With more and more natural products to choose from in 2023 than in the last several decades, it can feel overwhelming to choose a toothpaste. If you’re like most people, you worry about selecting a poorly formulated toothpaste that harms your health instead of helping your teeth. Or perhaps you’re working with chemical sensitivities due to an autoimmune disease or mast cell activation.

If it helps to calm your anxieties, remember that your toothpaste is not the most important factor when it comes to maintaining oral health. Regardless of what toothpaste you use, brushing techniques, flossing, and diet all have a much more profound effect on the health of your mouth.

However, since you likely still want to know how to select a high-quality natural toothpaste, here’s the bottom line. Your perfect toothpaste will always come down to the right ingredients.

While there are plenty of lists out there proclaiming to know the 10 or 15 best natural toothpastes on the market, you may not always trust where the information is coming from, especially given that the top articles on Google aren’t always written by experts. When you end up in a store comparing product labels, it’s a lot more useful to understand how different toothpaste ingredients impact our bodies.

Some ingredients, such as fluoride, are especially important to avoid if you want to keep harmful toxins out of your body. Meanwhile, other ingredients are essential nutrients for some people but act as toxins for others. Once you understand which ingredients work for you and which don’t, you can make an educated decision with confidence.

Ingredients to keep out of your toothpaste

Most big-name-brand toothpastes include a myriad of ingredients that can have harmful effects on your health. Here are a few of the most common toxins to look out for in your toothpaste.

• Fluoride is recognized as a neurotoxin in children and has been repeatedly linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancer, infertility, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and heart disease. Today, people are overexposed to fluoride through drinking water, medications, pesticides, and other environmental sources, putting people at risk of fluoride toxicity when new sources are added.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), also sometimes called Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, is a suspected endocrine disruptor. Because it mimics estrogen in the body, SLS is often linked to hormonal diseases such as Endometriosis and  Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
• Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and other sugar alcohols negatively affect your mouth’s bacterial biome. However, xylitol has been shown to aid cavity prevention, and despite its disadvantages, is present in many good toothpastes.
• Glycerin can coat the teeth, blocking the absorption of nutrients and minerals from the toothpaste.
• Triclosan is a hormone disruptor often found in pesticides. Because Triclosan is also an antibiotic, it can significantly disturb your microbiome.

In addition, toothpastes that contain multiple ingredients selected for their antibiotic properties can harm your mouth’s bacterial biome. While some bacteria can cause cavities, your mouth actually depends on good bacteria to stay healthy. You don’t want to kill off this good bacteria by treating your mouth with harsh ingredients.

Ingredients to consider including in your toothpaste

It can be easy to get stuck on individual ingredients and find yourself met with decision paralysis or worse––no toothpaste that measures up to your standard. If this happens to you, take a moment to pause and take a breath. Remember that the goal is to find a toothpaste that agrees with you for the most part without overthinking it.

It might not be possible (or practical) to find a product that both avoids toxic ingredients and incorporates all of your wish-list ingredients. In some cases, you may need to compromise, and that’s okay. Alternatively, if you have unique needs that aren’t possible to compromise on, you can make your own DIY toothpaste at home or just use water.

Here are some natural toothpaste ingredients that can benefit your health.

• Bentonite clay helps absorb toxins from the body, which is why it’s also a popular ingredient in natural skincare products. In addition, bentonite clay carries trace minerals that can benefit your teeth.
• Calcium carbonate, or chalk powder, offers a natural way to neutralize your mouth’s pH. Since tooth decay is largely caused by oral acidity, calcium carbonate has huge benefits for cavity prevention.
• Coconut oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent that can improve gut health and prevent acid buildup in the mouth.
• Some sweeteners, such as monk fruit and stevia, aren’t likely to cause tooth decay when included in toothpaste.
• Essential oils are often added to toothpaste for flavor, but sometimes in excess, which can disrupt the microbiome.
• Hydroxyapatite is what tooth enamel is made of. Studies show that hydroxyapatite helps mineralize teeth as well (or better than) fluoride, all without toxicity.
• Vitamin E is an antioxidant that reduces gum inflammation, lowering your risk of developing periodontal disease.
• Probiotics can be added to toothpaste to decrease oral acidity and rebalance your microbiome. However, for the rest of the gut, there are better ways to deliver probiotics.

If you’re looking for inspiration or aren’t sure where to start, check out Pearlie White’s Optimal A.R.T. Active Remineralization Toothpaste. Alternatively, Coral White Mint Toothpaste is a great option with clean ingredients.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this post should not be interpreted as medical advice or substituted for medical or dental treatment. Gabriel Malouf, Sustineri Dental employees, and contractors are not responsible for health outcomes related to blog content. Please consult your health team about your personal needs.