When it came time to test out eco-toothpastes for this column, I knew just whom to call: my sister, her husband, and their two boys. As a rule, their household purchasing -- and philosophy -- tends to straddle the eco/non-eco line, and toothpaste is no exception: two of them use a mainstream brand, and two use "green" pastes. I figured all those mouths would yield not only good testing grounds, but unfettered opinions as well.
Grist's Picks
Dr. Ken's (fluoride), $6.99/6 oz.Desert Essence (fluoride-free), $6.99/7 oz.
I whipped up a chart for them with highly scientific categories, including things like taste, texture, and "When I breathe in someone's face after I use this toothpaste, they say it smells ..." (Sometimes being an evil aunt is really fun.) Two weeks later, I got the results back, authentic water splotches and all.
I combined their reviews with information from the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database, the price I paid for each paste, and my own takes on taste, packaging, and ingredients. Here are the results.
Jason Healthy Mouth
Tea Tree and Cinnamon
$5.29/4.2 oz. ($1.26/oz.)
Big promises: Fluoride-free; certified organic; promotes healthy teeth and gums
Interestingest ingredients: tea tree oil, bamboo
Score (out of 10): 2
This paste's spicy origins did not go unnoticed: it has a "paprika-like" smell, noted 7-year-old Sam, while dad Jamie defined the odor as "cloves and medicinal." The flavor? Take your pick between "cough medicine," "old tea," and "absolutely disgusting." In addition, the paste itself was gooey, came out too fast, and made a mess. On a brighter note, it left teeth feeling "zingy." That's a good thing, right?
Nature's Gate Whitening Gel
Natural Toothpaste
$4.99/5 oz. ($1/oz.)
Big promises: Fluoride-free; no artificial colors or sweeteners; "specially formulated to gently polish teeth for a whiter, brighter smile"
Interestingest ingredients: bamboo, sage
Score: 6
With an "old-school toothpasty" taste and appearance, this mint whitening gel -- which looks more like a paste -- left the family's respective mouths feeling clean. However, at least two testers found it hard to squeeze out of the squat tube; and with methylparaben in its ingredient list, it may not be the best choice. (Many other brands have made efforts to phase out this fungicide.)
Kiss My Face Whitening Toothpaste
Cool Mint Freshness
$5.99/3.4 oz. ($1.76/oz.)
Big promises: Fluoride-free; certified organic; "a naturally whiter smile ... guaranteed"
Interestingest ingredient: Iceland moss
Score: 0
Universally panned by our family of testers, this paste earned reviews from "indescribably awful" to "wretched" to "crap," netting taste and smell comparisons to broccoli, cauliflower, tree bark, and "old mints from grandma's purse." The people have spoken, Kiss My Face -- and the people recommend that you "stop manufacturing immediately." In addition, while this brand boasts that it's free of the controversial foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate, it contains sodium lauroyl sarcosinate -- an ingredient that actually gets a higher hazard rating from the EWG.
Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste
Mint
$6.99/7 oz. ($1/oz.)
Big promises: Fluoride-free; no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, coloring or harsh abrasives; unique refreshing taste and ultra clean feeling
Interestingest ingredients: tea tree oil, seaweed extract
Score: 6
Desert Essence's entry into the toothpaste category was deemed an effective cleaner with a nice smooth texture. As a fun bonus, the package carries a tip: "Save 136 gallons of water each week -- turn off the tap when you brush your teeth." But its distracting undertones of salt and baking soda could scare off some eco-brushers. Sarah, summing up the general opinion, wrote, "I wish it tasted a little better -- it's good otherwise."
Tom's of Maine Whole Care Gel
Cinnamon-Clove
$4.79/5.5 oz. ($0.87/oz.)
Big promises: Anticavity and tartar control plus whitening ... for a fresh, clean-feeling mouth; does not contain saccharin, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors or flavors, or animal ingredients
Interestingest ingredient: clove oils
Score: 2
Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org reminds you to turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth -- faucets can spout two to three gallons per minute. Get all 50 water-saving tips.
This cinnamon gel was compared to Red Hots and deemed "too spicy" -- it also left the testers' teeth feeling "rough," "thick," and "like they have a film on them." Family members told 10-year-old Peter his mouth smelled like "Santa's sour milk" after using this! Then again, family members could have been having fun at Peter's expense. While this flavor did not inspire confi-dents, the price per ounce is the best of the lot -- and Tom's (both fluoride and fluoride-free) is often shelved with mainstream brands, so could be the easiest to find.
Dr. Ken's Maximum Care
Spearmint Cool
$6.99/6 oz. ($1.17/oz.)
Big promises: Anticavity, antibacterial, antigingivitis, antiplaque, anti-tartar, antioxidant; dentist developed and recommended
Interestingest ingredients: green tea extract, papaya
Score: 8
Dr. Ken's was a hit with our testing family, but is less of a hit with the Environmental Working Group, mainly for its inclusion of sodium fluoride and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate. With a pleasing, "fresh" spearmint flavor, it left this family's choppers feeling "very clean." Because the box and tube look the most mainstream of this bunch, this paste might appeal more to those who are skeptical of green brands, and who still want a paste that packs a fluoride punch.
