My friend recently introduced me to home-made toothpaste. Quite a few websites offer recipes, for example: 1, 2, 3.
One such recipe is:
- bicarbonate of soda
- charcoal
- coconut oil
- optional essential oils and other additives for taste/smell
I'm wondering how a) safe and b) effective this is compared to commercial toothpaste.
Googling this topic, most commentary focuses on flouride and various additives. Edmond Hewlett from the American Dental Association claims "fluoride protects teeth by filling in tiny gaps in the enamel surrounding each tooth" although the consensus seems to be that flouride is not at all essential, nor are the various commercial additives.
Bicarbonate of soda is alkaline, so I can see how neutralizing mouth acids would be beneficial, but in principle too much alkaline is as bad as too much acid, right? So could too much bicarb in the recipe be damaging?
I've read claims that bicarb and charcoal are less abrasive than some commercial ingredients, but I haven't got solid sources for such claims. I also don't know whether any of the other commercial ingredients have definite benefits, or whether particular types of charcoal are best.
How do I know if the above recipe, or some similar DIY toothpaste recipe is
a) safe, and
b) effective?
And how safe and effective is it compared to commercial toothpaste?