Coconut Oil Toothpaste: Benefits and DIY Guide
Ever since Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop revealed the benefits of oil pulling, using coconut oil toothpaste has been a popular trend. But, is coconut oil toothpaste really good for your teeth? Discover the benefits of coconut oil on your teeth, and learn how to make your own toothpaste easily.
What Is Coconut Oil Toothpaste?
Coconut oil is a natural oil found in coconut palm fruit. It’s edible, and it has a lot of benefits on your skin, in your cooking, and even on your teeth. Some studies claim that coconut oil helps with weight loss, others even tried to connect it to Alzheimer’s disease.
One thing’s for sure: coconut oil is now a household staple superfood. And if we’re being honest, it’s one of the tastiest ways to protect your teeth.
Why Use Coconut Oil Toothpaste? 6 Benefits of Oil Pulling
Coconut oil is great for your diet and your hair. But, is it really good for your teeth? Discover 6 benefits of coconut oil toothpaste and coconut oil pulling for your dental health.
1. No Controversial Chemicals
A lot of people are worried about the ingredients in regular toothpaste. While fluoride is certainly a great ingredient that strengthens teeth, other chemicals aren’t as kind to your oral health.
A lot of toothpastes contain foaming agents. Ingredients like lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (quite the mouthful) can influence your taste buds. This is why you may taste food as bitter after you brush your teeth.
2. Fights Bacteria and Cavities
Coconut oil naturally fights bacteria, and destroys bacteria that causes cavities. Whether you use coconut oil toothpaste, or coconut oil pulling, the ingredient itself does the work.
The enzymes in coconut oil attach themselves to the bacteria on your teeth, and pull them off. As you’re swishing the oil in your mouth, you can effectively remove a lot of harmful bacteria.
3. It’s Cheap
Coconut oil toothpaste is a trend, so it must be expensive, right? Well, you don’t have to buy the expensive brand coconut oil toothpaste with the fancy labels and eco-promises. It’s much cheaper to make it yourself.
4. Coconut Oil Is Safe For Pets
If your dog’s breath has ever made you regret you have a nose, you’re not alone. Their teeth also need dental care, which sadly many owners neglect. As a result, their teeth and gums rot away, causing that nasty smell.
If you want to keep your dog’s teeth clean, coconut oil toothpaste is a great option. It’s completely natural. And its benefits will bring the same positive results to your furry friends as to you. Just make sure you don’t use the same toothbrush.
5. Does Coconut Toothpaste or Oil Pulling Whiten Your Teeth?
Gwyneth Paltrow said it, so it must be true. Claims of coconut oil pulling whitening teeth have been around for a while. While it seems far fetched, the results speak for themselves. Especially if you include baking soda in your homemade toothpaste recipe.
The same enzymes that grab the harmful bacteria can also grab tannins. Tannins are the reason your teeth discolor. You can find them in coffee, white, and blueberries.
If you consume a lot of these, your teeth will likely turn yellowish in color. However, if you use coconut oil toothpaste, you could prevent teeth discoloration.
6. Coconut Oil Is Easy to Make
Making your own toothpaste sounds like a difficult task. Surely, there are chemicals needed that no regular person can handle. But, that’s not true at all. In fact, these natural toothpaste recipes are easier to make than cupcakes.
How to Make Coconut Oil Toothpaste: DIY Guide
We’re not just going to give you a simple coconut oil toothpaste recipe. We’re going to give you 4. Discover how you can make regular coconut oil toothpaste, vegan coconut oil toothpaste, teeth whitening coconut oil toothpaste, and one surprise recipe.
Recipe 1: Super Simple ‘One Application’ Coconut Oil Toothpaste
This is the easiest homemade toothpaste recipe.
