Remineralizing Tooth Powder For a Healthier Mouth

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Remedies » Remineralizing Tooth Powder For a Healthier Mouth

My remineralizing toothpaste is one of the most visited posts at Wellness Mama. Over the years I’ve had a lot of emails from people who’ve switched and love it. After I remineralized my teeth and reversed cavities, I became a convert to natural toothpaste!

The only downfall to my homemade toothpaste is that it can leave residue on sinks. Plus there’s some concern with the coconut oil if you have a septic system (like we do). I also wanted to figure out how to incorporate the benefits of healing clays into our oral health regimen. However, there were some definite texture issues with the clays and coconut oil.

What resulted was this remineralizing tooth powder and I couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s even easier to make than homemade toothpaste. Plus you can use ground herbs and spices instead of essential oils if preferred.

Choosing a Natural Toothpaste

Over the past decade, more and more natural toothpastes have come on the market. They advertise fluoride-free, sulfate-free, and natural ingredients. Some are certainly better than others, but there are some good ones on the market. I compare different natural toothpastes in this article. Or you can find the toothpaste I helped develop here (we have tooth whitening toothpaste plus a kid’s strawberry flavor!).

You’ll still find DIY products in my bathroom though because I love being able to customize my oral care products.

Why Tooth Powder?

Natural tooth powder is less messy than a tube of toothpaste. This makes it easier to travel with or take camping. I don’t have to worry about toothpaste all over my clothes if it accidentally gets squished in my suitcase. And it has a much longer shelf life since we’re not introducing any liquids.

The main ingredient in this homemade tooth powder is bentonite clay. Years ago I became a big fan of bentonite clay for its amazing health properties. Not only does it bind and draw out heavy metals and toxins (a big plus for the mouth!), but it’s also mineral rich.

You can take bentonite internally to help remove toxins, so it’s safe to use in the mouth. Be sure to get food-grade bentonite clay though! The one I have linked in the recipe below is safe to use internally. In recent years there’s been talk about the lead naturally found in bentonite clay. While there is a tiny amount of lead (like many things), it’s bound within the clay and not bioavailable. You can read more about that here.

Bentonite is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and silica to help nourish teeth. So how does it work? Bentonite clay is unique because once mixed with water the molecules develop an electrical charge. This charge attracts and soaks up toxins, drawing them into the inside of the clay structure and holding them there.

To put it another way…

Bentonite is a swelling clay. When it becomes mixed with water it rapidly swells open like a highly porous sponge that traps toxins. It’s also very gentle and has a milder taste. I use it for facial masks, healing poultices, and even my hair.

Healthy Tooth Powder Ingredients

The other tooth powder ingredients also support a healthy oral microbiome. The blend of herbs and minerals fights bad breath and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. For a pure mint flavor you can use more mint and omit the cinnamon and clove. You can adjust the amount of powder to your preferences. Personally, I love the balanced blend of organic peppermint powder, cinnamon, and refreshing clove.

  • Baking soda – Helps remove stains and whiten teeth but it’s gentle enough that it won’t harm enamel. Helps remove plaque and reduces gum bleeding and inflammation. Because it’s alkaline it supports a healthy mouth pH to discourage harmful bacteria.
  • Calcium Carbonate powder – Provides the calcium needed for strong enamel and can help reduce tooth sensitivity.
  • Ground cloves – Naturally antioxidant and a broad spectrum antimicrobial. Clove freshens breath, increases circulation for healthier gums, soothes inflammation, and can reduce the pain of sensitive teeth. It also gives the tooth powder a yummy taste.
  • Cinnamon – Also antimicrobial and antifungal (especially against candida). Tastes great and helps discourage bacterial growth in the mouth for fresh breath. Reduces gum inflammation and increases circulation.
  • Mint – Tastes great and soothes the gums. Mint is antimicrobial, helps relieve tooth pain, and freshens breath. There’s also some evidence it can help fight the virus that causes cold sores.
  • Xylitol – This sweetener adds to the tooth powder flavor but also has some impressive oral health benefits. Studies show it helps fight plaque and gingivitis inflammation. It also helps prevent cavities and binds with calcium to help remineralize teeth.

Adding Essential Oils

It’s completely optional, but you can add some essential oils to your tooth powder. They’re a potent way to increase the oral health benefits. Most antimicrobial essential oils are strong so a little goes a long way. When I add essential oils to this recipe, I just add a few drops total per batch.

Here are some essential oils to try in your DIY tooth powder!

