Holistic Dental Care: A New Way to Brush

Sshh! I have a secret. Promise not to tell my dentist?I haven’t used toothpaste in over two years.  In October 2014, I started doing a Holistic Dental Care routine with amazing results.

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Let me start from the beginning.

I love my dentist…like really love my dentist. Even though I’ve moved from Georgia to Virginia three years ago, I still schedule my dental visits when I travel to see family and friends in Georgia. When she told me that I needed to get better about brushing and flossing years ago, I listened. I haven’t had a cavity in 10 years. Three years ago, she really scolded me for not flossing and told me that my gums were receding, so I listened and started flossing. The next time she saw me she said: “Esther! Your teeth look amazing! I thought when the hygienist came to get me so soon that there was something terribly wrong. What happened?” I said “ You told me to start flossing, so I did.” She said “Well, somebody finally listens.” Proud moment for me!

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However, I noticed my gums were still receding. I had less plaque, but I could still see more of my teeth than ever before. I was brushing and flossing every day, and it was so frustrating!

One day, I was browsing Pinterest, and I saw a post about “Holistic Dental Care.”  That one post led to me reading an unknown universe about the evils of fluoride and glycerin and the benefits of oil based soaps, oil pulling, and using activated charcoal.

Here are the cliff notes:

Fluoride is a poison that we shouldn’t be consuming. We don’t have less cavities than other countries that do not use fluoride, so don’t believe the “fluoride prevents cavities” argument.

Glycerin is extracted from vegetable oil to make our teeth shiny, but it also keeps our teeth from absorbing essential nutrients from our food to keep them healthy.

So, here is my daily/weekly holistic dental care routine:

1. 1. Brush morning and night with an oil based bar of soap.
   2. Oil pull every night with coconut oil.

1. Brush teeth with activated charcoal once a week. (Some people start with this every day.)

1. Brush

I have a bar of soap next to my sink that I use only for brushing my teeth. In the morning/evening, I rub wet toothbrush across the bar a couple of times and brush normally.

I have used many different bars of soap on my path of Holistic Dental Care, but I have found Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar to be one of the best and easy to access at Target or online. You have to find a bar of soap that you like the taste of. I love Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap because it gives me that “fresh clean feeling” that I’m used to from toothpaste.  On a side note, Dr. Bronner’s soap is really an all-purpose soap that can be used instead of multiple liquid toiletries. I travel with two bars of soap- one for my teeth and one for a shampoo and body wash. 

Read the label. You should recognize most of the ingredients. If you don’t, keep looking. I have struggled to find good oil based soaps at Walmart and World Market, but I have always had luck at grocery stores. I have found oil-based soaps at Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Publix, and Target. Farmer’s market sometimes have homemade soaps, so that’s a great option to buy locally.  The “farmer” selling the soap probably made it themselves and can tell you exactly what is in the bar. 

2. Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is the biggest time commitment, but I have seen the best results from it. After my I started oil pulling, my dentist actually told me that some my gum recession had not only stopped but healed. A year before, I was told that the damage to my gums was irreversible.

You need to find virgin coconut oil (unrefined). Some people take a spoon of oil, put it directly in their mouths, and the heat from their mouths melts the oil. I have a horrible gag reflex, so I heat the oil for 10 seconds before putting it in my mouth. You then swish it for 15-20 minutes. At first, it will feel like time….is….standing…still, but it gets easier. Promise. Try it for 5-10 minutes and build up to the 15-20. When the timer goes off, spit the oil into a trash can (Don’t clog your pipes!), rinse with water, and brush with soap.

Update: Like I said just a few short sentences ago, oil pulling takes the biggest time commitment, but I believe it provides the best results. When I stopped oil pulling for a few months, my dentist was again giving me her disappointed face. My teeth were clean with no major issues, but my gums were starting to recede again. The only thing that changed in my routine was the oil pulling.

3. Activated Charcoal

Last, I brush with activated charcoal on a weekly basis. I’m a huge coffee and tea drinker, and my teeth could sometimes stand as a witness to that. In particular, I had this one spot on my front tooth that was about to drive me crazy. I had brushed it, oil pulled, had a cleaning at the dentist; but that light brown spot was still there. In my earlier research, I had heard about activated charcoal being used as a whitening agent, so I decided to try it. That brown spot was gone in one brush!

I buy and use the capsule form of activated charcoal Activated Charcoal because it gives me individual amounts to use weekly, but you can also find jars of it on amazon. I use activated charcoal once a week, but some people use it every day instead of using soap or toothpaste.  

Now, charcoal is messy.Plan on cleaning your bathroom afterwards because your sink and countertops will need it. I have a toothbrush that I only use for a charcoal scrub. With the capsules, snip the top of the capsule with pair of scissors, sprinkle it onto your toothbrush, and brush away.  After that, I rinse, oil pull to remove any leftover charcoal, and finish with a regular brushing.

That’s it! Have any stories about holistic dental care? Share them in the comments section and don’t forget to pin!