Micah Stanley
Conventional toothpaste often contains irritating substances. So make your own toothpaste. You only need three natural ingredients that are excellent at combating tooth decay and gum inflammation.
Make natural toothpaste yourself from coconut oil
Most conventional toothpaste does more harm than good. Their ingredients irritate the gums, damage the enamel and impair the oral flora. It is therefore worthwhile to make your own toothpaste, especially as this is inexpensive and can be done without much effort.
Coconut oil is a great base ingredient. Because coconut oil consists of almost 50 percent medium-chain fatty acid called lauric acid, which has proven to be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Coconut oil is therefore an obvious choice for use in tooth decay and gingivitis and therefore as an ingredient in homemade natural toothpaste.
Caries can be reduced
Singla et al. observed in their 2014 study that a daily ten-minute massage with coconut oil (after brushing your teeth) was enough to significantly reduce the number of caries bacteria. The 32 subjects practiced the coconut oil massage for three weeks by massaging 2 ml of coconut oil into the gums with their index finger in circular movements.
Gingivitis recedes
Another study was published in the spring of 2015, examining the effect of coconut oil on oral and gum health. Participants were 60 young volunteers between the ages of 16 and 18, all of whom suffered from heavy dental plaque with consequent gingivitis.
However, when the participants practiced oil pulling with coconut oil daily for four weeks (in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast and in addition to their usual dental hygiene), a significant decrease (by 50 percent) in both plaque and gingivitis was observed will.
Daily oil pulling with coconut oil thus proved to be similarly effective as chlorhexidine, a chemical that dentists like to recommend as a mouthwash to reduce tooth decay, but is extremely aggressive and can lead to tooth discoloration and a loss of taste in the long term, which of course does not apply to coconut oil.
Plaque doesn’t stand a chance
Another study from January 2017 summarized the previous research results on the effect of oil pulling with different oils on dental and oral health.
It explained that the lauric acid in coconut oil combines with the alkaline components of saliva, creating a soap-like substance that in turn prevents plaque from sticking and has a cleansing effect. In this way, coconut oil prevents tooth decay and is beneficial for oral and dental health overall. In addition, coconut oil tastes very fine, so daily use is generally not difficult.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are combated
According to laboratory analyses, lauric acid acts against microorganisms of the type Streptococcus mutants (caries bacterium), Staphylococcus aureus, Candida spp., Helicobacter pylori, Escherichia vulneris, and Enterobacter spp. Apparently, it is the monolaurin – a breakdown product of lauric acid – that can damage the cell walls of the bacteria and fungi mentioned and thus initiate their death. Lauric acid is even said to have an antiviral effect.
Aphthae – small blisters in the mouth – can heal
While sodium lauryl sulphate – a common ingredient in conventional toothpaste – can promote the development of aphthae (small painful blisters in the mouth), the lauric acid in coconut oil has a healing effect here.
Homemade toothpaste made from coconut oil – but without baking soda
The circulating recipes for homemade toothpaste often contain coconut oil, but very often also baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Because baking soda can whiten teeth, it’s touted as a “natural” whitening agent. However, baking soda can damage tooth enamel, so daily use is not recommended. However, if you would like to use toothpaste with baking soda, you could do it once a week, for example, but preferably not every day.
It is better to use mineral earth such as bentonite and zeolite in a mouthwash
Other recipes suggest adding sea salt or bentonite. The latter is known in particular for binding toxins, bacteria, and excess acids, which of course sounds very good. However, mineral earth such as bentonite or zeolite has a similar effect to emery paper when brushing your teeth and can also damage your teeth. So if you want to use mineral clay for oral and dental health, you should rather use it for a mouthwash, i.e. simply stir it into a small glass of water and rinse your mouth thoroughly with it.
Adding a little sea salt shouldn’t be a problem. Make sure it dissolves though, otherwise the sandpaper effect will show up here too. Too much salt would also irritate the gums again.
Homemade Toothpaste
We recommend a mixture of just three ingredients for homemade toothpaste. This mixture tastes great, is risk-free, and has extremely beneficial effects on oral and dental health. So it offers everything you would expect from good dental care. The three ingredients are:
- ½ cup (120ml) coconut oil (organic and virgin), heat the mostly solid coconut oil very slightly so that it becomes liquid and can be easily measured and mixed with the other ingredients
- 2-4 teaspoons of xylitol (depending on how sweet you want your toothpaste)
- 10 – 15 drops of essential peppermint oil of organic quality and suitable for internal use. The oil ensures fresh breath, fights harmful bacteria, and helps to clean the teeth. Do not take more than indicated. Essential oils have a very strong effect and could otherwise irritate the oral mucosa. It is better to take less if you have sensitive gums.
Caution: Xylitol is deadly for dogs! If you have a dog in the household, under no circumstances should it be given xylitol! Also, do not leave any sweets sweetened with xylitol or cakes or similar lying around within reach of the dog.
The preparation of homemade toothpaste from coconut oil
The preparation of homemade toothpaste is very simple. Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then pour them into a previously boiled, dry, and sealable container.
Be careful not to get water in your toothpaste as this can cause the toothpaste to go moldy.
The toothpaste does not necessarily have to be refrigerated. To be on the safe side, we would do it anyway and keep them in the fridge.
If you keep the toothpaste in the bathroom and it hardens there (which coconut oil always does at temperatures of around 23 degrees), it doesn’t matter. As soon as you have the amount required for brushing your teeth in your mouth, it becomes liquid.
It is best to take the toothpaste with a small spoon and only then put the portion on the toothbrush (or directly in the mouth). The toothbrush should not be used to avoid bringing bacteria into the toothpaste container.
This is how xylitol dissolves in toothpaste
Some readers complain that the xylitol in the toothpaste does not dissolve. The tip of our reader Klaus (see below in the comments) is as follows:
“I make small amounts (about 30 g of coconut oil) and grind the xylitol into a fine powder. All you have to do is place the crucible in hot water from the tap to create a sufficiently homogeneous mass.”
