DIY herbal tooth powder can be mixed together in just 5 minutes. It is inexpensive and healthy for your teeth, stimulating your gums, and refreshing for your mouth.
Dental hygiene is a major budget item with toothpaste, dental floss, mouth wash, teeth cleaning, and dental visits taking a big bite out of the family budget. Yet dentistry comes with risks of heavy metal exposure, fluoride poisoning, and even death. Avoiding the dentist by having strong teeth and practicing natural hygiene is a good self-care strategy.
This toothpowder is rich in herbal antimicrobials as well as trace minerals and calcium that your teeth need to remineralize and remain strong. The baking soda alters the pH in your mouth reducing the bacteria load that contributes to cavities. The herbs are antimicrobial and stimulate circulation in your gums, while the calcium and trace minerals help to rebuild your tooth enamel.
DIY herbal tooth powder can be part of a healthy self-care program that works to keep your teeth strong and avoid unnecessary dental trauma. This is the tooth powder recipe I developed for my own family, that has a barely noticeable, pleasant, flavor and has helped us with preventing our own tooth decay.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the calcium carbonate, bentonite clay, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir well with a whisk to completely combine.
If you don’t have Himalayan salt, a super fine grind sea salt will also work.
Add essential oil, if using, and stir well.
Divide this between 3 – 125ml (1/2 cup) glass jars. Keep tightly capped when not in use.
How to Use the Herbal Tooth Powder:
Use a soft toothbrush, as the harder bristled brushes don’t actually make it any easier to remove stains or plaque, and can contribute to gum inflammation. A softer brush will be just as beneficial, while not being damaging to your gums.
Using a wet toothbrush, either tap a small portion of the herbal tooth powder out onto the brush, or dip the brush in the powder if you don’t have a perforated cap.
Brush teeth as normal, and rinse lightly with fresh water when done.
In this more recent recipe I used powdered myrrh resin instead which serves the same purpose as myrrh essential oil, but is easier to work with.
Myrrh has a natural affinity for teeth and gums. It is strongly antimicrobial and astringent, tightening gum tissue, increasing circulation, and leaving the teeth feeling clean.
Clove is another herb with a natural affinity for oral health. Cloves are highly antimicrobial and antioxidant, combating bad breathe and cavities.
Cinnamon is naturally sweet and reduces sugar in the mouth, contributing to fewer cavities. It acts as a natural sweetener in the mixture.
Peppermint, or any mint, freshens breathe and reduces the bacterial load in the mouth. If you will be making this tooth powder for young children the peppermint essential oil can be omitted from the recipe with no ill effects. Powdered mint leaves could be added, if you wanted the minty flavor.
Since this is a powder recipe, there is no glycerin, coconut oil, or binders added. Also, while some recipes for homemade tooth powder may recommend using activated charcoal, it isn’t necessary for this recipe. The calcium carbonate in this recipe is equivalent to calcium powder, similar to what other formulas may use.
Choose a sanitary container
One issue we’ve had with using tooth powder is the icky mess that happens in the container when dipping a wet tooth brush into the powder. That damp powder is unsanitary. Add to that several people using the same container for their dipping and it’s a little worse. Yuk.
But this whole thing can be avoided by using small one ounce containers and having each member of the family use their own container. But if you’ve got a large family, that isn’t tenable.
This container solves the problem by offering a way to sprinkle the tooth powder on your brush as needed. It slides closed for travel. No icky wet mess from dipping. And no double dipping. And because the container closes you don’t have to worry about powdered messes all over your bathroom counter. Other spice bottles that close would work too. Avoid open salt and pepper shakers as the volatile peppermint oil would disappear quickly in an open container.
Remineralizing and repairing your teeth
Can you cure your cavities? Dentists say it isn’t possible. But those who have done so with a change in diet and lifestyle disagree. However, it isn’t as simple as switching from commercial toothpaste to DIY herbal toothpowder. There are other factors to bring into play.
