Since we’ve been experimenting with our own cleaning recipes and since both of my children came whining to me, “Mama, we’re out of toothpaste,” I decided that it was time to work more kitchen magic and create our own tooth powder.
Because of questions about skin irritation or diarrhea-causing effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)—which is used to create bubbles and foam in shampoo, toothpaste, and other personal care products—we look for SLS-free toothpaste. When my husband couldn’t find any at our local store last week, necessity drove the mother (me) to invent a new tooth cleaning solution.
My mother used to create a very simple tooth powder for me with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and a tiny bit of table salt (sodium chloride). Salt, if not dissolved first, can cause microscopic abrasions on tooth enamel, so I opted just for baking soda with a few drops of peppermint oil. My children make faces when they use the tooth powder because it tastes really salty after store-bought toothpaste, but it has been doing its job this past week.
Our recipe:
3 Tbs baking soda
4 drops peppermint oilThiis was enough for the whole family for about two weeks. The photo above is half left after a week.
Flavoring Oils. If you use oils, be sure that they are safe for ingestion. If you use extracts intended for cooking, you may need a bit more to get a strong flavor.
Herbs. Grind up culinary or medicinal herbs IF SAFE FOR CHILDREN and add those to your tooth powder.
Alcohol. Extracts would already add alcohol, but many homemade tooth powder recipes have a small amount of brandy, vodka, or other alcohol.
What you use depends on the result you are looking for. If you just want clean teeth, your children will be using the tooth powder, and you aren’t addressing any particular health issues, just use baking soda with a little flavoring. Make a couple of tablespoons at a time.
When you are ready to brush your teeth, wet the brush, sprinkle enough on the head of the brush to cover it (you can also touch the wet brush to the powder), and brush.
The instructions are often so simple with homemade cleaning products and homemade personal care products. What complications have been added to mass manufactured products!
Baking soda. Brush. Clean Teeth. That’s it!
