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My remineralizing toothpaste is one of my most visited posts and I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people who have switched and love it. After my husband and I both remineralized our teeth and reversed cavities, I definitely became a convert to natural toothpastes and a supportive diet.
The only downfall to my homemade toothpaste is that it can leave a residue on sinks and there can be some concerns with the coconut oil if you have a septic system (as we do).
I’ve also recently discovered the many benefits of healing clays and wanted to figure out how to incorporate this into our oral health regimen, but there were some definite texture issues with the clays and coconut oil.
I wondered if a healing tooth powder would work and I couldn’t be happier with the results. It is easier to make than the toothpaste and you can use ground herbs and spices instead of the essential oils, which saves money.
Why Tooth Powder?
The main ingredient in this tooth powder is bentonite clay, which I’ve recently become a huge fan of. Not only does it bind to and draw out heavy metals and toxins (a huge plus for the mouth!), but it is alkaline and full of minerals.
It can be taken internally to help with toxin removal, so it is safe for use in the mouth and it contains calcium, magnesium, and silica which are nourishing for the teeth! According to Mountain Rose Herbs:
Bentonite is very unusual in the fact that once it becomes hydrated, the electrical and molecular components of the clay rapidly change and produce an “electrical charge”. Its highest power lies in the ability to absorb toxins, impurities, heavy metals and other internal contaminants. Bentonite clay’s structure assists it in attracting and soaking up poisons on its exterior wall and then slowly drawing them into the interior center of the clay where it is held in a sort of repository.
To state it another way…
Bentonite is a swelling clay. When it becomes mixed with water it rapidly swells open like a highly porous sponge. From here the toxins are drawn into the sponge through electrical attraction and once there, they are bound.
It is also extremely gentle and has a milder taste for kids. I also use bentonite clay for facial masks, healing poultices, and when drying hair naturally to keep color on.
The other ingredients are supportive of the mouth as well:
- Baking soda is alkaline and contains minerals. It also helps remove stains.
- Calcium powder provides extra calcium to provide minerals and whiten.
- Ground cloves are naturally antibacterial and gives a great taste.
- Cinnamon is also antibacterial, tastes great, and helps discourage bacterial growth in the mouth.
- Mint tastes great and is soothing to the gums.
- Xylitol is completely optional and adds sweetness.
Remineralizing Tooth Powder Recipe
Materials
- 2 TBSP dried mint leaf (or a few drops peppermint essential oil, optional)
- ¼ cup bentonite clay
- 3 TBSP calcium carbonate powder
- 1 TBSP baking soda (optional)
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1-3 tsp ground cloves
- 1 TBSP xylitol powder (or more to taste)
- essential oils (such as peppermint, spearmint, or cinnamon, optional)
Instructions
- If using, mint leaf, powder in a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or pint size mason jar and store in a small glass jar with a lid.
- To use, wet the toothbrush, dip into the powder, brush, and rinse.
Notes
How to Use Tooth Powder
Wet the toothbrush (I use a Bass brush from OraWellness since it is super gentle on the gums and cleans better) and dip into the powder. I also add a few drops of OraWellness Brushing Blend. Brush using the Bass Brushing Technique until teeth are clean. Rinse with cool water. Can be used daily (or multiple times daily) and is fine for adults and kids.
My Oral Health Regimen
My teeth have never been whiter or healthier (according to my dentist) thanks to my oral health regimen. It includes a healthy diet that supports oral health and a specific brushing regimen. This is what I do daily (which reversed cavities for both my husband and me):
- Brush with activated charcoal powder to kill bacteria, remove toxins and whiten. Don’t do this everyday, but every couple of days.
- Brush with tooth powder or remineralizing toothpaste with a few drops of OraWellness Brushing Blend.
- Rinse mouth.
- Finish by rubbing a few drops of Brushing Blend on my gums and tongue to discourage bacterial growth, especially at night (and because it tastes great!).
