I am a crazy tooth brusher. I brush with such force that my dentists have suggested first soft bristled brushes which I can destroy within a week and currently an electric toothbrush which is difficult to find here. I found an Oral B electric and have been using it for the past two years. It has to my astonishment cleaned my teeth to my satisfaction as well as allowing my gums to get back to where they belong. But over the years my teeth had become dingy. Sorry I love coffee and am not going to give it up, and with no teeth whitening strips available in this area, I turned to Colgate Triple Action. The tube shows blanco (white) as their second feature. I did not see a difference in the color of my teeth, plus it seemed to be really harsh on my gums.
Then I started to read things about fluoride and triclosan that is an additive in toothpaste and that made me cringe. At my age do I really need fluoride? And what is triclosan? The bottom line is do I really need this in my toothpaste? I don’t think so.
I have seen several articles on using organic turmeric and coconut oil as a tooth paste. I gave it a try and was very surprised at the color change in my teeth. It does not irritate my gums – actually turmeric is anti-inflammatory, contains antioxidants, and is antimicrobial. Whereas coconut oil is antibacterial, this combination is the dynamic duo as far as I am concerned.
Toothpaste
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of organic turmeric (Use Organic only or it yellows the teeth)
- 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
- 10 drops of mint essential oil
Mix all ingredients together to form a thick paste and place in an airtight container. Brush as normal for about 2 minutes a few times a day.
If you try this let me know about your results, I really think my teeth are much whiter.
Finding our Paradise in South America 
Supermaxi sells battery operated tooth brushes where they have tooth paste. Joe Tana
Hi Joe, I have checked in Supermaxi every time I am in there as well as Fybeca. They have not had any. The store is the same but not always the same products. Have you seen Hoisin Sauce, we have not had that for months and months. Nancy
Never thought about making homemade toothpaste. Great idea, Aunt Nancy! 🙂
Kristen, thanks for your comment and especially for reading the blog. I am so over all the nasty ingredients that they put in these products. This way I know it is organic turmeric, organic coconut oil, pure baking soda and mint essential oil…all of which should have no added ingredients. It is not the greatest texture but my 60 year old teeth are pretty darn white..ja ja be well, Aunt n
Nancy, where did you buy your organic coco oil? We have looking for this here in Salinas & La Libertad including GYE, could not find it., Thanks!
Hi Cora, there is a young lady here who places the order for anyone in this area wanting the oil and she delivers it to us. The place where she orders it from is Nature Spirits in Vilcabamba. They have a page on Facebook Nature Spirits….and you can contact them from that page. We did see some small jars for sale on the shelves in Manta in Supermaxi just a few weeks ago, had never seen it there before…it was expensive but it looked like the real thing. If you cannot find it I will send a message to them and have them send you some info at your email address if you want, Tks, Nancy
Just be careful with the baking soda. It seems “soft” but it’s very abrasive and will scratch the enamel on your teeth. It’s great for a once in a while whitener and deep cleaner but not good for every day.
Hi Connie, thanks for your comment and also for following the blog. I have read many articles about how abrasive baking soda is and just don’t feel it is any worse than the leading toothpastes on the market here. See http://dendds.com/uploads/RDA_index.pdf for the RDA levels for baking soda and a long list of toothpastes….looks to me like baking soda is the best choice of all…Nancy
I wonder if we use our homegrown turmeric, if it will stain my teeth yellow? I am almost afraid to try because the turmeric really stained our bowls when we were harvesting and cutting it. I am excited to try.
Hi Deb, guess I would try it once and see what happens,,,This organic turmeric turns the tooth brush pretty yellow but honestly not my teeth, and I would have taken a picture of my teeth but I thought that was a bit creepy…they are really white for almost 60 year old teeth…I would love to have fresh turmeric,,,maybe our next home….thanks for sending a comment…be well, N