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Article: Sustainable Dental Care

Nachhaltige Zahnpflege
Bambuszahnbürste

Sustainable Dental Care

Why do we actually have to brush our teeth regularly?
After all, there are some important body parts and organs that are able to clean themselves. Teeth cannot . And since we cannot simply replace our teeth like crocodiles or sharks, we have to look after our teeth so that they last as long as we need them to. Time and sugar are the biggest challenges for our teeth, so we need tools like toothbrushes and toothpaste. These are everyday helpers that we use several times a day and replace regularly. Today, most bathrooms have plastic toothbrushes and plastic tubes, which means a lot of waste when used regularly. Waste that we can easily avoid.


toothbrush

Toothbrushes should be changed four times a year. If all of Germany were to follow this rule, 320 million toothbrushes would be thrown away every year. It's no wonder that hundreds of thousands of them wash up on our islands in the ocean. Plastic isn't ideal for us either, and yet we put toxins like BPA in our mouths several times a day. Our mucous membranes also absorb microplastics when we brush.

We want to be completely honest: There is no perfect solution yet. But there are better alternatives. The bristles in particular are a challenge, as our teeth have certain requirements for them.

bamboo toothbrush

Bamboo has a number of advantages. It is antibacterial, grows incredibly quickly and is compostable. So you don't have to worry too much about the handle. This actually makes up around 95% of the brush. So you save a lot of plastic compared to a plastic toothbrush. One disadvantage of bamboo is that it doesn't grow around the corner from us. The bristles are made of nylon or bio-nylon. Neither bio-nylon nor nylon can go on our compost. Bio-nylon composts in certain industrial plants, but not in our home compost or in the plants where our organic waste is disposed of.

TIO toothbrush

The TIO toothbrush is characterized by its replaceable head . So instead of throwing the whole thing away every time, you only have to hold the head. The entire brush is made entirely of bioplastic. The bristles are made of bio-nylon based on castor oil. The replaceable head is made of cellulose, which is obtained from FSC-certified wood. The handle is made of polyethylene based on sugar cane. However, the whole bio-plastic thing only composts under very specific conditions. We therefore recommend disposing of it in the residual waste, where it is rubbish, but at least does not release any pollutants like a plastic toothbrush does.


toothpaste

The classic toothpaste in a plastic tube has two major disadvantages: Firstly, it is a plastic tube. Secondly, it contains ingredients that we don't want in our mouths. Generally avoid: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). The problem is that these substances do their cleaning job a little too thoroughly. They are quite aggressive and can damage the protective layer that surrounds our skin. This also applies to the skin in the mouth.

There are now natural, safe alternatives. Whether you want to chew, spread or eat with a spoon – there is something for everyone. One thing they all have in common that has won our hearts: they are completely plastic-free.

Spoons: Toothpaste Ben & Anna

The toothpaste in a glass jar. The fresh taste comes from peppermint oil. Soothing sea buckthorn and anti-inflammatory chamomile extract have a supporting effect. The calcium it contains strengthens your teeth while silica polishes and cleans them effectively. Xylitol has an antibacterial effect and rounds off the taste with its natural sweetness.

"White" toothpaste helps you whiten your teeth with pineapple extract. "Black" cleans with activated charcoal from bamboo. For sensitive teeth, there is the sensitive version with nourishing aloe vera and sage.

Chewing: Denttabs

Put the tablet in your mouth, chew briefly and off you go. Denttabs are pioneers of plastic-free dental care. They polish teeth naturally using microfine cellulose fibers, which are obtained from plant parts. They contain just a few natural ingredients: silica as a gentle cleaning agent, fluoride to prevent tooth decay, a surfactant ensures that the tabs foam when they come into contact with saliva, baking soda regulates the pH value, citric acid stimulates saliva flow, cellulose acts as a filler and mint flavoring for fresh breath. Classic toothpastes often contain almost three times as many chemicals.

Spread: Toothpaste on a stick

The solid toothpaste looks a bit like a popsicle, but doesn't go straight into your mouth. Simply moisten your toothbrush, wipe the block of toothpaste and brush your teeth. Enriched with essential peppermint oil, the toothpaste has an antibacterial effect and provides a pleasant feeling of freshness after brushing your teeth. Compared to conventional plastic tubes, the toothpaste on a stick lasts twice as long. The stick can be composted after the product has been used up. It is also the ideal companion for backpacking and hiking, as the ingredients do not harm the environment.

Do it yourself: Toothpaste

Toothpaste can also be easily made at home. You will need:
1 tablespoon of baking soda – cleans the teeth and binds the harmful substances in the mouth, neutralizes caries-causing acids
1 tsp xylitol – has an antibacterial effect for the taste, sweetens the toothpaste
1 tbsp coconut oil – cleans and protects the teeth, has an antibacterial effect
5 drops of peppermint oil – for the fresh mint taste

Preparation: Heat the coconut oil and mix well with the other ingredients. Pour into a pot and allow to cool. Add a pinch of turmeric for extra white teeth. You can find all the ingredients and other recipes in our DIY set.

dental floss

The difficulty with dental floss is to strike a balance between plastic-free and vegan. Commercially available dental floss is made of nylon, which takes about 100 years to degrade or break down into tiny microplastic particles. Not ideal. If the dental floss is made of real silk from silkworms, it is not vegan. Most methods of silk harvesting kill the silkworms. Not ideal either. We have been tinkering for quite a long time and can proudly present our balancing act. The OU dental floss is made of corn and candelilla wax. This makes it as tear-resistant as nylon dental floss and does not contain any silk.

You can also save a lot on packaging for dental floss. Simply buy dental floss in a glass bottle and then just buy the spools and fill the bottle. Click here for the refill pack .

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