The great thing about this tooth powder is you can customize the flavor however you want. You can add essential oils to increase the potency or leave them out for a milder taste (that even my kids like).

remineralizing tooth powder
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4.37 from 138 votes

Remineralizing Tooth Powder

This homemade tooth powder uses ingredients that rebuild enamel, freshen breath, and detox your mouth.
Yield: 0 cups
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

Instructions

  • Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to mash any clumps and mix in any essential oils (if using).
  • Store in a small glass jar with a lid.
  • To use, place some powder in your palm and dip a wet toothbrush into the powder. Brush and rinse.

Notes

You can customize the powder to your taste and all of the herbal ingredients are optional. Create your own flavor with the herbs and essential oils of your choice.

How to Use Tooth Powder

Dump a little powder into your palm and dip the bristles of a wet toothbrush into the powder. Sometimes I’ll also add a few drops of the OraWellness Brushing Blend. Brush and rinse with cool water. Adults and kids can use this daily (or multiple times a day). Follow it up with some mouthwash or flossing if needed.

Shelf Life and Storage

This tooth powder will last for several years if stored properly. Store away from direct light and heat (like the car in summer). While it doesn’t have any water and the ingredients are antimicrobial, be sure to avoid getting the tooth powder jar wet. Always put a little powder into your palm before applying it to a wet toothbrush. Never dip the brush into the jar of powder as this introduces bacteria.

Oral Health Regimen

My teeth have never been whiter or healthier (according to my dentist) thanks to my oral health regimen. I eat foods that support oral health and use mouth-healthy products. I don’t do the same thing every single day, but here are some of the things I use. I’ve changed it up some since I reversed my cavities and often now I’ll just use Wellnesse toothpaste.

Have you ever had success reversing a cavity? What does your oral health routine look like? Leave a comment and share below!

Sources
  1. Valeii, K. (2022, August 8). Does Brushing Teeth With Baking Soda Really Work? Very Well Health.
  2. Gasmi Benahmed, A., et al. (2020). Health benefits of xylitol. Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 104(17), 7225–7237.
  3. Lin, S. (n.d.) How to Cure Tooth Decay | A Dentist’s Guide to Reverse Cavities in 3 Steps. Dr. Steven Lin.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

767 responses to “Remineralizing Tooth Powder For a Healthier Mouth”

  1. Jennie Avatar

    I realize that this article is an older one, but I’ve just gotten into this life style and wanted to give a suggestion to leave out the cinnamon. I had decently white teeth before I started using a tooth powder with cinnamon in it and now my teeth look yellow/brown. I’ve ommited the cinnamon from every batch since my first and am finally seeing a difference again. I use bentonite clay, baking soda, clove oil & peppermint oil.

  2. JoAnna Avatar

    Hello Wellness Mama! We have used your tooth powder recipe for 3 years now and we LOVE IT! My husband says “that tooth powder changed my life”. I have one recommendation though: we tried dipping our tooth brushes in the powder and found that since they wet their tooth brushes first they get water into their powder and it turns into pebbles over time. Our solution: I repurposed a glass spice container (the one from ground cinnamon actually) to put the powder in, taped over the little holes in the lid so it only comes out of the larger pour hole and we just tap the tooth powder into our mouth right from the container. Keeps the powder dry which makes it last longer for us. Hope this helps anyone else that ends up with rock hard tooth powder like we did.

    1. Grace Avatar

      Great suggestion on using the glass spice shaker, JoAnna! Myself and my kids use this and my kids especially have seen the issue you describe. I’m going to try your suggestion. Thanks

      Side note, I’ve been using this recipe for at least 3 years now and truly believe it is the best thing for my teeth

  3. Tiffany Avatar

    Hi,
    I’m wondering if you can use ANY clay to replace the clay in the recipe? I have heaps of French Pink Clay for example and would prefer to use what I have got. I haven’t been able to find anything else online about using replacements to the Bentonite clay.
    Thanks in advance.
    Tiffany

  4. Jennifer R Williams Avatar
    Jennifer R Williams

    Hi Katie!

    In my seemingly never-ending quest to minimize or eliminate non-recyclable packaging in my life, I decided to start making my own toothpaste. I, of course, used your “recipe”, and brushed with it for the first time tonight.

    Amazing! I love it! Not only will this rid me of the toothpaste tubes I generate, but it also tastes so good I will actually look forward to brushing as never before!

    Now we’ll see what the dentist says at my next checkup in a few months!

    Thanks for sharing!

  5. Paula Avatar

    Thanks for the recipe!!
    can i use calcium bentonite clay instead of Sodium Bentonite clay(mentioned in your recipe) & ditch the calcium powder ?

    it seems calcium clay is much more popular

  6. Genevieve Avatar
    Genevieve

    I just made up a batch of this toothpowder and tried it. Works great. For years I have been using a clay based toothpaste that went out of business.