The bottom line: As always, personal taste will vary, but our top picks are Dr. Ken's, if you don't mind fluoride, and Desert Essence if you're fluoride-squeamish. If those brands are tough to find, look for Tom's of Maine -- just watch out for the cinnamon burn. And one final tip from Peter: all of the boxes make great items for show and tell!
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Comments
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thricejamie Posted 3:05 am
11 Mar 2008
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SnoDragon Posted 3:08 am
11 Mar 2008
I'm personally addicted to both the spearmint and peppermint kinds - they leave you minty fresh without the sugar. It's like brushing your teeth with Altoids... amazing.
And how come you didn't try kid flavors, like TofM strawberry or orange? I'm curious to know how they rate.
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kayakpatty Posted 3:30 am
11 Mar 2008
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Wrightsfd Posted 4:39 am
11 Mar 2008
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Ben Rosenthal Posted 4:40 am
11 Mar 2008
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demolitionwoman Posted 5:10 am
11 Mar 2008
/negative nancy
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nyscof Posted 7:36 am
11 Mar 2008
Fluoride is a chemical drug. There's nothing natural about it.
Fluoride is neither a nutrient nor essential for healthy teeth.
Read the back of the tube. You have to call a poison control is more than used for brushing is swallowed.
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Millelunes Posted 8:37 am
11 Mar 2008
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TheSSG Posted 9:12 am
11 Mar 2008
I have weak enamel on my teeth, and I HAVE to use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash.
Adding the high Fl content mouthwash drastically reduced my dental caries.
If you're against Fluorination of water, that's fine. But I don't get the opposition to using fluorine in something that you spit out...
While it may not be necessary to healthy teeth, exposure to Fl sure seems to help remineralize teeth.
And hell, water can kill you if you ingest enough of it, so that's a bit of a silly argument to say that in larger doses it's a poison (which is true, but most benign things can be poisonous/deadly in a large enough dose).
But hey, it's your teeth. If you don't need Fluoride, that's great, I wish I had your teeth.
But don't be so quick to don the Foil hats, wave your arms around, and scream about the evils of it. Because there are some of us that actually REALLY do benefit from Fluoride.
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rutsatz Posted 10:04 am
11 Mar 2008
I understand and appreciate the roots of healthy skepticism, but it always distresses me to see otherwise responsible environmentalists using hyperbole and poor science to argue against the provision of basic health care.
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Millelunes Posted 11:54 am
11 Mar 2008
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jgirl1307 Posted 12:54 pm
11 Mar 2008
And despite the lack of artifical sweetners, even my wanting-to-be-green-though-not-quite-there significant other wants to use my 'paste permanently. It has no flouride (go eat some spinach and leafy greens for that!), no preservatives, no animal by products and is not tested on animals.
It is organic, contains Ester-C and some other stuff you can check out on their website I'm sure.
Happy Brushing!
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ginnyjc Posted 1:18 pm
11 Mar 2008
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jonahcoyote Posted 1:51 pm
11 Mar 2008
An amazing and eye opening article... I may never use toothpaste again!
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willa Posted 12:53 pm
12 Mar 2008
I like ToM mint toothpastes, all except the baking soda one. Even their "sensitive teeth" toothpaste is less disgusting than Sensodyne. I haven't had the nerve to try any of the non-mint flavors. I wish they had sample-size tubes of those, because I don't want to waste an entire big tube if it turns out I hate it. Of course, I could just stick with the ones I know I like (which is what I've been doing so far).
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suznami Posted 2:44 pm
12 Mar 2008
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Muffler Posted 6:21 am
13 Mar 2008
http://harmonyhealth.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/floride-doe ...
I still believe that this information is sound, and would be interested in hearing from others one way or the other.
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nyscof Posted 8:56 pm
13 Mar 2008
It's interesting that fluoride was first "discovered" as a cavity preventer when healthy wealthy populations living in the U.S's Southwest in the early 1900's had wonderful teeth that were splotched yellow and brown from too much fluoride in the water they drank and irrigated their crops with.
This was natural fluoride which, in this case, was calcium fluoride. The eager dental researchers attributed the cavity-free teeth on the fluoride component of the calcium fluoride, before we knew that calcium is a required nutrient for sound teeth.
A new weapon has recently been unveiled in the fight against tooth decay that's touted as better than fluoride created by researchers from Stony Brook dental school in New York State. What is it? Calcium
This Amorphous Calcium Phosphate actually can reverse cavities and build up enamel.
By the way, the toothpaste I used is Fluoride-Free Nature's gate. And the water I drink is always fluoride-free
Take Action to End Fluoridation here:
http://www.FluorideAction.Net
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lonelygirl Posted 5:16 pm
18 Mar 2008
For the people who don't like fluoride, it's fluoride-free. My dentist doesn't seem to think it's a problem that it doesn't contain fluoride.
I like it because it gets my mouth clean and feels like it neutralizes the acids. I actually look forward to brushing with it. It's not chalky or abrasive or harsh like some other tooth powders or pastes.
It's also great for backpacking, just pack a small quantity in a foil-lined package reused from an individual tea bag wrapper.
I like the anise flavor best, which I didn't think I would. Lemon-lime is also good if you can find it. Not as harsh on the mouth as mint.
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