Are you worried about the health of your gums but don’t know where to begin? Keep reading to uncover the secret to healthy gums! Hint: it’s super simple.
When my husband was diagnosed with periodontal disease at 26, I knew we needed to change something. We were already eating whole foods and reducing our sugar intake, but we needed to change something else. In this post, I’m going to cover our secret to healthy gums as well as other tips to avoid unhealthy gums and prevent severe gum disease.
The Secret to Healthy Gums: Natural Toothpaste
Natural toothpaste is a toothpaste option that is formulated with gentle and wholesome ingredients sourced from nature. Unlike conventional fluoride toothpaste, it avoids harsh chemicals, artificial flavors, and colors, offering a more nature-friendly and tooth-friendly approach to oral care.
In my personal experience, I’ve found that natural toothpaste provides a refreshing and clean feeling while being kind to your gums and overall oral health.
Types of Natural Toothpaste
We tried Earthpaste first, which is based on bentonite clay and contains no fluoride, glycerin, artificial colors, or foaming agents.
Then, I eventually made my own Homemade Toothpaste with similar ingredients and have been using it ever since!
This toothpowder is a great option too. It contains Hydroxyapatite which helps remineralize your teeth! You can get it on its own or in this detox mouth kit which will really take your oral health up to the next level.
Earthpaste Review
Earthpaste ingredients are a few: clay, water, essential oils, real salt (for taste and minerals), and xylitol (for dental health and flavor). It’s safe enough to eat (which is a huge plus when dealing with kids), and the customer reviews were raving. I hadn’t heard a single bad thing about it, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Brushing with Earthpaste is an entirely different experience than brushing with typical toothpaste.
First, it’s brown. To me, thinking that brown toothpaste will clean your teeth is weird.
Second, it doesn’t foam. At all. It’s almost as if the toothpaste disappears after you’ve been brushing for a while… but you know it doesn’t because you haven’t swallowed it. It’s weird.
The strangest part, though, is that it gave us the cleanest, freshest mouths we’d EVER had.
We were sold on that first brushing, and I threw out every other conventional tube of toothpaste in our house that weekend – including all the free samples we had from dentists and mail offers over the years – and never looked back.
We used Earthpaste faithfully for about nine months and even cut the ends off the tubes to scrape out every last bit.
When we ran out, I tested the waters of making our own toothpaste using bentonite clay (the same clay that Earthpaste is made of), and we loved that version even more. It’s super easy to make; we can make it in any flavor we want (orange is my favorite – it tastes like an orange tic tac!), and it costs 60% less.
In this time frame of using Earthpaste and eventually switching to our own Homemade Toothpaste, my husband worked on healing his gum disease naturally, and we had some of my son’s cavities filled.
We know that natural remedies for good health are more of a life-long commitment than an overnight fix, so we struck a balance by fixing immediate concerns now and implementing new routines for good dental health going forward.
Ingredients to Look for in Natural Toothpaste
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is a natural mineral that has gained popularity in oral care products due to its ability to draw out toxins and impurities. In toothpaste, it can help remove surface stains from teeth and absorb harmful bacteria, promoting a cleaner and brighter smile.
I am convinced that bentonite clay, the key ingredient in my natural toothpaste, has been pivotal in our dental health for two major reasons:
- The shape of the clay attracts toxins in two ways, through adsorption and absorption, and removes them from the mouth and body.
- It’s full of natural minerals, replenishing those lost in the daily grind and helping to restore the health of our teeth.
Where To Find Bentonite Clay To Make Natural Toothpaste?
One 10 oz tub will last you seemingly forever. I’ve had one jar for over a year and made several batches of homemade toothpaste. I’ve also started adding bentonite clay to my Homemade Tinted Moisturizer and Powdered Foundation. When the 10 oz tub is $10 or less (which happens pretty frequently), that’s your buy price. It’s SO much more affordable than buying toothpaste, and it’s multi-functional too!
In addition to the bentonite clay, all you need is water, xylitol, and essential oils! Find the full recipe HERE.
One thing to note: I get questions all the time about Proposition 65 and lead warning labels on Redmond Clay. I did some research and found what they have to say about it. Check it out here.
Herbal Extracts (such as neem, tea tree, or clove)
Herbal extracts are amazing because they have this natural power to fight off harmful bacteria and reduce gum inflammation. You can find awesome ingredients like neem, tea tree, and clove in natural toothpaste, and they work together to create a healthier and happier mouth environment.
