Safe Toothpaste Guide

Written by Maia, President

Toothpaste is one of those everyday essentials, and one that goes in our mouths, so I’m never surprised when a client or reader asks for help finding the best non-toxic, natural toothpaste.

Finding a truly safe toothpaste goes far beyond looking for a “fluoride-free” label. (And even the fluoride thing can be controversial—some of you may want it in toothpaste!).

Many toothpastes—both natural and conventional, for adults and kids–include a lot of ingredients, many of which are sneaky or bad. I guess that’s what happens when we expect a product to do a lot of things, like look appetizing, taste good, feel sudsy in our mouth, whiten our teeth, prevent cavities, and leave us with a “fresh” feeling.

I feel like a total Debbie Downer for saying this, but there are only a few toothpaste products that I feel confident calling Best or Good Stuff, and I have a long list of Sneaky products. Spoiler alert: Tom’s of Maine is not Good Stuff, and it’s a product I was using for years before researching for this guide!

Read on to learn what’s unsavory about most toothpaste, and how to find the best non-toxic, natural toothpaste for adults, kids, and babies.

My Top Pick for Best Natural Toothpaste

The lack of foam takes a little getting used to, but I’m totally convinced that these are the healthiest ingredients out there, and all of the flavors are delicious.

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Why Safe, Natural Toothpaste Matters

Choosing a non-toxic, natural toothpaste is important for both adults and kids. Because we use toothpaste multiples times a day, we have frequent exposure to the ingredients.

Also, toothpaste ingredients can be absorbed into the body through the lining of our mouths. And little kids, of course, end up swallowing more toothpaste than they spit out. (Can you blame them? Kids’ toothpastes come in flavors like bubble gum and strawberry!)

Best Natural Mouthwash

If you’re like me, you kind of miss the 90’s, when mouthwash was for some reason a big deal (at least in Vermont, where I grew up). Here’s what I use now.

What About Fluoride in Natural Toothpaste?

Fluoride is supposed to prevent tooth decay and cavities and help us have strong bones. But for decades, there’s been a debate about whether fluoride is healthy and effective as an additive to drinking water and toothpaste.

I’m definitely not a fan of fluoride in drinking water. The Harvard School of Public Health reported that fluoride “adversely affect[s] cognitive development in children,” causing as much as a 7-point lower IQ.

My kids love these vitamin D gummies. Just make sure to brush teeth after eating!

There is also persistent concern that fluoride can cause reproductive damage in high enough doses.

For these and other reasons, I recommend filtering fluoride out of drinking water and probably avoiding fluoride-containing toothpaste, although if you have a cavity-prone child, talk to your dentist.

If you’re worried that skipping fluoride means inviting a mouth of rotten teeth, there is evidence that vitamin D may help prevent cavities.

Best Natural Toothpaste with Flouride

A bunch of you have asked about which natural toothpaste is the best if you want to use one with fluoride. My pick is KMF Berry Smart Obsessively Kids with Fluoride.  It looks like the KMF has been discontinued, so my second choice for a fluoride toothpaste is this one.

What’s Wrong with Conventional Toothpastes?

Fluoride aside, most toothpastes are chock full of ingredients I wouldn’t want to put on my body, let alone in my mouth. I’m particularly disappointed to see how many kids’ toothpastes contain bad stuff, given how much kids tend to swallow. Even many “safe to swallow” toddler toothpastes make me cringe.

Colgate’s supposedly kid-friendly toothpastes contain concerning ingredients like fluoride, propylene glycol (linked to cancer and reproductive damage), artificial colors (linked to ADHD), and PEG-12 (can be contaminated with toxic 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide). See the Bad Stuff for some of the worst kids’ toothpaste out there.

Toxic Ingredients in Toothpaste

• Surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are used to make products foam. SLS can irritate the skin or lining of the mouth, and it’s cousin SLES (sodium laureth sulfate) is even worse, as it is often contaminated with carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane. I don’t worry about SLS as much in soaps or shampoos, which we wash off, but because toothpaste goes in our mouths where it can be absorbed and swallowed, SLS and similar surfactants should be avoided in toothpaste.
• Triclosan, the antibacterial agent that forms carcinogenic chloroform when it comes in contact with water that contains trace amounts of chlorine, is found in lots of toothpastes for kids and adults and should be avoided.
• Artificial preservatives such as parabens are everywhere, including in toothpastes. Parabens mimic estrogen and are implicated in breast cancer. No causal relationship has been proven, but because we’re exposed to parabens from many cosmetic sources, I recommend avoiding them wherever you can. 
• Artificial colors, some of which are linked to ADHD, are used in many conventional toothpastes, especially kids’ gel formulas. White toothpastes usually get their squeaky clean look from coloring agents such as titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide can be carcinogenic in nano-particle form. Nano-particles of titanium dioxide could be absorbed through the lining of the mouth, especially if there are little abrasions.
• Artificial sweeteners such as saccharin are often used to sweeten toothpaste. Saccharin has neurotoxic effects in some people who consume it in low-calorie or sugar-free foods. It’s a bad idea for kids’ toothpastes, given the potential for swallowing.
• Propylene glycol is linked to cancer, reproductive damage, and extreme skin irritation, and is often used in toothpastes to give them a smooth texture.