Dr. Weston Price successfully healed the cavities of his patients using diet and lifestyle changes. These included:
Using real organic butter from grass fed cows
Omega 3, and vitamins A and D supplementation with fish oil
Bone broth
Raw Milk
Organic fruits and vegetables
Fermented grains and nuts
Long soaked beans
Grass fed, organic meat
Healthy probiotic rich foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, and yogurt
Dr. Weston Price also recommended avoiding:
fluoride which replaces minerals in the tooth enamel, making them weaker and subject to cavities
commercial tooth pastes that coat teeth and prevent remineralization
unsoaked, or un-fermented, grains which contain phytates
sugar which causes cavities and blood sugar spikes
Teeth lack a direct blood supply like other parts of the body. But they have a unique ability to absorb minerals from the saliva. It’s important then to have mineral rich saliva and to periodically swish that saliva around the teeth in order to remineralize tooth enamel. Ensure healthy, mineral rich saliva by consuming bone broth, gelatin, raw or cultured milk products, and fermented food.
You can whip up a batch of this tooth powder in less than 10 minutes, while making a significant impact on your dental health.
But this is just a recipe. It doesn’t replace your dental visits. Always talk to your health professional before making changes to your diet and health practices.
You mentioned in one of your homemade toothpaste sections not to use fluoridated water when brushing with calcium carbonate. How do I go about seeking your water that is not fluoridated?
I filter my water using a Berkey Filter. They have a white filter that removes floride and chloramine. If that isn’t in your price range, you could use distilled water.
I bought the ingredients through your provided links. I am pretty familiarized with all of them except for the Myrrh Gum Powder. When it arrived, I knot iced that on its front label said “WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to lead, which is known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. ” I am pregnant and I am also currently breastfeeding my daughter. I am omitting this product for now, but would like to know your input to the warning and why did you decide to add it to the product.
Hi, Patty
Myrrh would not normally contain lead. It is a natural product from the Myrrh bush. I’m glad you had the wisdom to omit it from your recipe. The myrrh adds antimicrobial benefits as well as being a specific herb for mouth and gum support. I didn’t realize that Starwest Botanicals had lead contamination in their wild crafted myrrh powder. That seems highly unusual to me in a wild crafted herb. You might email them and ask them about that.
IF you aren’t sure about using bentonite clay then you can always use fair trade organic 100% cocoa powder because it has the minerals in it too. Plus it is okay if you swallow it. Also, with bentonite clay is actually used to remove heavy metals, such as lead from the body. Just something to think about a little more in depth, since clays like this can be used as a detox for heavy metals in the body.
Hi – I don’t mean to be negative Nancy but I would be cautious with using bentonite clay, especially for young children. Most clays contain naturally occurring lead and as we know, no amount of lead is safe for children. Even though they are not swallowing the powder it may absorb through the tissues of the mouth.
That being said I’m excited to try this recipe as I just realized glycerin in commercial pastes is no good! Wished I had know that sooner! I will make this without the clay. I wonder if there is something safer that might contain beneficial trace minerals.
thanks!
Is this safe for children? I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. I make a powder toothpaste that is similar to this one but some of the ingredients are different.
Which of the ingredients would be dangerous for a child to swallow? I want to try and make this powder but my daughter (2) will undoubtedly swallow some – I would like to just leave out the products that shouldn’t be swallowed as I still think this would be a better product than shop bought for her – thanks.
I recently made this and it seems so salty. Is it OK if I double the Clay and the calcium to offset? Also, I used the powders instead of the oil‘s so it’s staining my toothbrush brown. I’m concerned that my teeth are going to be stained brown even though the others are supposed to counteract that. I just want to make sure I’m not messing anything up. Thank you so much!
Hi, Mindy
You can change the recipe anyway you’d like. I just share what we use at home. I haven’t noticed any teeth staining, but the baking soda does counteract that. The clay is grey so it will look dark when it gets wet. The only problem I’ve had is needing to clean the sink at the end of the day.
i am looking at making this for a family of 6 – the youngest is 4- the oldest has 3 soft spots and we need to remineralize them. I have liquid bentonite clay from Sonne’s and am wondering if I can do a combination of the liquid bentonite clay, powders and myrrh essential oils? It would obviously be a different texture – not powder- Do you have any thoughts? I have looked at Orawellness’ powder and essential oil blends. The add Manuka essential oil – are you familiar with this and would it be okay to tweak this recipe? Thank you for your help.