Baking Soda
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a fantastic natural ingredient that offers multiple benefits for your oral health. Not only does it possess natural whitening properties, but it also plays a crucial role in neutralizing acids in the mouth that can lead to tooth decay. Additionally, baking soda can freshen your breath by reducing the bacteria responsible for causing unpleasant odors.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a natural sweetener that comes from plants. The great thing about it is that it may slow the growth of bacteria that can cause cavities in your mouth. It also helps with remineralizing tooth enamel, which means it makes your teeth stronger and healthier.
Essential Oils (such as peppermint, spearmint, or eucalyptus)
Essential oils make our toothpaste taste great, give us fresh breath, and have antibacterial superpowers. You might find peppermint, spearmint, and eucalyptus oils in lots of natural toothpaste because they fight harmful bacteria and keep our mouths clean and healthy!
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a wonderful ingredient that gently removes plaque and surface stains from your teeth. It does a great job of keeping your teeth clean and polished, all while being less harsh compared to other ingredients commonly found in toothpaste.
How Natural Toothpaste Keeps Healthy Gums
Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula
Natural toothpaste is made with gentle ingredients that are less likely to irritate sensitive gum tissue. Do you know how some regular toothpaste can have harsh chemicals or abrasive agents? Well, natural toothpaste is the opposite. It’s formulated to give you a milder and more soothing brushing experience. And it helps keep healthy gums, reducing the risk of irritation or discomfort.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Natural toothpaste often contains herbal extracts like chamomile or aloe vera, which have natural soothing effects on inflamed gum tissue. So, if you’ve been dealing with gum inflammation like red swollen gums or bleeding gums, using natural toothpaste can help calm things down and create a healthier environment for your gums to heal.
Herbal Extracts for Gum Health
Natural toothpaste harnesses the power of herbal extracts to promote gum health. Ingredients like neem, tea tree, and clove are often included in natural toothpaste because they have antibacterial properties. They work hard to fight off harmful bacteria in your mouth, which can lead to various oral problems. These herbal extracts have been used for ages to support gum health and address oral concerns, leading to a balanced oral microbiome and a healthier gum line.
Nutrients and Antioxidants in Natural Toothpaste
Some natural toothpaste brands include ingredients like green tea extract, vitamin C, or cranberry extract. These ingredients are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that do wonders for our gum health. They help nourish and strengthen our gums, keeping them in tip-top shape. Plus, they also provide protection against damage caused by free radicals.
How to Use Natural Toothpaste
We use Earthpaste toothpaste just like regular toothpaste. It can be brushed with a manual toothbrush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush. It does not foam up as you might expect, but it is still working!
For stubborn food particles and to keep teeth healthy, use floss after brushing. Gum disease prevention starts with a good daily habit!
Detox Your Whole Mouth
To combat years of poor oral health, you can do a whole mouth detox. This detox mouth kit from Primal Life Organics is a great way to get in deep to clean your teeth and gums. The toothpowder is made with bentonite clay and Hydroxyapatite to remineralize your teeth.
The detox mouth kit comes with two toothpowders, gum serum, activated charcoal toothbrush, tongue scraper, toothpicks, and natural deodorant! All the tools you need to keep your mouth fresh without using any toxic ingredients.
FAQs
How does gum health affect my overall health?
Maintaining healthy gums is vital for your overall health. If gum problems are left untreated, they can have serious implications for your overall health. Neglected gums can potentially increase the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Is natural toothpaste an effective gum disease treatment?
I’d say so! My husband was able to reverse gum disease in 6 months by switching to natural toothpaste and maintaining good oral hygiene. Regular dental cleanings also help reduce risk factors for gum disease. Your dentist will be able to detect any early gum issues as well.
What else besides using natural toothpaste can I do to prevent the development of gum disease?
Get regular dental checkups. Schedule regular visits to your dentist for a professional cleaning and thorough examination every 6 months to a year. Dentists can detect early signs of gum disease and provide personalized guidance on maintaining good oral health.
Also, regular brushing and flossing on a regular basis can help promote healthy gums and teeth. No one wants gingivitis!
Natural Toothpaste for Healthy Gums
If you want to maintain a healthy mouth, natural toothpaste is the best way to do it! Say goodbye to gum infections, persistent bad breath, tooth loss, and sore gums because natural toothpaste will give you the cleanest, healthiest mouth you’ve ever had!
More Natural Living Tips
- Homemade Elderberry Syrup
- DIY Whipped Magnesium Lotion
- Bug Spray Without Essential Oils
- Homemade Cinnamon Flavored Remineralizing Toothpaste
Hello Tiffany! I was trying to look up the recipe for your toothpaste that is like Earthpaste, but I keep receiving Error 404, when I click on the link. I really enjoyed your articles on the bentonite clay and your family’s experiences, and I would love to try your recipe, if it is still available. Thank you very much. Blessings to you and your family! :o)
Omg! This is amazing! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this post, as my gums have been in bad shape lately! I just started using natural ingredients hoping it would help! Im def going to order this bentonite clay and start making my own toothpaste, thank you for writing this!!!
