Soap for teeth

[artemis]

First, I read several months ago (blogs, mostly)of people using their handmade soap instead of toothpaste. The one blogger in particular claimed all sorts of wonderful results and reversal of this problem, curing of that problem.

Second, I just scrolled through the whole 78 pages of the shampoo bar and understand the pH of soap being bad for hair, etc.

That had me wondering: what does soap do for the mouth? Bad? Good? I'm looking for anecdotal experience as well as the sciencey bits. I'm really not trying to replace my toothpaste, I am just curious.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I used some. The recipe needs to be very different from a normal soap so that it doesn't taste too bad. But it's not bad stuff, I just found it unwieldy

 

[Saipan]

My grandmother insisted it would improve language skills.

 

[DeeAnna]

Here's a thread on this topic: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=39178

More threads: https://www.google.com/search?q=tooth+soap+site:soapmakingforum.com&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I'm a little skeptical of the claims about amazing results for things like tooth soap, oil pulling (cleansing the mouth with oil), and all that. I think just paying better attention to one's teeth might have the biggest benefit, regardless of what a person actually does. JMO....

 

[Arimara]

Here's a thread on this topic: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=39178

More threads: https://www.google.com/search?q=tooth+soap+site:soapmakingforum.com&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I'm a little skeptical of the claims about amazing results for things like tooth soap, oil pulling (cleansing the mouth with oil), and all that. I think just paying better attention to one's teeth might have the biggest benefit, regardless of what a person actually does. JMO....

In oil pulling's defense, it has helped me with swollen gums (thanks to sharp manual toothbrush bristles) and starting tooth pains. Mind you, I only do it a 2-3 days on as needed and I've used coconut oil. It certainly made me a believer in coconut oil.

 

[artemis]

Here's a thread on this topic: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=39178

More threads: https://www.google.com/search?q=tooth+soap+site:soapmakingforum.com&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I'm a little skeptical of the claims about amazing results for things like tooth soap, oil pulling (cleansing the mouth with oil), and all that. I think just paying better attention to one's teeth might have the biggest benefit, regardless of what a person actually does. JMO....

Thanks for the links. I was skeptical, too. Googling only really got me people with miraculous claims, nothing with any real science behind it. But it's good to know that if I forget my toothpaste on vacation, I can use the soap instead. Mmmm... coconut oil soap.

 

[Misschief]

Mmmm... coconut oil soap.

Trust me, soap without coconut oil tastes a whole lot better than soap with it. I use my tooth soap daily. In the mornings, I add a little regular toothpaste for flavour. At night, it's only my toothsoap because I refuse to use anything minty in my mouth at night. (It's a wake up herb.)

 

[Nevada]

300 gr Coconut Oil
150 gr Baking Soda
4 packs Zylitol

Why soap?
My teeth was super-sensitive. Every Dentist / Hygienist I spoke with said to use Sensodyne. Didn't help. So I made this recipe and immediately the sensitivity was gone. Add a little Peppermint if you want.

First, I read several months ago (blogs, mostly)of people using their handmade soap instead of toothpaste. The one blogger in particular claimed all sorts of wonderful results and reversal of this problem, curing of that problem.

Second, I just scrolled through the whole 78 pages of the shampoo bar and understand the pH of soap being bad for hair, etc.

That had me wondering: what does soap do for the mouth? Bad? Good? I'm looking for anecdotal experience as well as the sciencey bits. I'm really not trying to replace my toothpaste, I am just curious.

 

[reflection]

300 gr Coconut Oil
150 gr Baking Soda
4 packs Zylitol

Why soap?
My teeth was super-sensitive. Every Dentist / Hygienist I spoke with said to use Sensodyne. Didn't help. So I made this recipe and immediately the sensitivity was gone. Add a little Peppermint if you want.

i made one like this with coconut oil, baking soda, cinnamon powder and stevia. the taste was great but it didn't really get my teeth clean enough. probably needed less coconut & more b.s. i may reformulate it & try again but...

...i did also get the mother of all drain clogs from the coconut oil. beware of using coconut oil if you have slow drains!

 

[artemis]

Why soap?

Well, I guess that's my question: why should you use soap? Why shouldn't you use soap?