Ingredients
- One teaspoon of baking soda
- Half a teaspoon of finely ground sea salt
- One drop of peppermint essential oil
- Five drops of coconut oil
- Three drops of water
Technique
Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Keep mixing until you get a fairly rigid and thick paste. Once you have this, dip your toothbrush into the bowl and scoop up the mixture. Brush your teeth as you would with normal toothpaste.
Recipe 2: Remineralizing and Whitening Coconut Oil Toothpaste
This tooth friendly formula will help your teeth regenerate quickly and stay strong.
Ingredients
- Five teaspoons of magnesium powder
- Three teaspoons of baking soda
- Half a teaspoon of unprocessed sea salt
- Five droplets of coconut oil
- Half a teaspoon of stevia sweetener
Technique
Mix together the magnesium powder and the baking soda. Add the coconut oil, in small amounts, until it is also mixed together. Next, add the remaining ingredients and flavour with essential oils (as strong or as subtle as you prefer). Finally, carefully transfer into a clean container and store away from sunlight.
Recipe 3: Completely Vegan Coconut Oil Toothpaste
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, or you just do not want to ingest animal fats, pick a toothpaste recipe that either does not contain glycerine or uses only vegetable glycerine. There are no animal based products used in this coconut oil recipe.
Ingredients
- Two teaspoons of vegetable glycerine
- Four tablespoons of baking soda
- Half a teaspoon of guar gum
- Eight tablespoons of water
- Five drops of coconut oil
- Five drops of peppermint essential oil
Technique
Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Cook on a very low heat and make sure to keep stirring all the time. After about five minutes of gentle cooking, the ingredients should start to stiffen into a tough paste.
Take this off the heat and leave to cool. You can taste the recipe at this point to determine how much flavouring you need. Finally, transfer the mixture into a clean container and store at room temperature.
Recipe 4: Coconut Surprise Homemade Toothpaste
This formula contains hydrogen peroxide, so if you are keen to avoid it for any reason, use another homemade recipe. It is very similar to the vegan formula, but it switches out glycerine for pure coconut oil.
Again, this is useful for anybody hoping to avoid glycerine. The use of stevia is recommended here if the finished taste is too strong.
Ingredients
- Six teaspoons of baking soda
- A quarter teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide
- Two tablespoons of coconut oil
- Ten drops of peppermint essential oil
Technique
Put the baking soda into a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients, one by one. Combine until you get a rigid paste. If the paste does not thicken enough, a little more baking soda can be added. If it gets too thick and starts to flake and turn to powder, add a little more coconut oil.
Feel free to add as much sweetener or essential oils for taste as you like. Finally, store this recipe in an opaque container to stop the hydrogen peroxide from reacting with the light.
Disadvantages of Coconut Oil Toothpaste
We can’t just talk about coconut oil toothpaste as a miracle cure. No matter how amazing it is, there are some disadvantages of coconut oil toothpaste you need to know.
Homemade coconut oil toothpaste doesn’t contain fluoride. Which means that your teeth won’t be strengthened against the harmful bacteria of plaque. And cavities will form much more easily.
It’s best to use coconut oil toothpaste alongside regular toothpaste. Don’t just rely on the magic powers of coconut oil. Using scientifically proven products along with natural ingredients can help balance your dental care.
Coconut Oil Won’t Help Pay Your Dental Bills
Coconut oil is truly a great natural ingredient. Use it to remove bacteria, whiten your teeth, and fight cavities. But, there’s one thing coconut oil can’t do: it can’t help you pay for dental treatments. Luckily, a Carefree Dental Card can.
With Carefree Dental, you can unlock huge savings on dental procedures at participating dentists. You can save between 15%-50%* per visit on your dental bill in most instances.
Ready to save on getting healthy teeth? Learn more when you sign up for a Carefree Dental Card today!
The Carefree Dental blog is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The text and pictures within the content are intended for information purposes only. Readers should consult with a licensed dentist or healthcare professional before seeking treatment.
The Carefree Dental Card is not insurance and Carefree Dental is not an insurance provider.
