As you’ve probably noticed, we have been on a mission to switch over to natural ingredient products. Of course, that would include something we all (hopefully) use at least once daily. Toothpaste and mouthwash (which commonly have flouride)! We were super excited when we came across the Dr. Brite products. Not only do they offer natural, vegan-friendly products, but they are also a women-owned business founded by two sisters. Also, for every item purchased, they also donate oral care to those who cannot afford it!
Their toothpaste is fluoride-free and also made with one of our favorite ingredients, activated charcoal, which we of course use in our Black Pearl products due to it’s cleansing and absorbing abilities. It also helps to whiten teeth naturally instead of using bleach. The toothpaste and it’s matching mouthwash have a spearmint flavor, so they taste deliciously minty fresh. The mouthwash also contains coconut oil, which you know is great for pulling toxins out of your mouth. It’s like a miniature version of coconut pulling.
After using it for a few weeks now we can definitely say it has a nice refreshing flavor and works just as well, if not better than the big name brands.
If you were a loyal user of Tom’s Natural Toothpaste, you are going to want to listen up. After speaking with the CEO and founder of Dr. Brite, we found out that Tom’s was purchased and owned by Colgate- Palmolive, a chemical company that is neither good for your health or our environment. It has since left an untrustworthy taste in our mouths. They also faced a big lawsuit for false advertising last year, and I (Sam) even had them refund me for Tom’s products I have purchased in the past…Tom’s of Maine contain SLS – a chemical we do not want in our shampoo, never mind our toothpaste. They also make fluoride toothpastes, and their formulas also contain other undesirable ingredients. It is best to support truly natural companies that strive to provide the best products for our health, and not just focus on profit, “green-wash”, or hide behind the “natural” label.
About Dr. Brite’s Organic Oral Care Ingredients
They locally source their organic ingredients and prepare them in small batches at their on-site facility located in Southern California. Because they work directly with their suppliers, Dr. Brite ensures all products are made with all-natural ingredients that are free of harmful chemicals, pesticides or preservatives. Here’s a list of the certified organic ingredients in their toothpaste and mouthwash:
- Organic Aloe Vera Juice helps reduce plaque and relieves dry mouth irritation.
- Organic Arrowroot Powder is a plant-based thickening agent that helps bind the other natural ingredients.
- Organic Coconut Oil can prevent cavities and naturally whiten teeth.
- Organic Vegetable Glycerin is a substance that helps maintain the moisture of our toothpaste and mouthwash formulas.
- Organic Green Tea Extract slows down the activity of harmful bacteria linked to tooth decay.
- Organic Mentha Spicata (Spearmint) Flavor Extract provides that refreshing mint flavor.
- Organic Menthol gives that tingling clean feeling you get after you brush your teeth.
- Organic Neem Oil gently and effectively prevents gum inflammation and periodontal disease.
- Organic Stevia counteracts the bitterness of any other ingredients by naturally adding a touch of sweetness.
- Organic Strawberry Flavor Extract is used in the Dr. Brite Kid’s Toothpaste and Mouthwash for a fresh fruity taste little ones love.
Regardless of what organic brand of toothpaste you decide to go with, you want to make absolutely sure that it is FLOURIDE FREE. In order to explain this properly, we will be citing text from Evita Ochel, a consciousness expansion teacher, whose passions and expertise span all areas of the mind, body, and spirit. She is a writer, speaker, holistic nutritionist, yoga and meditation teacher, video producer, and author of Healing & Prevention Through Nutrition. Her facts, evidence and research on this topic goes directly with my core believes. So let's start from the beginning:
For many of those decades, however, fancy advertising from toothpaste companies has made us immune to see fluoride as anything but beneficial. Initial toothpaste was often made without fluoride and citizens were making sure that their brand had fluoride in it – dentist’s orders.
What Is Fluoride?
Chemically fluorine is the 9th element in the periodic table, and in the same family as chlorine, bromine and iodine.
This chemical family of elements is called the halogens. They are non-metallic and salt-forming. Halogens are highly reactive, and as such can be harmful or lethal to biological organisms in sufficient quantities. Fluorine is one of the most reactive elements in existence and is a corrosive and highly toxic gas. The toxicity of chlorine is also widely known, and controversial in itself as an additive to water.
Naturally, when elements bond their properties usually change drastically. Some go from harmless to harmful, and others vice-versa. Depending on what fluorine bonds with, the new compound will determine ultimately how it will act within a system.
Fluoride is formed when fluorine gains one extra negative charge, called an electron. In common toothpaste and some city water supplies, fluoride exists paired with sodium, as sodium fluoride.
What we do know today for sure, is that fluoride’s adverse effects depend on total fluoride dosage from all sources, and naturally vary from person to person. Thus, even if one cannot eliminate all the sources of the fluoride in their life, a conscious reduction can make all the difference where our health is concerned.
The Dangers of Fluoride
While a lot of people think that fluoride prevents tooth decay, most of us don’t realize that fluoride can actually cause a type of tooth decay called dental fluorosis – most commonly observed in children.
Harmful effects of fluoride have also been linked to osteoporosis, thyroid problems, endocrine problems and cancers, just to name a few. There are many studies that support these probable links available out there. We can dedicate several articles alone to how the presence of fluoride in our lives contributes to each of these.
When it comes to thyroid disruption, this seems to be a big topic linked to the presence of fluoride in our lives. Even if you know nothing about each, most of us do know that iodine has a powerful effect on our thyroid. Iodine is in the same chemical family as fluorine, so one can quickly align that it is not far fetched at all, that fluorine would also affect our thyroid gland in some way – be that in a positive or negative form.
What else we do know for sure is that babies and young children are at the greatest risk for various problems where their health is concerned from exposure to too much fluoride, both short-term and long-term. Many health professionals agree that children should not be given fluoridated water to drink.