- Repeat one or more times a day!
What is your oral health routine? Ever used a natural product? Reversed a cavity? I’d love to hear about it below!
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i’ve been using this for a few days now, and while my teeth feel clean, my gums on the very back and inflamed and sensitive. any suggestions as to why or how to fix it?
You could have a reaction to one of the ingredients. Did you use all of the ones I listed or did you substitute some?
I used everything on your list (minus the OraWellness stuff and charcoal cause it’s in the mail) so everything on your actual recipe – and I got the Calcium Citrate instead of magnesium because I didn’t realize before i purchased.
There is a possibility it is a detox reaction to bacteria dying in your mouth. Make sure to swish really well before and after. Perhaps also email OraWellness as oral health is their speciality…
OK I’ll do that. thanks so much!! Even my husband (who was skeptical st first) is liking using this better than regular toothpaste! I hope I can get this issue resolved because otherwise it’s been going great! and I greatly appreciate you actually responding to comments – not all bloggers do – and it sure is frustrating! thanks again!
Nichole..Did your gums ever improve? I’m worried that since I started using homemade tooth powder (not this exact recipe) that my gums are a lot more swollen and sore. Also my teeth are getting less white. So I’m concerned flouride was controlling these issues. Anyways…did your swollen gums go away?
Ellen – yes! My gums are way better now. I did start using the OraWellness EO blend after brushing though so I’m sure that contributes to the improvement. We have been using this for quite some time now and I have noticed my gums and teeth are better.
30 years ago a dental assistant student told me she had just seen her “first case of spontaneous recalcification of teeth.” I was 35 at the time, and that was the first time I had ever heard or thought of such a thing. I have been asking dentists for 3 decades about that, without success.
A couple of months ago I came across OraWellness. As a health educator myself, I was very impressed with their full and clear explanations. They are providing us and our children a remarkable service, and are the kind of people I love to buy from.
The first question in any financial transaction cannot be price or quality. We need to always ask first, “Whom is my money supporting?” Then price and quality.
Water the flowers you want to grow.
i had the same reaction! it went away after a few days tho..pretty sure it was my mouth detoxing..
I am looking for the calcium magnesium powder and found something called Kal Dolomite Powder that has Calcium Carbonate from Dolomite and Magnesium Carbonate from Dolomite….is this okay or should I look for something different? Thanks!!!
I second that question. I cant seem to find anything through my internet searches. I would think that this dolomite powder should be a good ingredient for tooth powder being that magnesium is also beneficial to building strong teeth. I just don’t know if it should be used externally or internally to provide the most benefit.
Is bentonite clay the only one you would recommend, or are there other types of clay that would also work?
I haven’t tried any others in toothpaste, but I would think White Kaolin would also work great…
I just made the powder and have 2 questions: The bentonite powder from Amazon says its for external use only. Are you sure it’s ok to use in the mouth.?
Also I’ve used it 3 days now and my throat is feeling a bit sore. Any thoughts?…
I was thinking the same thing myself. I have read that Bentonite clay is not suitable for people with dental fillings, so would kaolin clay be a suitable alternative or will this leach mercury from fillings too?
I am interested to try this but i have a question regarding tooth sensitivity. Over the last couple years my teeth have become pretty sensitive (mostly to cold) so i’ve been using one of the toothpastes for sensitive teeth which has helped. Will remineralizing my teeth and using a toothpowder help with sensitivity? Or do you know any other natural options which would help? Thank you!
This has done wonders for me. Between this and the supplements I’ve taken to heal my teeth, I don’t have sensitive teeth for the first time in my life. I was on a lot of antibiotics as a kid and haven’t ever been able to eat cold foods until recently. I used to cringe even looking at someone bite into ice cream or a popsicle…
I find that I don’t have tooth sensitivity when I take blue green algae.
