Three Things You Didn’t Know about Your Toothpaste’s Ingredients
Already when we were little we were meticulously taught that brushing our teeth is key to maintaining oral –and overall- health and prevent black holes. Therefore, it might (and should!) not come as a surprise to you that dentists recommend brushing your teeth at least twice per day, flossing religiously, eating properly, steering clear of sugary foods, and, of course, paying him an annual visit.
What might come as a surprise to you, however, is that a wide range of mainstream oral hygiene products, such as toothpaste, contain potentially harmful ingredients. It’s important to read the ingredients on your packaging and make a conscious decision when putting these ingredients in your body. To make it easier, we’ve done some of the research for you! Therefore, we’ve picked out three ingredients you might want to watch out for when shopping for toothpaste:
- Fluoride – We have been told our whole lives that fluoride is important because it helps make your teeth stronger. Even small amounts of fluoride will change the structure dental enamel, the protective but at the same time easily destroyable shell of the teeth, to make it more resistant. However, overexposure to fluoride can affect dental health and lead to dental fluorosis, a disturbance of the enamel causing white streaks or marks on the teeth, and may, at worst, even turn brown. As fluoride is added to our British tap water, one should avoid fluoridated products.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – Added to help with the formation of suds, this chemical can be found in most toothpaste products, as the end consumer thinks that a mouth full of foam equal cleaner teeth. Truth is: teeth don’t get clean from the toothpaste; it’s the brushing action per se that does the trick! In addition, SLS may be the cause for bad breath in some people as it dries out the mouth and decreases the amount of saliva, which in turn allows bacteria to thrive.
- Glycerin – This chemical ingredient is put into toothpaste to make it less ‘chalky’ and easier to use. As helpful as glycerin may seem for the formulation of toothpaste, it can at the same time trap bacteria when getting in touch with the teeth. Hence, instead of brushing harmful bacteria away, glycerin-containing toothpaste may actually contribute to plaque build-up and tooth decay. In addition, it also prevents teeth from repairing themselves and may eventually lead to sensitive teeth or cavities.
One toothpaste without all three of these ingredients is REDMOND’s Earthpaste. We gave it a try (read our review on our blog) and were impressed! Not only does this avoid dental-harming ingredients, but it’s also 100% natural certified and contains a great variety of organic ingredients, which will help you to make your pearls shine the healthy way.
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