Tooth Powder

This is a recipe I received from my Herbmentor.com program. I have been using it for nearly two months and it works great. Ever since I started I have had multiple people comment on how white my teeth are which was not a usual thing before. Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend Tooth Powder! Not only does it whiten and clean your teeth very well, it is guaranteed to be healthy and is only a fraction of the cost of regular toothpaste.

Many thanks to John Gallagher and all those at Herbmentor.com!  

(Note: I was unable to get the Kaolin clay the first time I made it, but it has worked just as well without. So go ahead and try it even if you can't get the clay right off.)

What you’ll need:

Herbs:

• 1/4 cup Fine Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup White Cosmetic Clay (Kaolin)
• 1/4 cup Baking Soda (supermarket variety is ok)
• 30 drops Spearmint Essential Oil
• 1 Tablespoon dried sage (available at most supermarkets)

Supplies:

• A small bowl
• A small storage jar with lid

About Tooth Powder:

Tooth powders can be used instead of toothpaste for brushing teeth. This tooth powder is a recipe by Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir which she recommends in her talk Pearly Teeth and Vibrant Gums in the Village Herbalist section of HerbMentor.com. The kaolin clay is used in the tooth polish that dentists use, so the powder has a similar texture to dentist’s polish.

Heather explains in her talk that when we eat refined carbohydrates they mix with bacteria in our mouth and make a gluelike substance called dextran which sticks plaque to the margins of our teeth. Plaque then erodes the enamel on our teeth and irritates the gums. Our gums develop pockets to avoid the plaque. The pockets trap food, which then ferments causing the gums to swell and recede, exposing the roots of the teeth.

This tooth powder helps get rid of the carbohydrates so that the dextran does not get created, and this cycle of decay cannot take hold in our mouths.

The addition of the dried sage helps to naturally whiten our teeth.

How to use your tooth powder:

Take a small amount  (1/8 – 1/4 tsp.) in the center of the palm of your hand. Wet your toothbrush and dip the bristles into the powder. The powder will stick to the wet bristles so that you can raise it to your mouth. Brush you teeth in the same manner you would when using toothpaste.

How to make your tooth powder:

• Mix 1/4 cup kaolin clay, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1/4 cup sea salt together in a small jar.
• Crush 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves in a mortar and pestle or with your hands to form a kind of powder. Add crushed sage to your jar and mix.
• Add 30 drops of spearmint essential oil and mix again.

How to store your tooth powder:

Cap your jar and store in your medicine cabinet or wherever you keep your toothpaste so it can conveniently be used for brushing your teeth.