I commend your research on maintaining proper oral health. For what it is worth I am a dentist and stay current on dental literature. I definitely agree that having a good diet is crucial in preventing cavities. However, you are being misled with the notion that you can reverse tooth cavities. There is no such agent. Once bacteria “eat” the tooth, more enamel/dentin cannot be regenerated. Remineralization is not the same as regeneration. Remineralization is continually occurring intraorally despite using toothpaste. Fluoride is the main mineral that reintergrates making the tooth more resistant to decay. I hope this is beneficial.
I appreciate you weighing in on the issue, but I’ll have to disagree slightly. I’ve had a cavity in my mouth that needed to be filled reverse itself (according to my dentist at my next visit). the same was true for a cavity in my husband’s mouth and I’ve heard similar accounts from several other people now. Also, from my research, while fluoride can make teeth “harder” it also makes them more brittle, and is not without its risks in many other areas besides dental health.
I have also reversed a cavity completely and improved another one. My dentist was very surprised. I have refused the filling on the “improved” one as well. I’m hoping it reverses. It’s at least not getting worse. #Win
I have reversed SIX cavities and I’m working on two more! You can heal them!
I’d love to know how you reversed them. I have a few I’d like to do that with. I’ve started pulling with coconut oil and brush some with coconut oil and banking soda. I still use commercial toothpaste more though. I just found this site and can’t wait to start using this tooth powder and toothpaste. I’m quite self conscious about my smile because of the way my teeth look. I have good hygiene habits, I drank a lot of soda (mtn. dew especially) in my teens and am now paying for it orally. Thanks for the help and advice.
I’ve also went in for a filling only to find the tooth had re-calcified and no longer needed work.
Just wondering the status of your cavities now? Its been a few years since the post about how you reversed it. Is this still the case?
Thanks
How long does it take for the cavity to reverse?
I know this has been a few years old comment , but I would like to know how your teeth regenerated…
My tooth has a pretty big hole in it due to a cavity. I am definitely going to make this recipe and try to heal my teeth and my son’s. I am willing to be optimistic about this and believe what you say, but I have to also wonder if what Lisa says is valid .
I had an irridologist even tell me that it’s not possible to regenerate a tooth that had been destroyed by the bacteria of a cavity. And well for an irridologist to even say that may mean that this isn’t as good as it seems. Perhaps you are healing up the bacteria and the infection, but the tooth itself is not whole again, and is subject always to cavities.
If you have a large hole it would take some time to remineralize. I was very skeptical about reversing cavities, but I had a small cavity- a “sticky spot” my dentist called it- for several years that I declined to have filled. After 6 months using the powder he was no longer concerned about it or thought it needed to be filled. After 1 year it is completely undetectable. My dental hygentist was impressed enough to switch to this recipe!
My 11 year old son and I have been using this for about 3 months. My son had a cavity in his molar. A hole started to appear snd now the hole seems to be getting bigger. Is this because it’s pulling out the decay? I’m keeping an eye on it but I’m starting to get concerned.
For best results of reminerlizing teeth, be aware that diet can be a crucial part of the regiman. A diet of little or no sugar, little or no fruit, calcium/phosphorus mineral rich foods, (like bone broths, drinking lots of raw milk, we get ours from a licenced mostly grass-fed farm,) eating real foods, real cheese, (I can’t afford the raw so we eat lots of the regular cured cheese not processed) liver or a good kind of desiccated liver powder, (my butcher 4 miles from here sells liver for a good price cause a lot of people don’t want theirs) and perhaps avoiding grains or preparing them properly because of phytic acid, and most important, high in vitamin d green pastures fermented cod liver oil and butter oil (which is activator x), I also am taking Dr Christopher’s complete tissue and bone formula in the capsules, about 10 a day. I wish someone had told me how important diet is with the first tooth I was trying to remineralize. Do the research. 🙂
D.D.S and M.D.s are taught one way of thinking and that is inside the box.