I’m looking into this for the first time and may be making this as a gift for friends and family. I like the links you have for your ingredients, but I’m curious whether grocery store spices will do in place of the cinnamon and clove powders you listed.
Hi, Kevie
Yes you certainly can use grocery store spices in place of the ones I listed. You are looking for the freshest spices you can find so that they have high antimicrobial actions. Pick a grocery store that has a high turnover in stock. If you can find organic that is preferred but not essential.
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Thank you for sharing Your knowkedge
You mentioned in one of your homemade toothpaste sections not to use fluoridated water when brushing with calcium carbonate. How do I go about seeking your water that is not fluoridated?
I filter my water using a Berkey Filter. They have a white filter that removes floride and chloramine. If that isn’t in your price range, you could use distilled water.
I bought the ingredients through your provided links. I am pretty familiarized with all of them except for the Myrrh Gum Powder. When it arrived, I knot iced that on its front label said “WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to lead, which is known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. ” I am pregnant and I am also currently breastfeeding my daughter. I am omitting this product for now, but would like to know your input to the warning and why did you decide to add it to the product.
Hi, Patty
Myrrh would not normally contain lead. It is a natural product from the Myrrh bush. I’m glad you had the wisdom to omit it from your recipe. The myrrh adds antimicrobial benefits as well as being a specific herb for mouth and gum support. I didn’t realize that Starwest Botanicals had lead contamination in their wild crafted myrrh powder. That seems highly unusual to me in a wild crafted herb. You might email them and ask them about that.
IF you aren’t sure about using bentonite clay then you can always use fair trade organic 100% cocoa powder because it has the minerals in it too. Plus it is okay if you swallow it. Also, with bentonite clay is actually used to remove heavy metals, such as lead from the body. Just something to think about a little more in depth, since clays like this can be used as a detox for heavy metals in the body.
Hi – I don’t mean to be negative Nancy but I would be cautious with using bentonite clay, especially for young children. Most clays contain naturally occurring lead and as we know, no amount of lead is safe for children. Even though they are not swallowing the powder it may absorb through the tissues of the mouth.
That being said I’m excited to try this recipe as I just realized glycerin in commercial pastes is no good! Wished I had know that sooner! I will make this without the clay. I wonder if there is something safer that might contain beneficial trace minerals.
thanks!
Is this safe for children? I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. I make a powder toothpaste that is similar to this one but some of the ingredients are different.
Yes, as long as they don’t swallow the toothpowder.
Which of the ingredients would be dangerous for a child to swallow? I want to try and make this powder but my daughter (2) will undoubtedly swallow some – I would like to just leave out the products that shouldn’t be swallowed as I still think this would be a better product than shop bought for her – thanks.
I recently made this and it seems so salty. Is it OK if I double the Clay and the calcium to offset? Also, I used the powders instead of the oil‘s so it’s staining my toothbrush brown. I’m concerned that my teeth are going to be stained brown even though the others are supposed to counteract that. I just want to make sure I’m not messing anything up. Thank you so much!
Hi, Mindy
You can change the recipe anyway you’d like. I just share what we use at home. I haven’t noticed any teeth staining, but the baking soda does counteract that. The clay is grey so it will look dark when it gets wet. The only problem I’ve had is needing to clean the sink at the end of the day.
i am looking at making this for a family of 6 – the youngest is 4- the oldest has 3 soft spots and we need to remineralize them. I have liquid bentonite clay from Sonne’s and am wondering if I can do a combination of the liquid bentonite clay, powders and myrrh essential oils? It would obviously be a different texture – not powder- Do you have any thoughts? I have looked at Orawellness’ powder and essential oil blends. The add Manuka essential oil – are you familiar with this and would it be okay to tweak this recipe? Thank you for your help.
Hey! I enjoyed reading this article! Very informative and I love that most of the tips are diy! Can’t wait to concoct my own mixture! Hehehe 🙂
I’m looking into this for the first time and may be making this as a gift for friends and family. I like the links you have for your ingredients, but I’m curious whether grocery store spices will do in place of the cinnamon and clove powders you listed.
Hi, Kevie
Yes you certainly can use grocery store spices in place of the ones I listed. You are looking for the freshest spices you can find so that they have high antimicrobial actions. Pick a grocery store that has a high turnover in stock. If you can find organic that is preferred but not essential.