Throw Away Your Toothpaste for Better Oral Hygiene!

By Santosh Krinsky

Why would someone suggest something as radical as what the headline suggests?  Because there are actually BETTER ways to clean your teeth.  This story goes back to the early years of the last century.  Until that time, toothpowders were the primary mode of providing teeth-cleaning power.  Someone invented the convenient “toothpaste” form, began marketing it, and over the years, toothpaste took over the market and people forgot about toothpowders.

There were reasons at that time for the rise of toothpastes, mainly due to “ease of use” concerns and dissatisfaction with the toothpowders available at that time.

Over the years, however, toothpastes have evolved to the point where they have a lot of drawbacks, not the least of which are the high sugar (or even worse, saccharin) content, the “chemical soup”, the preservatives, and, in just about every modern-day toothpaste, the fluoride.

For one, fluoride has become very controversial.  The chemical industry had a “problem” which was that fluoride was a “waste” by-product of various products they produced.  They wanted to find a way to get rid of this “waste”, but in a profitable manner.  Research was done and it was determined that fluoride could reduce tooth decay.  The problem, of course, is that too much fluoride is toxic, and the multiple sources of fluoride (fluoridated water, fluoride treatments at the dentist’s office, as well as fluoridated toothpastes and mouthwashes) means that there is absolutely no control over the amount of fluoride ingested.  One significant thing to note is that fluoride can discolor or “mottle” teeth if in excess, and there has been a dramatic increase in mottled teeth over the last few decades.  The apparent connection is obvious.    This discoloring of the teeth causes more people to try to “correct” the problem with teeth-whitening treatments, which can harm the enamel of the teeth, causing long-term tooth sensitivity.

Second, artificial sweeteners, found in many commercial toothpastes (to avoid “sugar”) are a cause for concern as well.  Some of them have apparent links to hormonal activities creating emotional and psychological imbalance and stress.  Others, such as saccharin, have been the subject of studies showing an apparent link to various forms of cancer.

Third, those that use various “sugars” are simply adding “food” for the bacteria in the mouth that thrive on sugars and help create decay.

Fourth, the need to develop a stable paste that will maintain its consistency over time, and not be a bed for bacterial growth means that most toothpastes wind up having something of a chemical soup that adds to the chemical load that all of us are exposed to every day in modern society.  The fact that various forms of disease, including cancer, have increased dramatically over the last century, as the exposure to chemicals all around us have increased dramatically, points to a serious linkage between our environmental health and our body’s health.

Fifth, just about all commercial toothpastes use abrasives that can actually weaken the tooth enamel.  Whether they call it Calcium Carbonate, or Chalk, by using it as their primary cleaning ingredient, most toothpastes can be actually quite abrasive. 

One has to ask:  “Are there any viable options available?”  The answer is a resounding “yes”.  Let’s go back to the history of the rise of toothpastes and the decline of toothpowders.  There were reasons why the toothpowders of old lost favor.  They generally did not taste very good.  They were hard to use.  They were inconvenient.  But there are, today, toothpowders available that solve all these issues, that are great tasting, providing a refreshing clean feeling, are easy to use, and which actually have an effervescent action that makes brushing effective in hard to reach places, and that have been shown to harden teeth as effectively as some of the most popular commercial fluoride toothpastes.  The Eco-Dent DailyCare toothpowders are based on a 70+ year old European formula and have been the subject of a number of studies, published articles, and dentist endorsements. 

Eco-Dent DailyCare Toothpowders are all based on a formula of baking soda and sea salt.  While most baking soda toothpowders of old were not quite a pleasant experience, Eco-Dent has a refreshing taste and leaves the breath fresh and the mouth feeling clean. Baking soda is a superior cleaning agent that is virtually non-abrasive compared to traditional toothpastes.  Eco-Dent has been tested and found to be an effective low-abrasive cleaner compared to leading natural and commercial toothpaste brands for instance.   It comes in a variety of flavors (provided by natural essential oils), including the very popular Mint, as well as Cinnamon, Anise and the “mint-free” Lemon-Lime for those who are working with homeopathy.   The ez-pour cap makes it simple to sprinkle just a pea-sized amount of  toothpowder onto the moistened toothbrush.  Eco-Dent foams up nicely and provides a great brushing experience.   One 2 oz. bottle provides approximately 200 brushings (around 3 months’ supply) making it much more economical than toothpaste as well. 

Dr. David C. Kennedy, DDS, President of the Preventive Dental Health Association and Past President of the International Academy of Oral Medicine had this to say about Eco-Dent DailyCare Toothpowders:  “I have used and recommended Eco-Dent for many years in my dental practice and can highly recommend this product for those who want an effective non-toxic cleaner.”

We noticed that even Oprah Winfrey keeps a bottle in her medicine cabinet!  (As per the video tour of her Chicago apartment available for view on her website)

So, if you are ready for a new and better solution to oral hygiene, “throw away your toothpaste” and join the toothpowder revolution!  It will give you something to truly smile about.

Eco-Dent is one of the leading companies in the field of natural dental hygiene products, and is the manufacturer of the leading natural brand of baking soda based toothpowders with over a 70 year history of providing positive benefits to oral hygiene.  Eco-Dent products can be found at most major health food stores, including Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Vitamin Shoppe, Mustard Seed, and online at retailers such as amazon.com, internatural.com, vitaminshoppe.com and other major online retailers.  For more information call the manufacturer hotline at 888 ECO-DENT or visit the website at www.eco-dent.com

*Santosh Krinsky is the President of Lotus Brands, Inc., a manufacturer of high quality natural health and wellness products, and a veteran of the natural products industry since 1974.  Lotus Brands, Inc. is the manufacturer of the Eco-Dent ® Premium Oral Care product line.