 

[IrishLass]

Thanks for bringing this up. For as long as I've been soaping, I've heard about tooth soap (only in the context of having skimmed over the title of several threads, but without ever having been interested enough to open them and read through any of them, lol), but following a crazy hunch yesterday I opened up your thread, and I confess that I found myself intrigued enough last night to read through almost all the threads about it here on the forum, and also on another soaping forum.

My hunch revolves around what my dental hygienist told me a few weeks ago during my regular 6-month dental cleaning/checkup (no cavities, btw- yay!)........

She told me that when it comes to cleaning my teeth, she always seems to spend most of her time time scraping off hardened build-up caused by acids in my mouth.......

Even though I practice very good dental hygiene by brushing with my Sonicare and a 'good' toothpaste and flossing & rinsing at least twice a day (which is great at cutting down on bacteria and keeping my mouth clean), she told me to really focus my attention during those in-between brushing times on reducing the amount of time acids sit around in my mouth.

She told me that bacteria and acids are two different things that need different approaches. The approach she recommended for me to help reduce acids during those in-between times throughout the day is to use products with xylitol in them (they make all kinds of things with xylitol nowadays- gum, mints, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc..). She told me she's found it to really help at keeping those acids from taking hold and causing chaos.

Anyway, I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that the alkaline pH of 'tooth soap' might be playing a part in acid reduction.

For what it's worth, I've decided that I'm going to HP a sample batch of judymoody's posted recipe for her tooth soap, and include it as part of my regular/normal regimen for a while- i.e., not 'instead of', but just a 'part of'.....at least for now anyway- we'll see how my next appt. goes in January.



IrishLass

 

[artemis]

I read through them, too. I find your speculation interesting... will you tell her about this experiment? Or just see if there's a difference?

 

[Rowan]

I read through the soap as toothpaste threads and was a little sceptical. But I had some castille soap and decided to give it a go and was pleasantly surprised! My teeth felt a cleaner with no residue and there was definitely less staining. Strangely enough my gums felt better too. I find my tongue gets sore if I use it continuously, so have to alternate it and rinse more thoroughly! It's not scientific but I found that I could feel where I was cleaning my teeth with soap, whereas the toothpaste is so foamy, it's hard to be precise.

 

[Misschief]

I can tell when I brush with toothpaste only; my teeth just don't feel as smooth and clean. I'm also noticing that a few stubborn spots of tartar are getting smaller and smaller as time goes by. I've also noticed that, with straight toothpaste, my gums will occasionally bleed. Since I've been using my tooth soap, I've had no bleeding gums at all. I've been using my tooth soap for about seven months now.

I'm convinced.

 

[JayJay]

Thanks OP for raising the topic. Very interesting.

Thanks for the links Dee. I read through them and I plan to make some dental soap as soon as I return from vacation. I can't wait. I have an unscented bar of castille at home that I will use in the meantime to satisfy my curiosity.

Irish Lass, I was thinking the same thing about the alkaline soap disrupting the bacteria and sugar process. I read about that process when I was reading up on xylitol. Now I have a huge bag of it left over from my homemade paste experiments. I think I will use xylitol but I will also try a portion of the batch with stevia for comparison. I'm not sure that the xylitol is necessary for soap since it is already alkaline.

Before reading this thread, I had recently tried one of those homemade paste recipes that I found online. I tried one with clay-- the texture was dry and unpleasant. I found it to be awful actually. I tried one with baking soda instead. The brushing experience was nice, and my teeth felt clean afterwards, but I noticed that my gums were getting sore. I asked my hygienist about baking soda and she told me that it was too abrasive. So. I gave the homemade paste a rest. Especially because I am kind of obsessive about my teeth. I really can't trust my dental health to something I found on pintrest.
But I trust this group a lot more. Plus any excuse to make a new soap is an excellent reason try something new. I will try it once per day and use my regular toothpaste for the other brushing. One person mentioned (in one of these threads) that using soap allows teeth to stay healthier because there is no synthetic substance blocking the natural process of tooth healing. Well this is my interpretation of what I read. Forgive me if this is inaccurate. But if it is the case, then would using commercial toothpaste for every other brushing negate the benefits of tooth soap?

There were several people who tried it for the first time on the previous threads. I'm curious about the ones who have not yet shared their results. How did you like it? Do you continue to use it? Do you notice any difference in comparison to your previous dental hygiene routine?

You all are great!
Hey, one more question. Are there any opinions about the optimal size of the bars? Are small bars bette? Or large bars?

