By Susan Bernstein
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Michael Friedman, DDS
What’s in your toothpaste or mouthwash -- only healthy stuff to clean teeth and remove the bacteria that can cause tooth decay or gum disease, right? Not exactly. Read the fine print on the tube or bottle and you may see ingredients like artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, or triclosan, a germ-fighting agent that’s also a pesticide.
If chemicals aren’t your thing, there are natural alternatives. But keep this in mind: These products may be marketed as herbal or natural, but researchers are still unsure about how safe they are and whether they really work.
Is Natural Healthier?
Natural oral care products typically are safe to use, but may not be as effective at preventing cavities or gum disease, says Wenyuan Shi, PhD. “Natural does not equal safety. Many natural compounds could be harmful. However, as far as I know, all the major natural oral care products on the U.S. market do not have any serious safety concerns.”
All toothpastes approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) have fluoride but not sugar, which can promote tooth decay. “Fluoride is still the only FDA-approved compound which has anti-cavity function at this point,” says Shi, chair of oral biology at the University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry.
Berries, Tea, and Gum
Fluoride,which is found in most toothpaste, is natural. This cavity-fighting mineral has been added to the public drinking water supply in the U.S. for decades to prevent tooth decay. Too much fluoride can damage teeth and bones, but the amount you get from daily tooth care and drinking isn't likely to be a problem.
If you’re worried, though, there are other natural or herbal substances -- including common foods and beverages -- that can be used to clean teeth and may even prevent decay. These include:
- Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- Peroxide (must be carefully diluted at full strength can cause burns to gums
- Cranberries or cranberry juice
- Green tea
- Chinese herbs such as ku shen or magnolia bark extract
- Xylitol gum or lozenges [4]
Baking soda can offset plaque acids, and peroxide or high salt can have anti-bacterial activities, Shi says. On the down side, peroxide has to be mixed with water to weaken it -- using it at full strength might burn your gums.
Cranberries have compounds that may stop the growth of oral bacteria. But most mass-market cranberry juices contain high amounts of sugar that could aid in tooth decay. Others are blends that contain little cranberry at all. An added concern: Cranberries may stain your teeth.
One study suggests that rinsing with green tea extract may protect the teeth from erosion and abrasion in a similar action to fluoride mouth rinse. Another showed the extract might stop starchy foods, such as crackers or cake, from causing tooth decay.
Xylitol, a natural alcohol used in place of sugar, has the best repute among herbal products for limiting decay, says Shi. Xylitol gum and lozenges are both widely available, but they might not be very effective – one study showed the lozenges cut cavities in adults by only 10%.
Read the Ingredients
If you’re choosing natural or herbal toothpastes and rinses, keep in mind that research on them is limited, says Shi. Larger studies are needed to OK the use of natural over mainstream products.
Ignore marketing language that promotes a product as a natural, safer alternative to fluoride, Shi says. “I would not count on their efficacy. Ensuring safety is the key. Just make sure that they do not contain some uncommon ingredients that could potentially be harmful."
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