonial thanks to switching to bar soap.
5 Baking soda would be a favourite, compare Baking soda as tooth powder for cleaning teeth.
6 This depends on your local water's pH, Germany for instance allows the pH of tap water to range from 6.5 to 9.5 (7 being neutral).

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