Malleable Reality

In ancient times, toothpastes varied depending on the culture, although many cultures used crushed shells (including eggshells) and bones, and powdered ingredients such as ashes, bark, charcoal, herbs, and salt.  When toothpaste was developed in the 1800’s, many toothpastes were made of soap and chalk.  It wasn’t until after the 1850’s when toothpaste actually became made as paste.  Before then, “toothpaste” was actually a powder that would turn into a paste substance after mixing with the saliva of the user. 

Nowadays, toothpastes contain artificial foaming agents, detergents, artificial flavors, artificial colors, sweeteners, and humectants, such as glycerin.  Some commercial toothpastes even include Triclosan (a registered pesticide according to the EPA, and an antimicrobial agent that is known to create super-bugs).  Triclosan has been shown to cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, and when mixed with chlorine found in drinking water, can form Chloroform (a probable human carcinogen according to the EPA).

Let’s look at some other common ingredients in your tube of toothpaste:

Fluoride: A neurotoxin that was often used as a poison and insecticide in the past. (See my post on water fluoridation here, and a link about dental fluorosis here).

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS):  An chemical foaming agent used to create the foam and suds in toothpaste, soap, and shampoo. I posted about the dangers of SLS & why you should go SLS-free here.  Remember, foam, bubbles and suds do not = clean!  We are conditioned to think that way and feel that a product not foaming may not be working as well, but the foam really is all smoke & mirrors.  It’s just a chemical added to your products to purposely create foam.

Saccharin: An artificial sweetener that has been linked to cancer.

Artificial colors, such as FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Red 3, FD&C Red 40, FD&C Red 33, and Yellow 10 Lake:  These colors are lab-created dyes that have either been banned in other countries, or banned by the FDA for other uses (such as some eye cosmetics, etc.), and many of these dyes have been linked to toxicity and various tumors. For some reason though, these artificial colors are still allowed in our toothpastes & mouthwashes (which are absorbed through our gums and often minimally swallowed).

Glycerin:  A humectant used to keep the paste moist & smooth.  Although a natural ingredient that is safe for use, glycerin forms a sticky layer on teeth that has been shown to take 27 rinses to wash off of the surface of teeth.  I don’t know anyone who rinses 27 times.  The film formed on the teeth due to the glycerin content in toothpastes blocks saliva from coming in contact with teeth, & therefore, blocks the ability for teeth to remineralize.

Any of the ingredients in our toothpastes are easily absorbed through our gums and enter into our bloodstream.  But how often have you stopped to think about your toothpaste, the ingredients in it and how it’s effecting your teeth and your health?  We tend to buy what’s on a shelf and assume that it’s safe.  Why would anything sold in a store be toxic to my health?  Plus, my toothpaste is FDA approved, so it must be safe.  Well, that’s what you’d think, but the truth is, many of the ingredients in commercial hygiene products are horrible for your heath.  Look into these ingredients yourself instead of trusting that the FDA or your favorite store or brand will keep you safe, because, well…they won’t. 

Ingredients are often approved based off of the amount of that specific ingredient that is allowed into the product.  This doesn’t take into consideration that the ingredients/chemicals in products that we use every day, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, soap, lotion, etc., accumulate in our bodies.  This causes a toxic, chemical build up overtime from the constant use of these ingredients.  Ingredients that maybe have been determined “toxic, but safe in low doses” is now a high dose ingredient in your body. Not to mention that the ingredients SLS and SLES allow your body to absorb more of whatever it is that’s in the product to begin with.  Basically, it enhances absorb-ability. So now, not only is the SLS itself harmful, but it’s allowing the other harmful ingredients in the product you are using to be more easily absorbed by your body. Great.

And you also cannot just assume that because something is a known “all natural” product, that it really, truely, is!  A great example of this is Tom’s of Maine, a well-known “all natural” brand. Although they sell a fluoride-free version of toothpaste, their toothpastes list SLS as an ingredient.  They are able to get away with this as an ingredient in their “all natural” product by stating that it is “derived from coconut and/or palm kernal oil”.  Although Burt’s Bees, another popular “all natural” brand, does not use SLS in their fluoride-free toothpaste, it does use glycerin (described above).  And as we know, glycerin is an all-natural ingredient, however, in this specific application (toothpaste), it is bad for us (since it prevents our teeth to naturally re-mineralize themselves, the way nature intended).

The best way to steer clear of unnecessary ingredients in your toothpaste is to research and read labels!  Read the ingredients on your tube of toothpaste and find out what each ingredient does, why it’s used, and any harmful effects associated with it.  Even with all natural products, read labels to ensure the ingredients truly are all natural and will benefit your teeth/gums in some way.  Another way to avoid unnecessary ingredients and uncertainty is to make your own toothpaste or tooth powder.  I will end this weeks post on that note and will post a few homemade recipes for toothpaste and tooth powder for next Sunday’s Back to Basics post.  Stay tuned!