Homemade toothpaste: Does it do more harm than good?

You can make many things with basic pantry ingredients, from body scrubs to bath bombs, and even toothpaste.

But is homemade ‘natural’ toothpaste an effective or even safe alternative to the regular varieties?

Ingredients for homemade toothpaste recipes include everything from coconut oil and lemon juice to baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, charcoal and even wasabi. But how safe are these for your dental health?

Those in favour of natural toothpaste claim that these concoctions can detoxify, whiten, clean, freshen, protect and heal your teeth. But, as Bupa’s Head Dentist Dr Cathryn Madden warns, some of these ingredients may cause irreversible harm to your teeth and the soft tissue of your mouth.

“You’ve got ingredients like lemon, which is natural, but it’s also very acidic,” says Dr Madden. “So if it’s applied directly to your teeth, it can damage the enamel.”

Other commonly promoted ingredients like vinegar (which is sometimes used as a teeth whitener) can also wreak havoc on enamel.¹

“Once your top layer of enamel is gone, you can never get it back,” says Dr Madden. “It can make your teeth sensitive and very vulnerable to decay.”

“Hydrogen peroxide can also potentially cause chemical burns to your lips and teeth.”

According to Dr Madden, the biggest concern about homemade toothpaste is its absence of fluoride.

Fluoride is used in a range of dental products to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. In Australia, small amounts of fluoride are even added into the water supply to help reduce tooth decay, one of the most common health problems in the country. ²

“Fluoride really is that magic ingredient that prevents decay, and there’s really good scientific evidence to support that,” says Dr Madden. “If there’s very early signs of decay, using fluoride regularly can also prevent a cavity appearing.”

Fluoride is particularly important for children, Dr Madden adds, but it should be used with care.

“Make sure you use an age-appropriate toothpaste, because children's toothpaste doesn’t contain as much fluoride as adult’s toothpaste,” she says. “Make sure you supervise your child to ensure they don’t use too much as they only need a pea size amount.”

For some advocates of natural toothpaste, it’s the lack of fluoride (alongside other ingredients) that is beneficial, as very high exposure to fluoride has been linked to health issues.³ However, research also shows that adequate amounts of fluoride (used in things like dental products and water) are safe.⁴

If you’re not comfortable using fluoride, Dr Madden says you’re better off buying a natural toothpaste rather than making your own.

“There are plenty of good natural toothpastes that are commercially available,” she says.

“But if you're choosing not to use fluoride in your toothpaste, you really have to be doing everything else really, really well so you don’t develop decay.”

This means:

• brushing at least twice a day
• flossing every day
• consuming a low-sugar diet
• seeing a dental professional twice a year for check-ups.

“It’s really great to see that people are so proactive about their health,” Dr Madden adds. “But if you’re thinking of trying something new, you’ve got to follow the advice of a dental professional.”