I want clean teeth, not receding gums.
February 5, 2011 9:47 AM Subscribe
Homemade dentifrice? Please weigh in.
I make 80%-90% of the toiletries and cleaning products that are used in our household. The last remaining holdouts are contact solution, Magic Erasers, floss, and toothpaste. I have seen recipes all over the web for homemade tooth pastes and powders, but I have also read that homemade stuff causes gums to recede. This information seems most closely linked to major toiletry manufacturers, however.
Is there any truth to this? I would love to make my own dentifrice, but this rumor has me spooked.
My dentist was unhelpful on this topic, sadly, so I am seeking anecdata to help me make a decision.
I make 80%-90% of the toiletries and cleaning products that are used in our household. The last remaining holdouts are contact solution, Magic Erasers, floss, and toothpaste. I have seen recipes all over the web for homemade tooth pastes and powders, but I have also read that homemade stuff causes gums to recede. This information seems most closely linked to major toiletry manufacturers, however.
Is there any truth to this? I would love to make my own dentifrice, but this rumor has me spooked.
My dentist was unhelpful on this topic, sadly, so I am seeking anecdata to help me make a decision.
Gums recede because of plenty of reasons, none of which include whether or not your toothpaste is homemade. However - Inadequate tooth cleaning habits can cause gum recesession if it allows bacteria to build up on your teeth. It's possible that homemade toothpaste just tends to not adequately clean teeth.
posted by Kololo at 10:18 AM on February 5, 2011
posted by Kololo at 10:18 AM on February 5, 2011
When my grandparents grew up (1910s - 1920s) they would go out to a sweet gum tree, pull off a twig, and chew the end to make their own toothbrush. Then they would brush their teeth with a mix of baking soda and salt.
They switched to conventional toothbrushes and paste as soon as these things were available to them. They all had dental problems that were common for their generation, but that are slowly disappearing with those of us who have fluoridated water, toothpaste, regular access to dentists, orthodontics, and so on. Most of these dental problems resulted in losing their teeth and having them replaced with dentures.
posted by Houstonian at 10:22 AM on February 5, 2011
They switched to conventional toothbrushes and paste as soon as these things were available to them. They all had dental problems that were common for their generation, but that are slowly disappearing with those of us who have fluoridated water, toothpaste, regular access to dentists, orthodontics, and so on. Most of these dental problems resulted in losing their teeth and having them replaced with dentures.
posted by Houstonian at 10:22 AM on February 5, 2011
Receding gums are primarily a secondary effect of bone loss due to perio (gum) disease, or trauma (from brushing the gums themselves too hard or with stiff bristles). any ingredient that would cause damage would likely cause a chemical burn (peroxide for instance) but while that might be uncomfortable it would not likely cause recession before the discomfort told you it was wrong. females typically have a more delicate architecture to their gums, which makes them less resistant to trauma.
soft bristles run under hot water are the most effective. you want the bristles of your brush to act like a broom sweeping the floor, not a wire brush (imagine what a wire brush does to a linoleum floor and you can see why stiff bristles are bad for teeth and gums).
If you have a low caries rate (little or no history of cavities) a dentifrice w/out fluoride is ok, but otherwise you should consider it essential.
Floss!
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:29 AM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
soft bristles run under hot water are the most effective. you want the bristles of your brush to act like a broom sweeping the floor, not a wire brush (imagine what a wire brush does to a linoleum floor and you can see why stiff bristles are bad for teeth and gums).
If you have a low caries rate (little or no history of cavities) a dentifrice w/out fluoride is ok, but otherwise you should consider it essential.
Floss!
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:29 AM on February 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
No problem to use homemade toothpaste. The key is that you want to brush completely, something that yummy tasting toothpaste contributes to. If you're disciplined enough to brush completely with baking soda based or no toothpaste, I think that's fine. Personally, I dislike the taste of the baking soda based homemade toothpastes that it's actually a turn off. I would totally appreciate anyone piping up with other alternative recipes.