Dr. Weston Price came to new conclusions after his son’s dental death and a lifetime of searching the world to find other cultures having excellent teeth and bone health. If D.D.S would take the time to read and study his findings and practice them, we would all be winners.
We are suppose to have all the oral advantages after 70+ years of Modern Dentistry — I fail to see any. Tomorrow I take my mom to have 7 more teeth pulled and she has had excellent “U.S.A. Dentistry” oral care all her life, former R.N.
I refuse to go down the previous generations path of cavities, root canals, crowns, etc.. destroying our teeth.
Mainstream dentistry is part of the problem not helping us preserve our teeth and inflicting pain on us … Fluoride is definitely not the answer. I, like so many others, are looking for new answers, relearning a new way of life. We demand healthier teeth and bones even if we have to find the answers ourselves from sites like these. Research is a must for the Truth !!
Well, I’m NOT a dentist but I do have x-rays proving that two cavities I had several years ago (but couldn’t afford to take care of) are completely gone now. So clearly they can be reversed.
Charissa- what routine (& recipe) did you follow to accomplish this?
Hoping you see this even 8 months out?
Of course the teeth can heal themselves. As a very wise, very successful chiropractor used to say 100 times a day, Every Tissue Can Regenerate. Glad to see that other lay persons weighed in on this professional’s opinion. There are many testimonials on the internet about dental exams and cleanings before and after oil pulling and other remineralization procedures, noting that not only are teeth whiter, but gum pockets are re-filling, soft areas of teeth are hardening, and tooth pain with heat and cold are reversed. Of course the teeth can heal themselves. The enamel itself has tiny conduits for dentinal fluid to flow out and both flush away hostile microorganisms and assist in the normal repair of tooth surfaces. Oral pH is an easy ongoing measurement. People should be more familiar with oral pH than with their blood pressure or cholesterol. Regular dental exams to monitor (measure) softness, gum pockets and sensitivity That which is measured improves, and that which is measured and reported improves more quickly.
Jonathan, This is what I also believe is true and hope it’s the case! My son has an autoimmune disease that is destroying his colon, and I trust that when I finally figure out how to control it, we can begin some healing!
I have been using the tooth powder recommended here, alternating with baking soda and coconut oil, and occasionally oil pulling. I’ve been unable to spend the money for a dentist visit with my son’s health a pressing priority. Since I’ve always had healthy mouth bacteria (no decay and great gums) how long do you think I can put off the dentist? Any opinion since you mention “regular dental exams”?
The dental visit I am recommending may actually be a visit to the dental assistant who normally cleans teeth. With your dentist’s approval and understanding, the assistant can probably record and measure existing caries, ditto gum pockets, and note bleeding and redness. I make it quite clear that this is for measuring my own home care and attempts to restore health to the mouth and remineralize decay.
My own plan it to return in 60 days for a follow up, and perhaps for 6 month checks twice, and annually from then onward. No (more) xrays for the present. I have also asked what to budget for the doctor’s and/or assistant’s time if I have questions regarding my oral health or research findings.
My understanding is that ~70% of all dental work is for caries under previous fillings. Quality dentists are recognizing that science is replacing drill-fill-and-bill, and that “value-added” in my own case is advice on how to keep my own teeth, and assistance in doing so through my own home care.
2014 17 Sep 2016
Lynn, check out the local college dental school. I pretty much have never had regular dental visits my whole life, except while on active duty in the Army, and they destroyed several of my teeth. Anyway, as a kid we always went to the dental school at the local college–actually it was the university when I was a kid & my mom used to be a final exam case & was paid for it because she had such a small mouth with crowded teeth. I now take my child to the local community college dental school. It is waaaay cheaper than seeing a regular dentist–like $45 dollars for a cleaning & x-rays. Check into it at any rate. Can’t be a bad way to go. Delta Dental gave a bunch of grant money to our local community college for cleanings & molar sealings so the last visits were free–+$200 of work on teeth for about 3 1/2-4 hours of our time–all day long baby!!