    Hope this works long term!

  7. Liane Avatar

    Hi Katie – I’d love to start using your toothpowder not least because I’m tryintg to be greener but am also sensitive to SLS but wonder if there would be any issues with the Bentonite Clay pulling mercury from my amalgam fillings? (I’m very sadly a child of the ‘drill and fill’ era, had grandparents who owned a ‘candy’ shop and wasn’t supervised with tooth brushing as a youngster 🙁 ).
    I wonder if spitting out the paste after brushing and rinsing out well would be sufficient to prevent issues with mercury release ?

    PS Love your articles!

  8. Kerri Avatar

    You should mention that you should not use metal with bentonite clay. Since bentonite clay absorbs heavy metals if you stir it with a metal spoon or store it in a metal container it will lessen the effects of the bentonite clay.

  9. Osnat Avatar

    Thanks so much Katie, I have been using your toothpaste with the coconut oil for the past few months, but this powder seems to be even better, I will make it today.
    As I live in india I cannot get the overwellness brushing blend….. can you recommend something else, or can I make it myself?
    Thanks for everything you do for us, you are amazing xx

  10. Peter Avatar

    Please be aware regarding cinnamon oil, as a flavouring enhancement; from personal experience, I can tell you that it has the capacity to make your mouth very sore if you use too much. I didn’t have this problem when using powdered cinnamon (although the bits can get ‘stuck’ inbetween teeth), nor have I suffered any ill effects from strongly flavoured tooth powder made with peppermint oil. Until I diluted it 4x with further calcium, b.p. and xanthan gum, I suffered with inflammation and ulcering of the mouth from cinnamon oil. It might be the case that 1 particular constituent was to blame, and that different cinnamon oils have different profiles, making some safer to use than other, alas this is only conjecture. Ultimately homemade toothpowder is awesome, as someone who had reasonably sensitive teeth for years, and had used Sensodyne and then a safer mass-produced ‘natural’ product, I cannot think of a good reason why I would ever buy ready made stuff ever again. Thanks for your work on this.

  11. Alex Avatar

    I have been following this same regimen for over a year now. My gums have stopped receding and I don’t have pain with hot or cold as bad as I used too. I love how easy the tooth powder is to make. And my kids love using it too. Thanks Katie!

  12. TK Avatar

    Hey thank you for sharing this recipe and wisdom. I am wondering about bentonite clay vs. kaolin clay for remineralizing. I wonder, with curiosity and not critique…if bentonite swells and absorbs toxins, how to know that it’s not absorbing minerals too? With appreciation, TK

  13. Sophie Avatar

    Hi, I used Green Calcium made from Lithothamnium calcareum in making this powder instead of the calcium carbonate powder as it was what I had on hand and it is working really well. But I’m wondering if it may be abrasive. Does anyone know? Thanks 🙂

  14. Daniel Avatar

    What about the abrasiveness of the xylitol? It’s more like granules than powder and I ordered the same like you supplied on your recipe. How do you get that to be not so abrasive?

  15. cc Avatar

    Hello, thank you for your informative posts! I have a couple quick questions:

    1) I have a few amalgam fillings in my mouth (will eventually have them removed), but my concern is, is it safe to use something that draws out heavy metals (such as what’s in these fillings) like bentonite clay does? From my understanding, that is when they become unsafe (when they leech or are drawn out by acids and such).

    2) How do you know you reversed cavities? Weren’t they filled? Or did you learn of them through your dentist, leave them unfilled, and then went back and were told they had reversed?

    Thanks! CC

  16. Caitee Avatar

    I just wanted to say… I made this a few weeks ago because I’m pregnant and I wanted something with less chemicals that would keep my teeth healthy this pregnancy. Ive found that my teeth and gums have both been really sensitive this pregnancy, and my last pregnancy I developed several cavities.
    I’ve been using my own little version of this recipe for a few weeks now and every time, my teeth feel even better. Not only do they feel cleaner than they ever have with conventional toothpaste, they also seem to feel stronger with every use. My sensitivity issues are almost totally gone. Ive also noticed that my teeth seem to be white than theyve been in a long time, which is great because my baby shower is in two days. I’ve made quite a few of my own products before, but I’ve never been as satisfied as I have with this one.
    If you make any one personal care item for yourself/your family, make this one. You will not regret it.

  17. B. Maurene Avatar
    B. Maurene

    Could one use Stevia in toothpaste instead of Xylitol? The later is quite toxic for dogs and I would never buy it?

4.37 from 138 votes (108 ratings without comment)

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