Don’t Forget to Floss!

Even dental floss can be a source of toxic exposure, because most is made of plastic and coated with Teflon. Look for a floss made of natural silk, like this one.

What’s Wrong with Natural Toothpaste?

I definitely recommend choosing fluoride-free toothpaste, but as I mentioned, toothpaste has to be more than fluoride-free in order to be safe. Below is a list of the toothpaste brands that are considered Best Stuff and Good Stuff.

Unfortunately, many “natural” toothpaste contain concerning ingredients similar to what’s found in conventional toothpastes, such as:

• Surfactants: Coconut-derived substitutes for sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are popular ingredients in many “SLS-free” toothpastes. I’m concerned about SLS alternatives in toothpaste because of the delicate and absorbent lining of the mouth. There’s little or no data available on the safety of these ingredients, so at this point I’m erring on the side of avoiding them in toothpaste (although I’m okay with them in shampoo.) Examples of these kinds of surfactants are sodium coco-sulfate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, potassium cocoate, and sodium methyl cocoyl taurate.

• Preservatives: Paraben-free toothpastes often substitute “food-grade preservatives” that still worry me. Sodium benzoate is suspected to cause damage to mitochondrial DNA, and some researchers see a link with cancer, ADD, and other scary stuff. More research (especially long-term studies) is needed, but in the meantime, I recommend skipping toothpastes with this preservative. Potassium sorbate has raised concerns due to mild allergic reactions in some users. I consider it to be of less concern than sodium benzoate, but I’m not a fan of it in products that can be ingested, like toothpaste. Sorbic acid is also known to irritate skin.

• Carrageenan, derived from seaweed, is a common thickening agent in toothpaste. Animal studies suggest that it leads to intestinal inflammation and colon tumors. It’s probably fine in toothpaste for adults, but I’d avoid it in products used by swallowing-prone kids. (If you start reading food labels of health-food snack foods, you’ll see carrageenan everywhere, btw.)

There are also a few controversial ingredients that I’m not so worried about in natural toothpastes:

• Glycerin: There’s a small but heated debate about whether glycerin, a very common ingredient in both conventional and natural toothpastes, is healthy for teeth. Some people claim that glycerin in toothpaste coats the teeth, blocking their ability to re-mineralize (or repair themselves with minerals from our saliva). It’s true that re-mineralization is crucial to the health of our teeth. It’s not clear, however, that glycerin-based toothpastes seriously interfere with this process. Honestly, I’m on the fence about this, so I’m giving the Okay Stuff label to otherwise safe toothpastes that are glycerin-based. (See Good Stuff for glycerin-free toothpastes).

• Clays are a potentially problematic ingredient in natural toothpaste because they can contain trace amounts of lead. After lots of research and digging into the independent testing of the bentonite clay used in Earthpaste, I’m convinced that it’s safe. The amount of lead in clay is much less than the naturally occurring amounts found in food like spinach or sweet potatoes. Also, the lead in clay doesn’t seem to be bio-available (meaning your body won’t absorb it even when it is present). Even better, there is compelling evidence that bentonite clay might actually RID the body of lead. You should always do your own research, but this is where ours has lead me, and I feel confident calling Earthpaste Good Stuff; in fact, you buy Earthpaste online from us.

• Sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol and erythritol are used in toothpastes for sweetness and anti-cavity benefits. When consumed in high enough amounts (usually as sugar replacements in food and beverages), they can cause digestive upset in some people. I don’t think they’re harmful in the small amounts found in toothpaste, and I like that xylitol and erythritol have anti-cavity benefits. If you’re concerned about sugar alcohols, Earthpaste’s spearmint flavor is xylitol free, as are Tooth Soap’s products.

• Essential oils are used in some natural toothpastes in place of artificial or natural flavors, and sometimes for added anti-cavity/pro-mouth benefits. Some people don’t like the idea of using essential oils in ingestible products, and some people have sensitivities to specific oils. I think that high-quality essential oils like the ones in the Good Stuff are safe in the amounts found in toothpaste, but if you want to avoid them, check out UGLY by nature, Poofy Organic’s toddler tooth gel, Jack n’Jill’s toothpastes, and some of the Tooth Soap products (all Best or Good Stuff).

This electric toothbrush (with a timer!) has been a game-changer for my kids.

What Is the Safest Natural Toothpaste for My Baby?

Many kids’ toothpastes are officially for ages two and up. So what about younger toddlers and babies?

Teaching little ones to brush and getting them used to the tickling sensation of bristles is definitely important, but all you really need to use is water plus a soft-bristled brush or silicone toothbrush beginning with their earliest teeth.

You can hold off on toothpaste until they’re toddlers, or later. (Toothpaste isn’t actually essential to oral health—the brushing action of the toothbrush is. Flossing and a healthy diet are crucial, too, of course.)

If you feel compelled to use more than water (and/or kid’s your doc or dentist says you need to), try some of the Best or Good Stuff listed below, or a little bit of coconut oil.

The Best Stuff

The Good Stuff

The Okay Stuff

The Bad Stuff

The Sneaky Stuff

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