Humble, earthy tooth powder, sleek toothpaste’s understated older cousin, is edging in on the dental-care scene as a newly popular (but not-really-so-new) option. If you’re not a fan of fluoride or you’re concerned about the ingredients in your grooming and dental products, consider this lowly but mighty alternative.
Tooth powder is basically toothpaste stripped of its modern frills, building on the eons-old practice of using grit to clean teeth. Abrasiveness is one aspect of modern toothpaste that makes it effective. Sometimes called “powdered mineral toothpaste,” tooth powder is emerging as its natural and safe alternative.
Adding to its appeal, tooth powder tends to come in eco-friendly packaging such as glass jars or paper bags (as opposed to plastic toothpaste tubes), and contains down-to-earth ingredients such as charcoal (for whitening), cardamom, sea salt, crushed eggshells, baking soda, and bentonite clay. It is usually fluoride-free, which is a plus for many people who’ve become wary of fluoride-treated water and toothpaste.
Limited Research
In some parts of Asia and the Middle East, people have always preferred tooth powder to toothpaste. The limited research that exists on the effectiveness of tooth powder comes mainly out of India and Pakistan, where tooth powders are especially popular (toothpaste giant Colgate sells one called Super Rakshak in India). A 2009 study by researchers in Pakistan in the Journal of the International Academy of Periodontology showed that tooth powder may be better at reducing plaque than regular toothpaste.
Other research includes a 2014 study in the International Journal of Health Sciences showing tooth powder’s stain-removing efficacy (of extrinsic, or surface stains) was significantly higher than that of toothpaste. It was also shown to be better at controlling plaque and reducing gingivitis in a 2017 study from Saudi Arabia.
Very little negative news concerning tooth powder exists, although a 2014 case in India involved a 31-year-old man who used an herbal toothpowder and developed an allergic skin rash called erythema multiforme.
Natural Ingredients Mean You Can Try This at Home
Tooth powders “are made with all-natural and often organic ingredients, and they are free from potentially harmful chemicals, including artificial flavors and colors,” writes Pedram Soleimani, D.D.S., in Santa Clarita, California, on his blog.
Brands touting their tooth powders as “natural” include (among others) Burt’s Bees, Tom’s of Maine, Uncle Harry’s, and VanMan. Most companies claim their products are free of preservatives, artificial colors, and chemical additives. Many contain coconut oil, which some claim improves dental health when used as a mouth rinse (an Ayurvedic technique called “oil pulling”).
The instructions on VanMan’s Miracle Tooth Powder include brushing with the powder, then gargling with it and swirling it in the mouth with water for 5 to 10 seconds to circulate its minerals and “pull” toxins out of the mouth. This product includes eggshell powder, which the company claims is “a natural source for hydroxyapatite, [which] has shown a reversal in tooth decay.”
According to the makers of Shwally Coconut Charcoal Tooth Powder, hydroxyapatite has long been used in Japan as a fluoride alternative.
You can make your own eggshell powder, but other more easy-to-obtain ingredients also work well. One short video on YouTube showing how to make tooth powder using only haldi powder (turmeric), clove powder, and rock salt has been viewed 1.2 million times.
Other do-it-yourself recipes include oils to hold the ingredients together a bit. Dr. Eric Berg’s video on his YouTube channel recommends making a homemade powder using coconut oil, baking soda, food-grade hydrogen peroxide, and cinnamon or clove oil.
No Tubes Needed
Going the do-it-yourself route also cuts down on waste. According to the makers of “zero waste” Unpaste Tooth Tabs (which are essentially tooth powder in tablet form), “billions of used plastic toothpaste tubes are sitting in the ground right now, polluting the planet and taking hundreds of years to break down into smaller pieces of toxic plastic that will leach into the ecosystem.”
If your bathroom is typical, it’s full of not just toothpaste tubes, but also shampoo, body washes, creams, lotions, and gels—all packaged in plastic. The no-frills tooth powder option, dating back eons to our thrifty and resourceful ancestors, eliminates at least one plastic-encased product from the medicine cabinet—and may be even more effective than its modern descendant.
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