Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Homemade toothpaste.

Yes, I made my own toothpaste. What? I was not happy that I was going to the dentist and told I had two cavities every time. Do I floss? Yes. Drink pop? No, never. I do everything right and still... arg! So I decided: I cook all this food, and I know biological stuff (you know, from that degree) so I could do it better. Guess what? No cavities last week at the dentist. I think this may be luck b/c I have only been using this toothpaste for about a month. But I looked at, researched and followed Dr. Nara's plan and really think its helping. I will, of course, update later! Warning: the linked website is a bit funky so navigate with care.


Basically the point is that you have to kill the acid-producing bacteria in your mouth so that cavities wont form. We all know bacteria produce acid which erodes enamel away and forms cavities. Sugar is their food source, as well as refined carbs. So, get rid of the bacteria, and we should be good.


Also re-mineralization is possible on a microscopic scale so we need to topically apply these minerals to allow for bonds to form. One thing I have been iffy on is that glycerin appears to coat your teeth and prevent this remineralization. Even Tom's has glycerin in it. Yet another reason to make your own.


Recipe:
2 T baking soda
1 T salt
1 T xylitol
1/2 T aluminum free baking soda (this has calcium carbonate in it)
2 t fennel powder (for flavor, not neccesary)
1 t prickly ash bark


Mix this then wet your brush and dip it into the powder and brush for two mins (after flossing!). I follow this with a 50/50 hydrogen peroxide/water rinse then use ACT mouthwash (for the fluoride).

I added the bay leaf for looks and flavor, you dont need to.


You can alter the recipe too, I added a little more xylitol for sweetness so play around with it! Enjoy!

<3

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