In regard to the oral wellness brushing blend – how long does that little bottle last you?
It lasts one person a couple months… great for traveling too..
Have you tried making your own version of the “Brushing Blend”? I am trying to make as much of our own hygiene products as possible. We love you site.
I went to the website and found the ingredient list. After a little experimentation, I devised this recipe, and both my family and my friends LOVE the taste, and all have had claims of brighter, whiter teeth almost instantly!! Here goes!
For every 2oz of almond oil, add:
9 drops Cinnamon Leaf oil
6 drops Peppermint oil
4 drops Spearmint oil
4 drops Tea Tree oil (Didn’t have Manuka on hand)
3 drops Clove
2 drops Myrrh
just made this … decreased cinnamon by 2 drops and added 2 drops of lemon….can’t wait to try it! SSOOOOOO much cheaper than buying from Orawellness … since the main ingredient is organic almond oil!
I also use Red Thyme essential oil then alternate coconut oil with red palm tree oil.
Better to avoid palm oil as it is extremely detrimental to the environment. The palm oil industry is wiping out critical biodiverse rainforests, use child labor, increasing fossil fuels, and so much more. Half of the products in grocery stores have palm oil. Palm oil also has a ton of unhealthy saturated fat!!
Thank you for this contribution! I was just trying to figure out the same thing when I found this!
I have been using the OraWellness drops for over a year, but saw your recipe and thought I’d give it a try, to compare. I’m wondering if 2oz should actually be .2 oz because the batch I made didn’t have near the zing that OraWellness does—didn’t even compare. 🙁 Now I feel like I wasted a lot of product.
Just add more essential oil to the mix if you want it stronger- nothing wasted!
May want to also get the Manuka instead of Tea Tree – it’s way stronger than Tea Tree.
(Just ordered the ingredients myself – thanks for the recipe, I’ve used OraWellness and OraMD for awhile and I’m excited to try this!)
I totally love this site too!
I’d love to try this mineral combo… I just want to make it into toothpaste. I don’t want to add coconut oil to it because I am on a septic system. Any ideas?
Christa, this recipe doesn’t have coconut oil 🙂 I think it gets a little “pasty” once you start brushing with a little water? I could be wrong! I’m currently using a tooth soap which *does* have coconut oil in it, and I’m a little nervous since I live in an old house. I think this tooth powder will be much better!
You could all pure aloe vera gel (mountain rose herbs has it) or just as water as you use it since the clay forms a great gel when it hits water (just don’t mix a lot ahead of time)
Thanks so much… I’ll start experimenting
The Calcium Citrate (NOW brand) says for Adults only…is it okay for my two year old to use this tooth powder, since he isn’t rinsing like a pro yet? I know you say it is good for kids….but I thought I better double check…toddlers too? Right now we are using a homemade tooth soap which he loves…but I’m a little concerned about the shelf life since it contains water. How do I know if the tooth “soap” has “gone bad”?! Thanks for all your work! I’m new here and am LOVING your site 🙂
For kids, i’d use this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002PU648/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002PU648 but even the other powder is fine. It’s just not one you want to supplement with kids since their calcium levels can get out of balance faster than ours…
At what age can kids start using this toothpaste? I have an 11 month old with 7 teeth already. We brush with just a silicone finger-brush, but I am wondering if I should start using some sort of toothpaste for her? But she obviously isn’t going to rinse her mouth out, lol. Maybe this is a silly question, but I’m a first-time mom and haven’t read much about teeth-care for little ones. Do you have any thoughts?
Can you use another sweetner? I have dogs so I don’t keep Xylitol in my house since I heard it is toxic to them.
You actually don’t need a sweetener at all, but you can get dried stevia leaf powder and use that… works great.
What about regular stevia sweetener, instead of the leaf powder?
It will work too…
I use honey to sweeten, it is no longer a powder, but works for me!