Fluoride-Free Toothpaste: What Are the Benefits?

Brushing your teeth—it is something we all need to do to keep a healthy smile.

In fact, taking care of your teeth is important from a very young age.  It is something that is ingrained into us as a young child, and becomes an instinctive part of our daily routine. 

Every person’s teeth are different and unique, but we all share one thing in common. No matter what gender you are or what your genetic history may be, your oral health is paramount at all times! And one of the main factors in maintaining pristine oral health is through brushing your teeth with toothpaste.

So, what about fluoride-free toothpaste? What are its benefits for your oral health? 

Why Brushing Your Teeth Matters 

There is one common goal we all share when we brush our teeth, and that is to prevent cavities. 

While there is a range of ways that you can prevent cavities, one of the most trusted methods is brushing our teeth! In fact, many experts support that you should be brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day. 

While dentistry has become extremely advanced over the years and dentists are now able to save a lot of damaged teeth through a range of procedures, these procedures do still come at a price. Brushing your teeth is an affordable preventative measure that can save you from getting a massive dental bill.

Not only will brushing your teeth daily save you money, but it will also save you the embarrassment of having to deal with bad breath. Toothpaste is designed to eliminate any lingering bacteria and give your breath a fresh smell while equally protecting your teeth and gums!

Not All Toothpaste is Created Equal 

While we all need to brush our teeth with toothpaste, it is important to remember that not all toothpaste is created equal! That means that we should all be selecting our toothpaste based on the individual needs of our teeth. Toothpaste comes in many different forms. In fact, there are generally five different types of toothpaste available to the general public, each created to serve different needs.

1. Fluoride toothpaste: This toothpaste is one of the most common toothpastes made for adults. It is designed to give a boost of protection to adult teeth so that cavities do not form.
2. Fluoride-free toothpaste: This toothpaste is most common for children’s toothpaste, as too much fluoride can be harmful to children! This type of toothpaste is also made to be safe to swallow in case a child accidentally ingests it, along with being gentler on teeth. We specialize in fluoride-free toothpaste that you will love!
3. Teeth-whitening toothpaste: Thanks to drinking too many coffees and a whole slew of other culprits, our teeth can become stained over time. There are special teeth-whitening toothpastes designed to help brighten teeth back to being pearly white so adults are confident to smile, both with chemicals and natural options available. 
4. Sensitive-teeth toothpaste: Some people have more sensitive teeth, meaning that the ingredients of the toothpaste need to cater to this. The most common ingredient for this is potassium nitrate, which allows people to brush their teeth without discomfort.
5. Herbal-toothpaste: This is also an option for those with more sensitive teeth. This type of toothpaste varies by brand, as some contain fluoride and some do not. People often tend to select this option if they are looking for more natural ingredients to clean their teeth with, something that we love to incorporate into our own line!

Why the Type of Toothpaste Matters

Brushing your teeth with toothpaste is a practice that’s been around for decades! But as we mentioned before, not all toothpaste is created equally. The type of toothpaste that you choose to use will depend on a range of factors and oral hygiene goals you want to accomplish.

As we mentioned earlier, there are many different types of toothpaste that have fluoride in them, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Fluoride toothpaste is designed to help enhance the strength of adult teeth and prevent cavities from developing.

There is no doubt that research has shown fluoride does reduce the risk of tooth decay while strengthening the enamel on our teeth. But toothpaste made with fluoride is not always natural, as ingredients used include things like detergents, binding agents, preservatives, coloring agents, and antibiotics.

The Benefits of Fluoride-Free Toothpaste 

With the importance of fueling your body with organic and clean food to improve your overall well being, it should come as no surprise that toothpastes that offer those same real and natural benefits have become more mainstream. 
Toothpaste goes into our mouth just like food does, so it is super important that we are making conscious decisions about what ingredients go into our toothpaste! But offering a natural, synthetics-free solution is just one of the benefits to fluoride-free toothpaste. 

Here are some other key benefits you can have from choosing the more natural teeth cleaning option:

1. It's okay if you swallow it! Too much fluoride can cause bad side effects for your health, so using a toothpaste that is safer to accidentally swallow should give you a greater peace of mind, especially when it comes to your children brushing their teeth. Even toothbrushing veterans tend to swallow toothpaste every now and then! 

2. It’s helping your gums and teeth stay protected! Just because your toothpaste does not have fluoride in it does not mean that the ingredients inside can’t do just as good (if not better) of a job when it comes to protecting your teeth. Using fluoride free toothpaste with ingredients like Coral Calcium and Nano Silver will help with your overall oral hygiene and protection for both your teeth and your gums!