Nancy
I really enjoyed reading this article about using Bentonite clay and I myself have been making a lot of DIY hygienic products at home as well, I started with making hair DIY protein treatments to get my hair to stop shedding and braking off an then I went full on DIY crazy with anything else I could find to improving my overall health. I’m 27 years old and I spend all of my time at home pretty much every day. I currently am dealing with getting rid of my paridontal gum problem, since I got my braces off last year in 2017 so far the two teeth I have with small cavities or holes in them are now getting smaller an closing up which I’m happy about I think oil pulling helps out a lot with the majority of my teeth an gum problems I’m definitely glad I made bentonite clay one of my positive healthy changes. I do have an important questions I wanted to ask you about what kind of job do you have? An how did you find the right stay home job for you?
Hey Aysia! Teaching families how to eat healthy food on a budget, and how to afford a natural living lifestyle IS my job. I didn’t intend to make blogging and my course my income, but God’s plans are bigger than ours could ever be! ♥
I agree it’s good to put myself around like minded people I value an enjoy people like you because when it comes to life you get it💖 in the future I do plan on having kind of lifestyle that your currently live today.
Hello I did not find the recipe for your homemade paste. Can you please share?
Hi Sandy,
Our recipe is https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/homemade-toothpaste-thats-just-like-earthpaste/. Enjoy!
Back in the day dentist used to do deep hand scaling. For many years now they just don’t do that anymore. I have had deep pockets for years and nothing being able to be done about it. I have been aware of bentonite Clay for quite a while. I finally sifted some clay, added water to make it the consistency of whole milk. I mouthwash with it twice a day for 10 minutes. I have been at it for two weeks now and I do know my teeth and gums feel really great. I really think I am onto something here.
I’m late to finding your blog, so I hope you’re still active at it. I came looking for other people who had gone the clay toothpaste route because I’m really discouraged at it. My story is like yours only backwards – we chose clay toothpaste for the whole family when my kids were still growing their first baby teeth. We eat what I’d consider a healthier-than-average, lots of whole foods diet and are pretty active and health conscious. I eat a low-carb diet and keep a close eye on what sugar my kids eat, opting for stevia whenever possible. I read heaps of info about Weston Price’s research and followed the Sally Fallon wisdom about properly preparing grains, if we were going to eat them, as best I could. Now my kids are 7 and 9 and a trip to the dentist (which I also procrastinated about) showed their teeth positively riddled with cavities and in need of 5 crowns in my daughter’s case. I feel horrible and so discouraged. She had to undergo two VERY costly appointments under sedation! I hated putting her through that. And now I find we’ll have to repeat it with my son. We switched back to fluoride toothpaste because I have no idea what’s going on and don’t want to risk this again. I’m so disappointed. I really wanted to avoid the SLS and fluoride and glycerine, and whatever else they’re putting in conventional products, but I feel I can’t continue with clay. If my kids continue on without developing more cavities, I’ll have to (sadly) chalk it up to an failed experiment. Hopefully the cavities don’t continue to develop anyway! Then I’d be devastated!
Hi Kelly! I want to encourage you, because making all the decisions as a parent as we try to do what’s best for our kids is not easy! Every mouth is different, and there are MUTLIPLE contributing factors to kids getting cavities. My kids are older and they get cavities too, despite doing “all the things” that we believe are correct! I 100% believe in doing what YOU think is best for your family, which may change over the years. If that includes going a more traditional route, then so be it. Don’t feel guilty for taking care of your family! ♥
I would love to connect with you about this. Please contact me if interested [email protected]. I am going through similar and would love to share my findings.
Kelly, I have no idea if you will see this but we had the same problem with my family. My kids have been using Earthpaste since they were 1 & 3. They mostly got good reports at the dentist. Most recently at ages 9 & 11 my daughter showed a ton of cavities and one tooth even needed to be pulled. This is with a holistic dentist. I am also so discouraged and now have no idea where to turn. They also seem to have pretty bad receding gums on the bottom front teeth. I was like you just trying to avoid those other items as well as my son had fluorosis when he was little while caused me to go this route. Now I feel like I ruined their teeth! I would love an update on your children…..
Really enjoy all your tips. I recently began making my own toothpaste with bentonite clay also, however, it seemed to irritate my gums. Is it the brand of clay, because I didn’t rinse my mouth afterward, or another ingrediant? I used the clay peppermint essential oil and avacado oil in place of the coconut oil that was suggested.
