My Non-Toxic and Effective Oral Care Routine
Did you know that your mouth is home to over 700 species of bacteria? When this bacteria is not in balance, we can end up with some unpleasant oral diseases. Think: active cavities, bad breath, canker sores…you get the picture. While certainly not an exhaustive list, some common causes of oral bacteria imbalances include:
- improper brushing/flossing technique (or absence of brushing/flossing);
- the use of toothpaste with abrasive particles that wear away tooth enamel;
- smoking; and
- biofilm buildup on the tongue.
My Personal Story
One of the biggest oral health challenges I faced growing up was sensitive teeth. And by sensitive, I mean SENSITIVE! I had to change the way I ate foods in order to ensure the hot or cold dish would not touch my front teeth at all. Cold air blowing? Better keep my mouth shut so the cold air doesn’t shock my front teeth. Ice water? Hard pass.
At the time, the only solution of which I knew was to purchase a popular sensitivity toothpaste. It seemed to work. My tooth sensitivity decreased when I used it consistently. Fast forward a few years as I began turning over every product in my house to read those ingredient lists. Let’s just say I was less than happy with what I read on the back of my toothpaste tube. What in the world is PEG-8 doing in my toothpaste? What does “flavor” mean? Is it really best to just “sooth the nerves” inside my teeth to “prevent them from sending pain signals?” The lack of transparency about ingredients, along with some concerns about specific ingredients led me to search for a better option.
My Teeth’s Night in Shining Armor
I made it my goal to find a product that actually helped to heal my teeth and restore the balance in my mouth. Safety of ingredients was also of high priority. Bonus requests: minimal packaging waste and simplicity of use. This was a tall order. However, I am happy to report that I found a company with products that met and continue to meet every.single.one of these values.
OraWellness has truly been an answer to my prayers. When I first found their website, I was amazed at all the helpful information they make available (and for free!). It was clear to me that Will and Susan Revak, the company owners, were focused on more than just selling their products. They want to help people become educated about oral health.
If you have zero interest in checking out their products, I still HIGHLY recommend perusing their website’s free resources and blog posts to learn more about oral health. You will not be disappointed!
What I Use
My oral care routine since finding OraWellness looks like this:
Toothpaste & Mouthwash Replacements
- HealThy Mouth Blend –> to replace traditional toothpaste and, when added to a few ounces of water, mouthwash. (After a week or so of using the oil, I didn’t miss my toothpaste one bit. Now, whenever I do use traditional toothpaste, I feel so grossed out by the texture!) The regular version is made up of 100% certified organic ingredients: Sweet Almond Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Peppermint Leaf Oil, Spearmint Leaf Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Myrrh Oil, and Manuka Oil. If you have the time, do a Google Scholar search on the effectiveness of these oils against strains of bacteria. Here is an article to get you started.
- Shine Remineralizing Tooth Powder –> a secondary replacement for toothpaste. This product has some really neat science behind it. Again, I recommend reading what Will and Susan have on their website. I like to trade off between using this with a drop of HealThy Mouth Blend together on my toothbrush or 2-3 drops of the blend by itself about every other time I brush my teeth. This product in particular helps your teeth get the nutrients they need to remineralize!
Toothbrush Replacement
- Bass Toothbrush –> to replace traditional toothbrushes. Your average toothbrush often has too many bristles (making it less effective in reaching those nooks and crannies) and rough cut bristles, (which can cause increased gum sensitivity and damage tooth enamel). Bass toothbrushes are intentionally designed to help support a healthy oral microbiome. I prefer to use their bamboo version, although they have a plastic version available as well.
Floss Replacement
- Dental Lace –> to replace plastic-coated, synthetic floss/floss packaged in non-recyclable containers. I like to add a drop of HealThy Mouth Blend to my finger tip and run the floss through the drop to coat it with the oils. By doing this, I am able to get the oils directly in the spots where the unhelpful bacteria likes to hide! Dental Lace is the name of the brand of floss.
Other Items I Use
- Stainless Steel Tongue Scraper –> to replace…well, I did not use anything before…so nothing! Google “OraWellness tongue cleaning importance” or even just “tongue cleaning importance” to read some really interesting (and kind of gross) information about the reasons behind and benefits of tongue scraping.
- Coconut Oil –> to replace nothing again, since I did not use anything to oil pull before learning about it from OraWellness. (Here is how I store it.) Wellness Mama, a popular health blogger, has some excellent articles on oil pulling if you are interested in learning more. Basically, you swish a vegetable-based oil around in your mouth for up to 15 minutes, then spit out the spent oil (in the trash can, waste container, or outside). As you swish the oil around in your mouth, it pulls inflammation-causing bacteria and fungi out of the nooks and crannies that might otherwise be missed by just brushing. Pretty fascinating stuff, huh? Oh, and if you spit coconut oil onto plants, it kills them. Now you have a free way to eliminate weeds and unwanted grass. Ask me how I know…
To Sum It All Up
You deserve great health, including oral health! If you are not yet where you want to be in terms of oral health, do not give up. Check out those ingredient lists! If you are not happy with what you read, consider trying out some of the product recommendations I share here.
The Proof is in the Pudding
By using these products, my teeth sensitivity has drastically reduced and my gum recession has halted! Even better, I am not poisoning my body by using synthetic products! If you find that some of my recommendations are not the right fit for you or your family, that is okay, too. Keep on the lookout for what will work for you. So many things these days have a healthier and safer counterpart!
I would love to hear about your experience in trying out these products! Have you found any other solutions that have helped you become a better steward of your oral health? Comment below to share with our community!
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy reading this post on skin health.
Yours truly,
Erica Barlow
Zero Waste, 5-Minute Eyeliner Recipe