Tooth brushing with tooth powder

A question that I get asked quite often is what I use to brush my teeth. Toothpastes often consist of questionable ingredients (keyword: micro plastic and fluoride) and usually are packed in plastic tubes. For some time, I brush my teeth with a self-made tooth powder which I have optimized for my needs in a satisfying way and I would like to share the recipe now. 

You can produce tooth powder with little effort and it takes just a few minutes. The cost savings, compared with my expensive conventional toothpaste from before, are around 80%. Depending on your taste it requires only 2 to 4 ingredients and can be modified. Tooth brushing without harmful ingredients and without polluting the environment – let’s go!

TOOTH POWDER INGREDIENTS

Birch sugar (xylitol)
Baking soda
Cinnamon
A few drops of essential oil (e. g. peppermint or spearmint)

INSTRUCTIONS

Put xylitol and baking soda in equal parts in a container or jar and mix them. This works well with a small stick or by shaking a sealed glass. Xylitol neutralizes with its capacity to slow down the activity of the caries bacteria and stimulates the flow of saliva. The remineralization makes the enamel more stable again. Because of its alkaline properties baking soda creates a pleasant pH-value in the mouth while thooth brushing. Caries-causing acids are thus neutralized by the baking soda and it reduces plaque for whiter teeth.

At this point I also add a few drops of essential oil, depending on the desired intensity, more or less. For a small jar (as seen below) I add about 6 drops of peppermint oil and think that it is sufficient for a minty-fresh taste.

Add a bit of cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Cinnamon not only creates a good taste but is also anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and also has an analgesic effect.

One last time, mix all ingredients together and you are ready. I won’t take longer than 2 – 3 minutes.

This is just a small amount of tooth powder (about 40 g). So it’s good for testing. I’d rather make small amounts more often so the powder stays fresh and doesn’t cake and besides that a small size is easier to take with you on the road.