How To Make Your Own Toothpaste

Homemade toothpaste is toothpaste that you make at home. Some might ask why would one want to make their own toothpaste? Toothpaste from the store is generally pretty cheap, lasts for a long time, and is very convenient. When you make your own toothpaste you have more control over many aspects of your own oral well-being. In other words, it lessens our dependency on brands of being the care givers of our oral health. In this article, I'll be discussing this and more of everything you need to know about making the perfect custom toothpaste.

Some ingredients that can be added to the ideal homemade toothpaste are baking soda, essential oils, calcium powder, and xylitol. It's a relatively easy process making your own toothpaste. In its essence, you simply mix baking soda with some water to form a base and from there you are free to add in a multitude of ingredients to benefit your oral health. You could alternatively use coconut oil as a base or even create a tooth powder base from just baking soda if you prefer. 

There are many ingredients to choose from when making toothpaste. Some you may prefer more than others, for this reason it is wise to be informed of what each ingredient is and does. Here I will be discussing eight examples of awesome ingredients that can be used to make great toothpaste; Myrrh oil, Peppermint oil, Spearmint oil, Tea tree oil, Cloves, Coconut oil, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Bentonite.

To get things started, Myrrh oil is the extracted resin of a type of thorny tree. Myrrh oil has many applications in oral care. In its use, Myrhh oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as its utilization in treating mouth ulcers. In toothpaste, this ingredient is particularly useful for is assistance in the healing of gums impaired by harmful bacteria.  Being that it is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and an anti-viral this is one toothpaste ingredient germs would not touch with a ten foot pole.

Equally as important, Peppermint oil performs the functions of astringent, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. These properties make it an awesome toothpaste ingredient. It is said that Peppermint oil helps hold the teeth and gums together. In other words, it has a peculiar quality of making both teeth and gums feel stronger. This is very likely due to its astringent nature. An astringent is defined as a topical material which causes the contraction of tissue. These qualities of peppermint oil make it a quadruple threat in the fight against oral maladies.

Spearmint Oil is very similar to Peppermint oil. However, a unique property of Spearmint oil is that it contains much less menthol than Peppermint. This gives us the freedom of lessening the menthol sting in our custom toothpaste. Like its close relative, Spearmint has much the same anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties of Peppermint.

Tea tree oil is often said to have almost miraculous effects on the gums. There is an article that can be found with a simple web search titled, " How Tea Tree Oil Saved My Gums and Teeth". In this piece, the author speaks on a hole in their gums that they were unpleasantly surprised to find one morning. After being quoted at a dental clinic fifteen hundred dollars they found out about a mouthwash through a friend. In result, this mouthwash burned, but it worked. Though after discontinuing use, the hole reappeared, causing them to almost give up hope all together. Upon further research, the writer found Tea Tree oil to be the best solution to their gum problem. The hole closed up, and they saved a cool stack and a half by treating the problem at it's source.

Just as important as Tea Tree oil, Cloves are the dried flower bud of a tropical Indonesian tree. Used as an aromatic spice and as a cigarette additive, cloves have a multitude of applications. In dentistry, cloves are commonly used in the form of Eugenol for it's anesthetic, and analgesic properties. Analgesic simply mean that it helps to reduce pain. Cloves should in no way be used as an alternative to antibiotics in treating an abscess. However, It is noted that when one has no access to antibiotics, Cloves can serve as a powerful infection fighter. Since cloves also act as an anesthetic, they can help in easing the pain of a toothache while stunting the activity of infection.

In a quick web search for coconut oil, many of the top results tout coconut oil pulling as somewhat of a supreme dental cure all. Coconut oil pulling does not reverse cavities nor does it serve as a practical replacement for brushing teeth. Most bacteria in the mouth are single cell organisms covered by a single fatty membrane. When these cells come into contact with a fat like that contained in coconut oil, they naturally adhere to it. This helps to reduce the overall population of bacteria in the mouth. Also, fifty percent of the fat contained in coconut oil is conciliated of Lauric acid. Lauric acid is one of few acids that indeed benefits teeth, in part due to its antimicrobial properties. Coconut oil serves as a superb ingredient in toothpaste as it legitimately serves an appropriate role in benefiting oral health.

Hydrogen Peroxide is commonly used as a teeth whitener. In its whitening application, it is ordinarily composed of ten percent Carbamide peroxide. Carbamide peroxide breaks down into both Urea and the former Hydrogen Peroxide. Urea in itself has a function which serves to polish enamel. In effect, this acts as an acid to break down the slime womb of bacterial plaque. For it to be most effective, three percent Hydrogen peroxide should Ideally be held in the mouth for around ten minutes. Hydrogen peroxide does not bubble on its own. Rather, it is the coming into contact with ones red blood cells that cause the oxygen release. In many ways, rinsing for ten minutes with three percent Hydrogen peroxide is much more beneficial than coconut oil pulling. The reason for this being that the bubbling action lifts food particles while breaking down plaque in the nooks and crevices between teeth. Bacterium are stunted in the high oxygen environment as a result of a Hydrogen Peroxide rinse. In the absence of oxygen such as in the case of plaque build up, bacterium are forced into anaerobic respiration. In this capacity they will release lactic acid as a byproduct. Hydrogen Peroxide is particularly effective at reaching infection deep in the gums. It should be used sparingly as just enough will benefit teeth while too much may cause sensitivity and enamel change.

Last but not certainly not least, Bentonite is a kind of absorbent clay created by the breakdown of volcanic ash. It is a peculiar substance in that it gives off a small electrical charge when it is hydrated. When mixed with water, Bentonite hurriedly expands like a soaked sponge. This combined with Bentonite's exclusive polar charge pulls toxins from the mouth, while releasing minerals contained within the clay itself. This is one toothpaste ingredient that while not commonly found in stores, serves an honorary role in maintaining dental health.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, there are many more ingredients not listed here worthy of mention. One idea suggested for toothpaste is to mix a variety of these oils to create rather a super toothpaste! One of the best aspects of making your own toothpaste is that as with building ones own home, you have the freedom to enjoy a process to suit your individual needs for a result that will last a lifetime.