You probably know that store bought toothpaste contain chemicals like fluoride, SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), artificial sugars like aspartame, and some even have tiny bits of plastic call ‘micro-beads’ (which are wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems). Hopefully you are avoiding the brands which have these horrible ingredients like Crest, Colgate, and Sensodyne. It also appears that certain brands we once thought were safe, were currently found to include some of these chemicals also. Burt’s Bees, and Tom’s of Maine are examples. Tom's was bought out by Colgate, so they sneakily started putting chemicals like SLS in the product. Maybe it's time to start making your own toothpaste at home. It's certainly going to be better for your health.

Here are 6 reasons why you should make your own toothpaste with coconut oil.

1. No Harmful Chemicals Out of all the chemicals in conventional toothpaste, Fluoride is probably the worst. Sodium Fluoride is a toxic industrial waste product from the aluminum and fertilizer industry that is a poison to your body even in trace amounts. It is NOT the same as calcium fluoride which is found in water naturally. Another dangerous chemical is an antibacterial chemical called triclosan, which has been linked to concerns over antibiotic resistance.

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals are a serious concern, as they can promote a variety of health problems, including: breast, ovarian, prostate, and testicular cancer, preterm and low birth weight babies, precocious puberty in girls, and undescended testicles in boys.

2. Powerful Against Bacteria, including Cavity-Causing Bacteria Antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties of the medium chain fatty acids/triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil have been known to researchers since the 1960s. Research has shown that microorganisms that are inactivated include bacteria, yeast, fungi, & enveloped viruses.

3. No Foaming Agents Many toothpastes contain surfactants like sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES). Surfactants are chemicals responsible for the foaming action of the toothpaste, but they also interfere with the functioning of your taste buds by breaking up the phospholipids on your tongue. With this occurs it enhances bitter tastes, this is why everything tastes so bad after you’ve brushed your teeth. SLS has even been linked to painful canker sores, so using an SLS-free toothpaste is best for people that have this problem quite often.

Coconut oil works great for oral hygiene, because it maintains a more natural balance of lipids on your tongue, while still having potent antibacterial properties.

4. Inexpensive Coconut oil is so cheap! Even for the organic stuff you can usually get at least a 6 month supply for under $20. That’s because it only takes a small amount of coconut oil to keep your teeth clean, and one jar can easily last you months, making it a natural, and inexpensive toothpaste.

5. You Can Use It on Your Dog’s Teeth! Since we can't use “human” toothpaste to brush our dogs teeth, coconut oil is effective and safe for dogs. Applying it with a toothbrush is best, but your pet may even get some oral health benefits just from licking a small amount of oil. (please note that the recipe below is not recommended for dogs)

6. Simple to Make Toothpaste made with coconut oil is simple to make! Here are the basic ingredients, but you can add or subtract something to make it to your own liking.

-Coconut oil

–Baking soda (which acts as an abrasive and helps with whitening)

–Essential oils to give your toothpaste flavor and add additional therapeutic benefits. Peppermint oil extract, for instance, has been shown to be superior to the mouthwash chemical chlorhexidine in inhibiting the formation of biofilm formations linked to dental cavities.

- Erythritol, xylitol, or stevia (all optional), are natural sweeteners. Xylitol, in particular, has been linked to reductions in cavities, but do not add this to your dogs toothpaste, because xylitol is toxic to dogs.

-Salt

-Bentonite clay, which adds a paste-like consistency and can help draw out toxins from your gums and tongue.