3. 3. It makes brushing your teeth more enjoyable! When you are using products that you know are designed with your overall health and wellbeing in mind, you feel really good using them. Since we all need to brush our teeth every day, pick a toothpaste that benefits both your teeth and your wellbeing as much as possible. 

4. It’s helping the planet! The majority of fluoride-free toothpastes are designed with the planet in mind, reducing waste while using only natural ingredients. So you can clean those pearly whites while knowing you are doing good for the world, too! Brushing your teeth will never feel so good. 

When Fluoride Toothpaste is No Longer Right for You

Fluoride toothpaste also comes with some negative effects—the two biggest ones being:

1. Too much fluoride can be a bad thing. Especially since the majority of drinking water has fluoride in it now, both children and adults need to be careful with how much fluoride they are being exposed to.
2. The more natural ingredients our body is exposed to, the better. While fluoride has been proven to be helpful, there are natural ways to achieve the same result in protecting our teeth.  

This is where all-natural, fluoride-free toothpaste can be a real game-changer. When using a toothpaste that has synthetic ingredients, there are several key risks that both children and adults face. These include developing canker sores, tooth sensitivity, dry mouth, and killing off good bacteria.

We created fluoride-free toothpaste to allow you to brush your teeth multiple times a day without risking uncomfortable side effects that can be damaging to your health in the long run. For example, when children brush their teeth and are still learning how to do it properly, they risk swallowing toothpaste. It is much safer for kids to swallow natural toothpaste than ones full of chemicals and non-natural ingredients.

But of course, adults get the same benefits as children too—as no matter how old we are, swallowing non-natural ingredients is never a good thing for our health. Over time, too much fluoride toothpaste that is swallowed can lead to a weakened bone, muscle, and nervous system!

So, Do I Need Fluoride in My Toothpaste? 

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that you need to make the decision of what type of toothpaste to use based on your oral health and your unique set of teeth. If you are unsure whether or not fluoride-free toothpaste is right for you, we recommend doing the following:

Do your own research: No one knows your oral health needs more than you because you are the one that has to live with your teeth at the end of the day! You will have the best understanding of what works for your teeth, the issues that you currently face like sensitivity, and your routine diet around the type of water you drink (and whether or not that water already has fluoride in it!). Trust your own needs and be willing to switch up your tooth brushing habits to see if you notice a change in your teeth health from using fluoride-free toothpaste.

Play it safe with kids: If you are a parent, it is always recommended to play it safe rather than sorry with your children. Instilling oral health habits at a young age is really important, and it also pays off hugely to invest in kid-safe oral hygiene products. This means that if your child is young and still figuring out how to not swallow toothpaste, opt for a fluoride-free toothpaste option so that you have more confidence in what they may or may not be swallowing! You will certainly sleep easier at night as a parent knowing you are doing the safest possible thing for your child’s tooth brushing habits.

Research the ingredients: Knowing what you are putting into your body is always important. So just like you would read the back of a label for a food item at the grocery store, you should do the same when it comes to toothpaste. Know what you are putting on your teeth and understand the possible risks of putting non-natural ingredients in your mouth. And if in doubt or concerned, try a fluoride-free toothpaste that offers you peace of mind with natural ingredients!

Chat with your dentist: While dentists may seem scary and many children and adults fear having to visit, being proactive with your dentist is the best thing you can do for your oral health. Being proactive with your dental health does not just mean going in for your twice a year check-up. It also means having a conversation with your dentist around your teeth-cleaning habits and discussing what oral products you are using—including whether or not fluoride-free toothpaste is the best option for you. They are the teeth experts after all! 

In Closing 

At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide what is best for your teeth. For many, this includes deciding to use fluoride-free toothpaste, something we believe strongly in! In general, using natural ingredients is healthier and less risky. But in addition to that, too much fluoride can be a negative thing.

We encourage giving natural toothpaste a try and seeing the difference in your oral health. As research shows, your breath will smell great, your teeth get the protection they need, and your overall health is sure to benefit from better oral health. 

Brushing your teeth will become a daily activity you look forward to and is something to really smile about! And we hope we get to support you with helping you have a smile you love!

Sources:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/dental-health/101/toothpaste-more-than-just-mint.aspx

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/teeth-care.html

https://www.coventgardendental.com/8-reasons-brushing-teeth-twice-day/