Medical and Government Thoughts on Fluoride
So if we know all these dangers, it begs the question – why are so many municipalities still fluoridating their water, and why are toothpaste with fluoride pushed on us so heavily?
Does it all come down to a question of money behind closed doors?
If you live in the US or Canada, and cannot imagine life without fluoridated water, just know that many countries around the world refuse to add fluoride to their water. Continental Europe for example does not fluoridate their water and more and more cities each day are stopping this practice, as they see more harm in it than good.
The biggest scientific proof for not needing the fluoride in water is that tooth decay has dropped at the same rate in countries with, and without, water fluoridation. So we know today that there is something more to this equation.
The EPA in the US has expressed concerns about fluoride since the mid 80′s. Many more scientists, doctors and dentists alike are speaking out more and more against the use of fluoride, whether in water or toothpaste. Renowned dentists/doctors like the head of preventative dentistry at the University of Toronto, Dr. Hardy Limeback, has openly stated his stance against fluoridation, same as a dentist – Dr. Osmunson, Dr. Mercola and natural health proponents like water expert Daniel Vitalis and health ranger Mike Adams.
What about the government? Well, in Canada, whether water is fluoridated and in what amount, depends on the city you live in. However, in the last 40 years the amount of fluoride put into water has been more than halved, and Health Canada continues to reduce the allowed amount of fluoride in municipal water.
In general, many people who are against fluoride are simply saying this – it is a violation of our rights, and the biggest enforced drug given to the masses without their say. People should have a say in whether they are exposed to this substance or not. It is one thing to pick it up in tiny quantities in nature, and quite another to have it injected into our lives on a daily basis and in questionable amounts.
Healthy Solutions
We switched over to an all-natural toothpaste and will never look back. We know enough today to know that proper tooth care stems from the way we brush, not the chemicals we put on our teeth. I will leave this topic for now, with the following helpful tips that you can implement to start reducing your personal exposure to fluoride today:
- Change your toothpaste from a typical commercial brand that not only includes fluoride and many other harmful chemicals to an all-natural one like Dr. Brite. Use promo code “ChasinUnicorns.”
- Consider investing in a high-quality water filter for the entire home (not just kitchen faucet) that removes chlorine, fluoride, and many other unnecessary and harmful particles. I refill our 10-gallon house water jugs at The Watery Brewery, Costa Mesa.
- Use the highest quality water – not bottled or unfiltered tap, if you have a baby or a child who is formula-fed or given water to drink.
- Look around for local springs and get your water from there, especially if it is not cost-effective or possible for you to have a proper filtration system. A map of numerous springs in North America can be found here: findaspring.com
- Read, research and expand your knowledge on this and any topic that deals with your health. Be sure to question everything and to also remember that articles from many Certified Dentist and Dentist offices may not always have your best interest at heart. Take accountability for your health always.
The truth, however, is that triclosan can have some dangerous consequences.
Not only was triclosan originally labeled as a pesticide in the 1960s and was banned in hand soaps back in 2017, new research now shows triclosan can cause gut inflammation and even colon cancer.
This can be alarming especially because it takes about 6 seconds for the delicate tissues of the mouths to absorb chemicals into the bloodstream.
Before we dive into a recent study involving the effects of triclosan, it’s important to know how this dirty ingredient can still be found in conventional toothpaste and how this chemical isn’t needed in order to achieve a healthy smile.
Why is Triclosan Still Found in tubes of toothpaste?
Triclosan is an ingredient that first made its appearance in soaps used by doctors and surgeons before they conducted surgeries. It later found its way into personal care products like hand soaps, body washes and toothpaste.
If you remember seeing hand soaps with claims that said “kills 99.9% of bacteria,” on the bottle, it was most likely because triclosan was an active ingredient.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, didn’t find evidence proving that triclosan in consumer antibacterial soaps and body washes provided any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.
So, why is triclosan still found in tubes of toothpaste?
Well, big toothpaste companies argue that triclosan still provides antibacterial protection against gum disease and cavities.
Thing is, most people brush their teeth everyday twice a day. And if someone is using a toothpaste containing triclosan, that’s a whole lot of chemical exposure over time that could lead to serious consequences.
New Research Showing Triclosan’s Link to Gut Inflammation and Colon Cancer
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and 13 other universities explored the effects of triclosan.
In these studies, triclosan was found to disrupt the gut microbiome AKA the good bacteria that’s found in your gut and colon that keeps you happy and healthy. Triclosan was also found to speed up the development of colitis, which is inflammation of the colon that could lead to abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and even tumors.
Knowing that triclosan interferes with our body’s digestive system is particularly alarming since colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S.
But how can you reduce your exposure to triclosan? Ditch toothpastes containing this ingredient. Triclosan isn’t the end-all, be all to help keep your smile cavity-free and reduce gingivitis.
How to Keep Your Smile and Gums Healthy Without Triclosan
In terms of cavity protection, the mechanical action of brushing off plaque with a toothbrush is far more effective in preventing cavities than a single ingredient.
And natural toothpastes, like Dr. Brite, that is formulated with nourishing, clean ingredients can help reduce the symptoms of gingivitis. A fantastic ingredient to soothe sore, tender gums that is found in our toothpastes, mouthwashes and oral sprays is vitamin C. This antioxidant helps encourage the production of collagen to heal gums naturally.
The team at Dr. Brite carefully chooses each nurturing ingredient to have a specific purpose to help you achieve the healthiest smile. Not only can you have great tasting oral care that’s made without toxins, it’s truly effective in protecting your smile.
We hope you enjoyed this article and that it opened your eyes to the reality of triclosan. If you ever have any questions, feel free to write to their team at [email protected]
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