If you like natural products then tooth powder is something that you should definitely try. It’s been used for centuries and it’s superior than the majority of traditional toothpaste brands. This is because it has only pure ingredients without any chemical additives. Keep reading to learn more about this product and which specific brands we recommend using.
What is Tooth Powder?
In the days before toothpaste, the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians used tooth powder. This was the way people cleaned their teeth in the time before paste or toothbrushes. Early versions of tooth powder involved an abrasive and a detergent, with an added sweetener like mint or cinnamon. The types of abrasives used varied depending on the culture. For example, the Egyptians used burnt egg shells, while the Romans and Greeks preferred a coarser powder and thus used powdered bone or crushed oyster shells. It was soon discovered that tooth powder could be used to treat bad breath, so the Romans added new ingredients like charcoal, while the Chinese added herbs like Ginseng.
This practice continued until approximately 1000 AD, when the Persians started warning people that using too abrasive a powder could lead to tooth and gum damage, and new types of tooth powder were investigated. You can probably see where this is going. As tooth powder’s popularity declined, something called dentifrice took its place, which ultimately became what we have today: toothpaste.
Tooth powder evolved into toothpaste via additions— people were adding things to the original basic recipe. For example, glycerin (vegetable oil) was added so that the product would be less a powder and more of a paste. And while glycerin is relatively safe, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) was added to give the paste a foaming effect. It’s known that SLS is a potentially dangerous chemical to ingest. Modern toothpaste is a mixture of various natural and synthetic ingredients while its predecessor, tooth powder, seems to have fallen by the wayside.
However, tooth powder is still a great product to use. For example, backpackers favor it because it’s lighter than toothpaste and while it’s usually applied with a brush, it can also be applied with your finger.
Top Brands
Let’s now take a look at two of the top brands available for sale. Below we’ll review one basic brand, and one brand with a more advanced formula.
1. Rocky Mountain Essentials
Why is this one of the better brands? For one, it’s all natural, so there’s no glycerine, fluoride or synthetic preservatives. Instead it contains some awesome natural ingredients. Let’s take a closer look at what’s inside Rocky Mountain Essentials tooth powder.
Activated Charcoal. This isn’t charcoal like you’d find on a grill. This kind of charcoal is usually used as a purification agent, which is why it’s commonly used in the construction of air filters – it purifies the air. It has a rough surface with lots of dents and indentations, giving it a ‘trapping’ ability. It will capture the bacteria in your mouth as it floats around, before it can cling to teeth and gums and become plaque. It’s safe to swallow, too – in fact, doing so will collect the toxic substances in your stomach and remove them before you have a chance to digest them. This will potentially cut the amount of toxins in your body by half.
Bentonite Clay. This type of clay is made from volcanic ash. It’s filled with minerals like calcium and magnesium which promotes bone health. It’s molecular structure makes it a perfect ingredient in tooth powder: bentonite clay is charged with negative particles. What does that mean for your body? A negative charge attracts metals like mercury and lead. This means that it’s an effective way to cut down on the metals in your body. When in the mouth, bentonite clay attracts the toxic stuff and traps it before you can swallow it.
Peppermint Extract. It has been traditionally used as a breath freshener. Additionally, most toothpastes use a synthetic chemical known as chlorhexidine to combat cavities. It’s a lesser known fact that mint oil has actually been proven to work better than chlorhexidine when it comes to cavities, making it easy to see why tooth powder is superior.
Orange Peel Extract. Aside from tasting great and giving your breath a nice citrusy aroma, orange peel extract is used to whiten teeth and strengthen enamel. In short, it’s a natural alternative to whitening and strengthening toothpastes.
Rocky Mountain Essentials is sort of ‘bare bones’ when it comes to ingredients, but that’s what many people love about it. If you’re looking to try out tooth powder for the first time then this is the brand for you.
2. Dherbs Natural
This brand has many more ingredients than Whitening Rocky Mountain Essentials, so it’s a more advanced product and it has a strong following. Here are some of the unique ingredients that Dherbs Natural tooth powder offers:
Cinnamon. This is an excellent ingredient for tooth care. Cinnamon has long been recognized as a tooth care essential, and there are records showing that early dentists used to clear debris out of cavities with cinnamon, carbolic acid, and morphine (this practice is no longer in use).
Mint. Mint has also been long recognized as being good for tooth care: many toothpastes as well as gums and mouthwashes come in mint varieties. This is because mint not only gives breath a good aroma, but mint also has germicidal qualities. In the old days, people used to rub mint leaves on their teeth as a form of treatment and this practice still continues today.
Clove. This substance contains eugenol, which is a naturally-occurring antiseptic and anesthetic. Like mint, it naturally cleanses the mouth of bacteria. It’s also a powerful anesthetic, one that is still used by dentists today. There’s no real trick to it- clove by itself can be used as a DIY remedy for toothaches, so it’s an effective way to not only prevent tooth problems in the future, but to also treat the pain of existing problems.
Eucalyptus. This is a germicide that fights plaque build-up, gingivitis, and prevents cavities. Modern toothpastes would rather rely on synthetic chemicals like chlorhexidine to accomplish this, while eucalyptus is an all natural alternative and therefore safer for the body.
Black Walnut Hull. This is often used for a variety of purposes, due to its antiviral qualities. Throughout history it’s been used to treat snake bites, scurvy, ringworm, and a variety of other ailments. It’s a potent herbal remedy that often requires a consultation with a holistic health professional to use properly, as it can have some negative side effects if used in excess. However, in small traces Black Walnut Hull is largely harmless. It’s high in iodine, which is an antibacterial, and helps combat the decay of tooth enamel.
Conclusion
Oral health is a big part of overall health. Introducing synthetic chemicals to your body is dangerous no matter where you’re doing it— whether it’s the food you eat, the water you drink, or even the toothpaste you use. You want to treat your mouth right. So take care of it by using natural products such as tooth powder. Rocky Mountain Essentials tooth powder is our brand of choice.