And to second the tightwad gazette perspective, the interview with the dentist referred to, if I recall, basically stated that if everyone brushed and flossed (even without fluoride), modern dentistry would go out of business because all the hoopla is unnecessary.
posted by sockraticpielogue at 11:17 AM on February 5, 2011
And to second the tightwad gazette perspective, the interview with the dentist referred to, if I recall, basically stated that if everyone brushed and flossed (even without fluoride), modern dentistry would go out of business because all the hoopla is unnecessary.
posted by sockraticpielogue at 11:17 AM on February 5, 2011
I would be very leery of using baking soda. Several apparently trustworthy dentists have told me to avoid it, in either home-made or commercial preparations. Baking soda is actually quite abrasive, and can indeed help make you "long in the tooth" before your time. It's like brushing your teeth with fine sand. Water and a soft brush are sufficient. And floss. And mouthwash.
Yes, plain baking soda has been used for generations for cleaning teeth, but those same generations often ended up with full dentures after middle age. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good.
posted by Corvid at 11:21 AM on February 5, 2011
Yes, plain baking soda has been used for generations for cleaning teeth, but those same generations often ended up with full dentures after middle age. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good.
posted by Corvid at 11:21 AM on February 5, 2011
My previous hygienist, a tough-minded older woman with beautiful teeth (unless they were false) told me it's the mechanical action of the brush (and floss!) that does the trick, and toothpaste is utterly superfluous. She didn't say whether she used it or not.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 11:57 AM on February 5, 2011
posted by fivesavagepalms at 11:57 AM on February 5, 2011
Water picks are especially fantastic and have cut excruciating dental teeth cleaning visits in half and made them virtually painless. Please use in concert with brushing and flossing.
posted by incessant at 1:01 PM on February 5, 2011
posted by incessant at 1:01 PM on February 5, 2011
(Meant to say have cut MY excruciating dental visits...)
posted by incessant at 1:02 PM on February 5, 2011
posted by incessant at 1:02 PM on February 5, 2011
Response by poster: I live in a place with fluoridated water, and I can purchase, very cheaply, a gallon of extra super fluoridated water at a nearby grocery store, so I could make fluoride toothpaste.
I have heard bad things about using anything with large crystals (like too chunky baking soda or salt) and peroxide. Peroxide is very irritating to my skin in general, so I suspect that many of the people have a problem with receding gums are actually having a problem with the peroxide in various homemade tooth preparations.
The recipe I wanted to use was finely ground calcium carbonate, finely ground baking soda, a little stevia and lemon/vanilla/strawberry/cinnamon/peppermint extract for flavor (to make powder) and coconut oil and fluoridated water (to make powder into paste).
I have very good teeth, I'm in my 30s and I've never had a cavity. I floss a lot. But I have problems with SLS and glycerin (they cause me to get canker sores), and have not found anything that A) doesn't contain one of those two things, and B) doesn't cost an arm and a leg, which is why I want to make it myself. Also, all my kids hate the taste of minty "grownup" toothpaste, so I'd like to be able to make something that is inoffensive to them and therefore be able to stop buying two different kinds of toothpaste.
This thread has emboldened me. I'm going to make some. I'm due for a dental appointment this summer, so if anything has gone terribly wrong, it shouldn't be so far gone that I can't stop and go back to a commercial preparation.
Thanks, MeFites.
posted by Leta at 5:07 PM on February 5, 2011
I have heard bad things about using anything with large crystals (like too chunky baking soda or salt) and peroxide. Peroxide is very irritating to my skin in general, so I suspect that many of the people have a problem with receding gums are actually having a problem with the peroxide in various homemade tooth preparations.
The recipe I wanted to use was finely ground calcium carbonate, finely ground baking soda, a little stevia and lemon/vanilla/strawberry/cinnamon/peppermint extract for flavor (to make powder) and coconut oil and fluoridated water (to make powder into paste).
I have very good teeth, I'm in my 30s and I've never had a cavity. I floss a lot. But I have problems with SLS and glycerin (they cause me to get canker sores), and have not found anything that A) doesn't contain one of those two things, and B) doesn't cost an arm and a leg, which is why I want to make it myself. Also, all my kids hate the taste of minty "grownup" toothpaste, so I'd like to be able to make something that is inoffensive to them and therefore be able to stop buying two different kinds of toothpaste.
This thread has emboldened me. I'm going to make some. I'm due for a dental appointment this summer, so if anything has gone terribly wrong, it shouldn't be so far gone that I can't stop and go back to a commercial preparation.
Thanks, MeFites.
posted by Leta at 5:07 PM on February 5, 2011
Mod note: this isn't about fluoride, don't make it about fluoride, thanks
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:44 PM on February 5, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:44 PM on February 5, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by deadmessenger at 10:06 AM on February 5, 2011