Is your ‘natural’ toothpaste harming you?

Choosing the right toothpaste is important. While many conventional store bought brands are demonized, many ‘alternative’ or ‘natural’ toothpastes aren’t much better

Remember what we said about oil pulling: (If not, read through the entire oral health protocol bellow) Anything that is bactericidal isn’t something we want to use for prolonged periods. This is because we will kill both the bad bacteria and the beneficial microbes that maintain our oral health. The same principle that applies to oil pulling also applies to toothpaste. We don’t want to use toothpastes with a lot of strong essential oils and other bactericidals. While many of these products are touted as ‘healthier’ alternatives to the traditional ‘chemical-laden’ toothpastes at your local grocery store, they aren’t any better for oral health outcomes.

Oral health protocol: https://www.patreon.com/posts/105105538?utm_campaign=postshare_creator

Key point: Preventing tooth decay isn’t just about removing pathogens or cavity-causing bacteria. We also need to promote the right bacteria. While there is a time and place for ‘killing’ (just as we might take a strong antibiotic for a serious infection), these phases need to be limited in time and only done when deemed appropriate. Just like our gut, we also want to use things like prebiotics for the oral microbiome that promote the right bacteria and dissuade the wrong ones.

This is why xylitol works particularly well. It feeds good oral bacteria (it’s a prebiotic? while creating an environment that’s unfavorable for pathogens by raising oral Ph. This is why I always recommend using it after acidic foods (coffee, tea, lemon juice, carbonated beverages) and carb of sugar heavy meals.

The brands I like

Reviton

The primary toothpaste I recommend to most people is Reviton. This is because it contains oral prebiotics and other ingridents that both 1. petburb the biofilms of pathogenic oral microbes while 2. Providing selective prebiotics that feed the good bacteria in the mouth.

I like to use it by brushing as normal, and then swishing the remaining toothpaste in the mouth for an extra 3-5min afterwards. Reviton also contains calcium carbonate (I like this over hydroxyapetite which actually appears to be rather abrasive and can cause excessive wear on the teeth when used in combination with brushing. Although oral swishing appears to be fine and effective ) for tooth and enemal remineralization, as well as some other vitamins and antioxidants for tissue and gum health.

Activated edathamil (LivFresh

Activated edathamil is a novel ingredient used in some dental products, particularly in LivFresh, which has been shown to significantly improve plaque removal and oral hygiene. Its mechanism of action is based on effectively altering the electrostatic interactions between teeth and bacteria, thereby reducing the adhesion of dental biofilm. This unique property allows it to act somewhat like a non-stick surface for teeth, preventing plaque from forming as easily as it would with traditional toothpastes.

Research indicates that activated edathamil is designed to target harmful bacteria in the oral cavity while being less detrimental to beneficial bacteria. The primary goal of this ingredient is to disrupt the formation of plaque and biofilm, which are primarily composed of pathogenic bacteria. By weakening the bond between these harmful bacteria and the tooth surface, activated edathamil will helps to maintain a healthier oral microbiome overall, and there’s some pretty good research demonstrating this

Note: buy the Mild Peppermint only, as the other flavors contain artificial colors.

Which one should I choose

I think that Reviton is likely the best all around toothpaste for everyday use. It’s gentle, doesn’t contain abrasives, and will slowly push the oral microbiome in the right direction. However, those with more severe oral health challenges may want to try using something like LivFresh (possibly in combination with Reviton) for a month or two in order to ‘retool’ the oral microbiome (along with the microbiome labs oral enzymes and other things listed in the dental health protocol)

What should I avoid?

Avoid popular brands containing fluoride, essentials oils with bactertocidal properties, artificial colorings, abrasives like hydroxyapatite (fine and beneficial for swishing though!) baking soda and charcoal; preservatives (parabens, triclosan, phthalates, SLS, artificial colors)

Warning on a popular ‘natural’ toothpaste (RiseWell)

RiseWell is a popular brand of ‘natural’ toothpaste you may be currently using. Many have reported getting strange, translucent like spots on their teeth after brushing with this brand for a couple weeks. I believe this may have something to do with the abrasive nature of the hydroxyapatite, although I haven’t seen this reported with other toothpastes containing it. It’s possible it may have an extremely high concentration of it. It’s difficult to say. I would simply stay away from this brand (it also contains lots of bactericidal essential oils) due to the abundance of negative feedback from thousands of users with similar reports