Thanks,
Ruthie
Hi Ruthie! I wouldn’t think the clay is what bothered your gums, but you can do an elimination test to see. Mix a small amount of clay (less than 1/4 tsp) w/water in your palm and brush your teeth. If there’s irritation, then it’s the clay. Otherwise, it’s something else in the recipe. How much peppermint EO did you use? Sometimes that can be irritating, depending on the brand and how much you use.
SOUNDS GREAT?…would love to try it….would you consider giving me your recipe? KATHY
Absolutely – here you go Kathy!
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/homemade-toothpaste-thats-just-like-earthpaste/
can you please post the recipe?? My teeth are horrible and I hate the dentist. This would be a huge help!
A whiter smile could be as easy as throwing out your old toothbrush. Replace a toothbrush every three months, or as soon as you see the majority of the bristles begin to bend and look worn down. After the bristles are worn down, your toothbrush isn’t cleaning your teeth properly.
Are you able to share the recipe that you make? I have had such dental issues and would love to try it! Thanks!
Hey Tiffany,
You have shared a lots of important secrets about healthy teeth gums. I like the way you have shared.
Thank you!
Hi there. I’ve been making my own toothpaste for about a year now. It all started because of an abcessed tooth. My dentist couldn’t get me in so I did research on natural remedies to help with the pain. I saw a pin on using Thieves oil. Worked like a charm and I’ve not been back to the dentist! Cleared the whole problem up. Anyway, that led me down the path of making my own toothpaste. My 1st one had the coconut oil, clay, xylitol, and essential oils. I make a different one now with out the coconut oil since it can clog pipes. Instead I do my oil pulling and then spit it out in the garbage instead of the sink or shower. (It might take awhile but sooner or later it will clog the pipes. Just a thought:) Then I use my toothpaste. I’ve seen a huge difference in my teeth. I won’t be going back to reg toothpaste!!
Do you have any concerns of clogged pipes using just the clay? I knew you couldn’t put the coconut oil down the drains, but wondered about the clay. I think I’m going to go back to oil pulling, and then using the clay toothpaste, too, since my oil and clay won’t stay mixed together.
Just tuning in to your website and am enjoying it very much! Check Azure Standard for bentonite clay – the 10 oz jar is less than 8 and 6 lbs is less tan $35!!
Wow – that’s a great deal! Thank you for sharing Tangela!
I love this! I have a tube of earth paste which I used once and wasn’t too keen on the texture etc. But this has inspired me to use that then make my own as you have done. I have holes in my teeth I know I hope I can heal them. I’m also a busy mum who avoids the dentist lol. I love your story about your clinic talking about your husband and his homemade toothpaste & healthy mouth. Thanks for sharing ☺️ Kelly
Thank you for leaving such a kind comment Kelly! You CAN heal your mouth, and clay toothpaste is a great start!!
Do you know if there is any concern with using bentonite clay while having amalgam fillings? Would the clay make the mercury leech out of the filings or would it just absorb all of it. Would it lead to additional mercury getting into my system? I have lots of filings from childhood and wouldn’t want to compound their toxicity on my system using something like this. Do you have any amalgam fillings?
Do you just dip your damp toothbrush into a small amount of bentonite clay and brush with it, or do you make a paste first?
I’ve been making my own toothpaste for about 8 years now, I started out with a baking soda/salt combo, then I added in bentonite clay, and now I have added coconut oil as well. I don’t go to the dentist often, but they always comment on my teeth – asking if I have them professionally cleaned (never have), and saying how healthy my mouth is. No fillings in that time and my teeth are quite pitted and were susceptible to cavities.
Homemade is the way to go (and also means I can have clove and orange flavour)
I tried mixing coconut oil with the bentonite clay, salt, and EO, but found the coconut oil kept separating out. I had put my toothpaste in a nice squeeze tube, so it was frustrating that it didn’t stay mixed. Have you had that problem?
I was having issues with sensitivity, mostly to cold. I was already using a natural toothpaste so I switched to one for sensitivity. My teeth were still hurting so I tried making my own toothpaste with bentonite clay. Now my teeth are whiter, shinier and the sensitivity is gone. I have my checkup soon, so we will see how that goes. But I’m pleased so far. Thanks for this blog post, it’s what made me decide to get he clay and try making my own.
Can you recommend any other brands of Tea Tree oil other than YL. My little one breaks out in hives with tea tree oil from YL. Oddly enough this doesn’t happen with the NOW brand. The only reason I ask for another brand is my local health food is out of stock of the NOW brand but has may other brands. Just trying to get a recommendation for any other brand.
Hi Kildan! I’ve had great experience with Spark Naturals (just poor customer service). Tea tree oil is one of the most commonly produced essential oils. If your little oil can’t tolerate YL, I would experiment (and research!) a few of the other brands you can find locally!