Why You Should Use Toothpaste with Coconut Oil
Virgin coconut oil is a natural product with antibacterial and hydrating properties, which are ideal for caring for certain areas of the body. And, you can even use toothpaste with coconut oil to promote healthier teeth.
Common health uses for coconut oil
Coconut oil has a high concentration of saturated fats, which many people think tend to increase cholesterol. On the contrary, our body actually metabolizes them better.
Coconut oil has many benefits including:
- Natural makeup remover
- Moisturizer for your face and body
- Natural deodorant
- Mosquito repellent
- Substitute for shaving cream
- Treatment for stretch marks
- Reduces wrinkles
- Relieves hemorrhoids
See also: 5 Coconut Oil Remedies for Healthy Hair
Coconut oil for dental health
What few people know is that coconut oil also has great benefits when used as a substitute for commercial toothpaste.
Different studies have shown that it can fight the bacterial plaque that forms on our teeth, making it an effective and low-cost treatment.
This is partially thanks to the high content of lauric acid in coconuts, which has an antibacterial and antifungal effect.
How will it improve my dental health?
Frequently using coconut oil in your mouth, whether for rinses or for brushing, will help you to:
- Reduce bad breath
- Reduce the inflammation of the gums
- Help fight gingivitis
- Brighten the color of your teeth
- Deep clean your teeth and also prevent the formation of cavities and plaque.
In contrast to commercial toothpaste, it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals that are associated with problems with the glandular system or resistance to antibiotics.
Likewise, as it doesn’t contain fluoride, it won’t wear down your teeth. Flouride can be the cause of health problems due to its composition.
This should be taken into account when brushing children’s teeth. Young children tend to swallow small amounts of toothpaste when they are brushing their teeth and these kinds of toothpaste usually contain fluoride.
Visit this article: How to Eliminate Bad Breath Permanently
Coconut oil as a mouthwash
For you to take advantage of the wonderful benefits of coconut oil as a mouthwash, you should use it as you would with any normal mouthwash. Also, it is recommended to carry out this treatment a couple of times a week.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (30 ml)
Procedure
- Brush your teeth well before rinsing with the coconut oil.
- Then, use the oil to rinse your mouth for 5 minutes.
- Ensure it spreads through the whole mouth, including the teeth.
- Most importantly, don’t gargle this.
- You can gradually increase the time up to 10 minutes.
- When you finish, spit it out.
- After a couple of minutes, rinse your mouth with water.
Read also: Coconut Citrus Oil for Nourished, Soft, and Clear Skin
Toothpaste made with coconut oil
A great option to improve your dental health is to use a toothpaste with coconut oil. More so, it is recommended to mix coconut oil and baking soda to really clean your teeth.
The abrasive nature of the baking soda is ideal for removing plaque stains on the teeth and to give them back their natural whiteness.
In this way, you’ll be able to complement the effects of the coconut oil with the baking soda to achieve good dental hygiene.
Below is how to prepare a toothpaste with coconut oil:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (30 ml)
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda (20 g)
- 1/2 tablespoon of mint oil, spearmint oil, cinnamon oil, or any other herb to give flavor (5 ml) (optional)
Preparation
- First of all, warm the coconut oil on low heat for a couple of minutes. The objective is to reduce its density and make it more liquid. This way it will be easier to mix it.
- Next, put the coconut oil and the baking soda in a small bowl and mix until you have a uniform paste.
- Then, add the herbal essential oil little by little and continue mixing.
- Put the toothpaste on your toothbrush and then brush your teeth as normal. Remember to also brush your tongue and the insides of your cheeks.
- Finally, rinse with water.
You can also prepare enough of your homemade toothpaste with coconut oil to last you all week. You just need to maintain the same proportions of the ingredients and then keep it in a clean glass container.
In this case, don’t put your toothbrush straight into the container to avoid contaminating it. Use a small spoon or spatula to help get the paste out and put it on your toothbrush.
Other advice for improving your dental health
- Minimize your consumption of sugars and sweets, as they can promote cavities.
- Avoid cigarettes.
- Brush your teeth for a maximum of 15 minutes after each meal. This way you can prevent the formation of bacterial plaque.
- Try to maintain a healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. They are very important for maintaining strong bones and teeth.
- Go for regular clean-ups at the dentist.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Mora, O. (2003). Ácido Láurico : Componente Bioactivo Del Aceite De Palmiste. Palmas, 24(1), 79–83.
https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/%C3%A1cido-l%C3%A1urico-componente-bioactivo-del-aceite-palmiste/ -
Effect of coconut oil in plaque related gingivitis — A preliminary report (2015).Faizal C. Peedikayil, Prathima Sreenivasan and Arun Narayanan.