OT:Beyond Non-Toxic Toothpaste: Tips For Healthy Teeth

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Beyond Non-Toxic Toothpaste: Tips For Healthy Teeth

_http://www.newstarget.com/z022340.html_

(http://www.newstarget.com/z022340.html)

by Lynn Berry

 

 

(NewsTarget) Fluoride and triclosan are toxic ingredients that are contained

in most commonly used toothpastes (_http://www.newstarget.com/017804.html_

(http://www.newstarget.com/017804.html) ). If we want to avoid these products,

what toothpastes help protect our teeth from cavities and are also healthy

for us? Perhaps we should take a leaf out of the papyrus manuscripts of the

Egyptians where the earliest reference to a toothpaste was found from the 4th

century AD (_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothpaste_

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothpaste) ) . The toothpaste consisted of a

mixture of _salt_

(http://www.newstarget.com/salt.html) , pepper, mint leaves and orris.

 

Orris is the root of a species of iris. Used in perfume, talc, gin, and ras

el hanout (a middle eastern spice mixture), it is used to add flavour to

_toothpaste_ (http://www.newstarget.com/toothpaste.html) . Some non-toxic,

natural

toothpastes today use orris. These ingredients are preferable to the reputed

use of human urine by the Romans, and the British use of pulverised brick

and chalk, in toothpastes.

 

Bicarbonate of _soda_ (http://www.newstarget.com/soda.html) (BoS) or baking

soda, the main raising agent in baking powder, has a history of use in

cleaning teeth; it was used in tooth-powders around the 18th century. BoS is

made

from soda ash which is mined from Trona ore. BoS can also be produced

synthetically by a process called the Solvay method but the chemicals used are

pollutants that lead to waste disposal problems. So companies are tending

toward

basing the production of BoS on trona mining.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century, tooth-powders using BoS were mass

produced; and then in 1982, Dr. William Sheffield introduced toothpaste in a

collapsible tube. Sheffield's company later became Colgate.

 

As BoS helps in regulating pH levels (levels of alkalinity and acidity) it

has versatile uses in cleaning, deodorising, and _cooking_

(http://www.newstarget.com/cooking.html) . It can also be used to whiten teeth.

 

A big factor in the health of our teeth is the health of our insides. Even

the best toothpaste or zealous brushing will not protect against decay if our

diet is high in refined foods, particularly _sugar_

(http://www.newstarget.com/sugar.html) and flour. Refined foods lead to higher

acidic levels in our

bodies which isn't good for teeth or gums, nor for _calcium absorption_

(http://www.newstarget.com/calcium_absorption.html) and healthy bones.

 

Research into the dental health of people from different cultures (typically

primitive cultures isolated from modernisation) with good teeth, free from

decay, found that their diet was much higher in _vitamins_

(http://www.newstarget.com/vitamins.html) and minerals - particularly _calcium_

(http://www.newstarget.com/calcium.html) and vitamins A and D. Vitamins A and C

are needed

for the absorption of calcium, and calcium is an important element in our

teeth. Sea _vegetables_ (http://www.newstarget.com/vegetables.html) are rich in

calcium and most green plants have good amounts of _chlorophyll_

(http://www.newstarget.com/chlorophyll.html) , phosphorous, vitamins A and C,

all of which

are needed for calcium absorption.

 

What this means for teeth is that chlorophyll reportedly helps build enamel

and prevents tooth decay, and vitamin C helps reduce plaque from building up.

 

According to Carla Oates, an expert on natural beauty, we also need to

encourage healthy _bacteria_ (http://www.newstarget.com/bacteria.html) to live

in

our mouth to prevent harmful bacteria from getting at our teeth. Yogurts and

lacto-fermented vegetables are good for this. Lacto-fermented vegetables are

vegetables fermented in a salty brine and include the well known kimchee

(Korean cabbage dish), pickles, and sauerkraut; but most vegetables can be

fermented in this way, see (_www.biolac.com_ (http://www.biolac.com/) ) for

recipes.

Oates also suggests washing our mouth with a mixture of probiotic powder and

water to prevent plaque build up.

 

Robert Gammal of Bio Compatible Dentistry says that to clean teeth we need

to remove plaque from the surface which is easily done using a toothbrush. To

assist in removing plaque with the brush, we can use ingredients such as BoS.

 

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