DIY Natural Toothpaste Recipe & The Oral-Gut Connection Nobody Talks About

Toxin Free Recipe Series: Part 5

Most people think about the mouth and the gut as separate things. They are not. The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract and the bacteria that live there travel downstream. The oral microbiome and the gut microbiome are connected and what you use to clean your teeth twice a day directly influences both.

And lets be honest, commercial toothpaste was not designed with the health of your gut in mind!

What is actually in most toothpastes

Most conventional toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), a synthetic foaming agent also found in shampoos and household cleaners. It is what makes toothpaste foam. It is also associated with mouth ulcers in sensitive people and it strips the mucosal lining of the mouth, which is the first line of defence against bacteria entering the body.

Beyond SLS, most tubes contain propylene glycol (an industrial solvent), artificial sweeteners like sodium saccharin, carrageenan (a thickener that has been linked to gut inflammation in some studies) and dioxide for whitening. You use this product twice a day. It sits in your mouth for two minutes. Need we say more!

Why the oral microbiome matters for gut health

The mouth hosts hundreds of species of bacteria. Some are beneficial and actively protective. A healthy oral microbiome prevents pathogenic bacteria from gaining a foothold, reduces local inflammation and directly influences what populations of bacteria enter the digestive system.

When you use a product that strips the mucosal lining and disrupts bacterial balance, you change what is getting through. Research has linked poor oral microbiome health to gut dysbiosis, inflammation and conditions including irritable bowel syndrome and Candida overgrowth. So lets show you how to make your own toothpaste that is effective, cheap and good on the gut!

What each ingredient in our recipe is doing

Bicarb is gently abrasive, which is what physically polishes the surface of the teeth. It is also alkalising, neutralising the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth . These are the same acids responsible for enamel erosion and cavities. Most decay-causing bacteria struggle to survive in an alkaline environment. Same principle as our diy kitchen spray recipe, different application.

Coconut oil is our base that holds everything together and it brings lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties. It reduces harmful bacteria without stripping the whole oral environment the way synthetic antibacterials tend to do.

Xylitol is where this recipe goes a step further than just making it palatable. Xylitol is not simply a natural sweetener. It actively inhibits Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria most responsible for tooth decay. Those bacteria cannot metabolise xylitol the way they do sugar and regular exposure to xylitol is said to disrupt their ability to adhere to teeth. Dentists actually recommend it for this reason. Start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste, somewhere between 1 and 3 tablespoons to counteract the bicarb taste.

Peppermint essential oil must be food grade. It is antimicrobial, it freshens breath and it gives your mouth that familiar clean feeling. 

The recipe

Makes enough for several months. Store in a small glass jar with a lid.

Ingredients:

·       85g (5 tablespoons) bicarbonate of soda (bicarb)

·       2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

·       1 to 2 tablespoons xylitol (if it comes in large granules, blitz briefly in a blender first for a smoother paste)

·       20 drops food-grade peppermint essential oil

 

Melt the coconut oil over low heat or in a bowl set over hot water. Remove from heat, then add the bicarb, xylitol and peppermint oil. Stir well until fully combined. Pour into a small glass jar and allow to set at room temperature.

To use: scoop approximately a quarter teaspoon onto your toothbrush using a small spoon or wooden spatula. Avoid dipping the brush directly into the jar.

A note on the first few uses: it does not foam (no SLS), and it will taste noticeably salty at first. Both of these things feel strange if you are used to conventional toothpaste. Give it a couple of weeks. Most people adjust quickly and find they do not want to go back.

The cost question

A decent natural toothpaste from a health food store runs $10 to $15 a tube in Australia, sometimes more. This recipe costs a fraction of that per batch and lasts months. The only real upfront spend is the food-grade peppermint oil, which keeps for a long time and is useful across so many other diy and low tox recipes such as cleaning sprays and deodorant. You do not need to spend $10+ a tube to brush your teeth well. You just need four ingredients!

The bigger picture

If you are already taking our Chlorophyll Drops, you are working on the same principle as the bicarb in this recipe: an alkaline, oxygenated environment is not where pathogens thrive. Whether that is in the mouth or the gut, the logic holds. Reducing your daily toxic load through what you put in and on your body gives your clearance pathways less to deal with, and more capacity to do what they are actually for.

More in this series

Part 1: natural deodorant. Part 2: apple and cabbage sauerkraut. Part 3: bath salts. Part 4: kitchen spray AND More coming....!

Make a batch and share it on Instagram. Tag @zeallyherbs. Show us those pearly whites! x