I've been posting lots of yummy sweet recipes recently.  It's definitely that time of year!   This week, we're still in the kitchen but I thought after all those sweet treats, we ought to do something about cleaning our teeth.  So we're going to make our own toothpaste.  Again, it's super simple and cheap.  

What's better, you'll know exactly what you are putting in your mouth and using to brush your teeth.  Some of the ingredients in commercial toothpaste are pretty scary.  Did you know that glycerin, which makes the toothpaste creamy and coats the teeth, also prevents re-enamalisation?  That means that your cavities can't self-heal.  (I didn't even know my cavaties could self-heal until I started looking into alternative toothpastes).

My dad grew up in Sri Lanka and used to brush his teeth with charcoal.  When he came to Australia, aged 29, he didn't have a single cavity.  He didn't get his first filling till he was 40.!

If you don't feel like making your own toothpaste, rubbing a sage leaf over your teeth and gums will also make them feel polished and clean.

Homemade Toothpaste (makes enough for a month)

2 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt (I use charcoal activated)

2 tbsp coconut oil

10 drops of essential oil (I like spearmint.  Peppermint is also good)

Mix the baking soda and sea salt together well.

Add the coconut and essential oils.

Mix well.

Pop into a lidded container.

To use: wash hands well and scoop out a smidge of paste to pop on your brush.

It definitely tastes different to the sweet toothpaste you buy in the shops.  It's salty and the coconut oil texture is almost, but not quite, like that of regular toothpaste. But you do get used to it.  After a couple of months, I prefer this to the commercial kind.  My daughters (aged 5 and 9) happily use it.  And there is no danger of them wanting to swallow this paste!