SafeMama.com

The Original One-stop safety resource for parents.

Safer Toothpaste & Toothbrushes for Kids and Adults

We get a lot of questions about toothpaste and fluoride and “my Dentist says my son needs fluoride drops”  here and I am still kind of wishy washy about fluoride.  Especially after having read the great articles on SAFBaby regarding Fluoride… it really makes you wonder whether it’s the best thing.  Whether you are anti or pro fluoride, you might also be concerned with the other ingredients in toothpaste such as: sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, artificial colors, and triclosan. Here’s a Cheat Sheet based on the natural toothpastes for kids (and adults) we have tried or know of that are free of the ingredients in question. I figured a new list of BPA Free toothbrushes was appropriate too. Last updated: Sept, 2016

Natural Toothpastes

  • Dr. Bronner Magic Soaps Peppermint Toothpaste (Fluoride Free – also comes in cinnamon)
  • Jack n’ Jill Natural Toothpaste (Xylitol instead of Fluoride) –  Skin Deep Rating: 0
  • Earthpaste Natural Toothpaste (Non-GMO Xylitol instead of Fluoride)
  • Poofy Organics Happy Teeth Toothpaste (Xylitol instead of Fluoride) – Skin Deep Rating: 1-3
  • Weleda Tooth Gel (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 3
  • Kiss My Face Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): Sweetened with Stevia – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
  • Toms of Maine (Fluoride and Fluoride Free): NOTE: The only caveat with this one is that it  contains sodium lauryl sulfate so if that’s a problem for you skip it and try one of the other brands. – Skin Deep Rating: 3 (w/ Fluoride: 4)
  • Burt’s Bees Kids Toothpaste (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 1 (old formulation)
  • Green Beaver Natural Toothpaste (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating: 2
  • Jason Natural Cosmetics Orange Kids Only Toothpaste: (Fluoride and Fluoride Free)  Certified organic, wheat and gluten free – Skin Deep Rating: 2 (w/ Fluoride: N/A)
  • Natural Dentist (Fluoride and Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep: 4 – They only have a rating for the kids toothpaste with Fluoride
  • Miessence Organics Toothpaste (Fluoride Free) – Skin Deep Rating (0-1)
  • Toothsoap (Fluoride Free)
  • Dr. Nate’s Natural Toothpaste (Xylitol instead of Fluoride)

(Note: It was just pointed out to me that some aluminum toothpaste tubes may contain BPA so depending on whether recyclable vs possible traces of BPA is your concern, you can make that call.

Make Your Own

Our friends at LuSa Organics (they make awesome soaps and body care… I live for their body scrubs) posted a great blog post and tutorial for making your own toothpaste.  Check it out: LuSa Organics Homemade Toothpaste

  • 2 tsp Natural Liquid Soap (try unscented Dr. Bronner’s or similar)
  • 4 Tb Coconut Oil
  • 1 Tb Water
  • 2 Tb Xylitol (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Stevia powder
  • 10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
  • 5-10 drops Spearmint or Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Boil a small pan of water. Measure out 1 Tb and stir into it Xylitol (optional). Stir to dissolve. Melt coconut oil and add to water mixture. Measure in soap and stevia and blend (a stick blender works well if you have one. Otherwise use your regular blender or whisk by hand like mad).  Blend while the formula cools enough to stay combined. Add essential oils and transfer to a clean squeeze or pump bottle. Cool completely, shake well. Read their full post here… make sure to also check out their skincare items…. Looooove!

BPA / PVC / Phthalate Free Toothbrushes

Here’s a quick list of the toothbrushes we know of that are BPA and PVC free from our previous search for safer toothbrushes, FAQ: What’s In My Toddlers Toothbrush, along with a couple new ones.

I stumbled onto The Soft Landing’s safer toothbrush finds in their blog. (I should have known Alicia would be on top of this one!)  She says the following are all BPA/PVC/Phthalate Free too:

  • RazBaby (Silicone)
  • Nuby 3 piece set
  • Kushies Baby Banana Brush
  • Baby Buddy (Silicone)
  • Smile Brite (Bunnies and Child’s First)
  • Kent Toothbrushes (all)

Dental Sealants

many people worry about BPA in dental sealants and it’s a real concern, especially for kids.  Our pediatric dentist uses UltraSeal XT Plus (Made by UltraDent Products. Inc.) which contains no BPA according to the company.  So if your dentist tells you it doesn’t exist, educate them or find a dentist that is up to speed on issues like BPA in dentistry.