 

[artemis]

The bar I am experimenting with is small, just a little end piece. I am liking the small size- it fits nicely into a little container of it's own, so I can keep it separate from the hand soap.

 

[IrishLass]

I think I will use xylitol but I will also try a portion of the batch with stevia for comparison. I'm not sure that the xylitol is necessary for soap since it is already alkaline.

Other than sweetening, I don't think the stevia will have the same effect as xylitol....at least not from what I've been reading anyway.

I've been reading that xylitol has a very unique chemical make-up that doesn't play nice with the kind of bacteria that live in our mouths, which seem to be unable to metabolize it (the xylitol).

If I am understanding properly all that I've been reading so far, the xylitol actually disrupts the digestion of the bacteria to the point that it starves it of its food, thereby preventing it (the bacteria) from multiplying and producing the acids that stick to the teeth that cause decay.

Hopefully someone who knows more about it will chime in and will steer my mind in the right direction, because right now, I'm leaning towards the xylitol as not so much having a 'direct' effect on acidic pH as it does on the bacteria that produce acids as they feed on sugars in our mouths.

Here's one of the places I've been reading:
http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-4/features/wonders-of-xylitol.html

and another: http://xylitol.org/faqs-questions-about-xylitol


Makes me wonder if I misunderstood my hygienist, or if she explained it wrong?



IrishLass

 

[mommycarlson]

Interesting thread. I have been using my homemade toothpaste for the better part of a year now. My hygienist told me at my last appointment (2 months ago) "whatever you are using on your teeth, they look great! No stains!" I told her I was using my homemade toothpaste. Then the dentist came in and without hearing our previous conversation said my teeth look beautiful. I am 53 so there aren't any new teeth in there Here is my recipe:

3 T coconut oil
3 T baking soda
25 drops peppermint EO
15 drops Thieves EO
15 drops orange EO
2 t glycerin
1 pkt stevia
Mix all ingredients and pour into a 4 oz glass wide mouth jar (I wouldn't use plastic because of the EO's)

This does not hold up well in the heat, I do have to stir it as the weather warms up, it tends to separate. In my last batch I left out the glycerin hoping to make it less liquid but that did not seem to make a difference. As we have been running the central air, it is now firmed back up and not separated. I love how my teeth feel after brushing with this!

 

[JayJay]

Other than sweetening, I don't think the stevia will have the same effect as xylitol....at least not from what I've been reading anyway.

I've been reading that xylitol has a very unique chemical make-up that doesn't play nice with the kind of bacteria that live in our mouths, which seem to be unable to metabolize it (the xylitol).

If I am understanding properly all that I've been reading so far, the xylitol actually disrupts the digestion of the bacteria to the point that it starves it of its food, thereby preventing it (the bacteria) from multiplying and producing the acids that stick to the teeth that cause decay.

Hopefully someone who knows more about it will chime in and will steer my mind in the right direction, because right now, I'm leaning towards the xylitol as not so much having a 'direct' effect on acidic pH as it does on the bacteria that produce acids as they feed on sugars in our mouths.

Here's one of the places I've been reading:
http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-31/issue-4/features/wonders-of-xylitol.html

and another: http://xylitol.org/faqs-questions-about-xylitol


Makes me wonder if I misunderstood my hygienist, or if she explained it wrong?



IrishLass

Very interesting! I am off to read these links. Thanks

 

[reflection]

Before reading this thread, I had recently tried one of those homemade paste recipes that I found online. I tried one with clay-- the texture was dry and unpleasant. I found it to be awful actually. I tried one with baking soda instead. The brushing experience was nice, and my teeth felt clean afterwards, but I noticed that my gums were getting sore. I asked my hygienist about baking soda and she told me that it was too abrasive. So. I gave the homemade paste a rest. Especially because I am kind of obsessive about my teeth. I really can't trust my dental health to something I found on pinterest.

regarding baking soda being abrasive i had always heard that too. but, i then came across info that compared the abrasiveness of baking soda and leading toothpastes and the baking soda was much less abrasive than the leading toothpastes. here's a link.

i know b.s. has worked for me in the past just not with the coconut oil paste i made. that is likely due to health issues i have that make me really dehydrated & exacerbates plaque buildup as my current Tom's with fluoride isn't working very well either now.