How to get a Whiter—and Greener—Smile!

Everyone wants to have a pearly-white, knock’em dead smile. And really, there are loads of products on the market that claim to get you there. But have you stopped to think about what those products have in them? From teeth whitening products to mouthwash and toothpaste, you’re potentially putting harmful chemicals in your body daily. It seems that food is the obvious no-brainer when examining ingredients, but dental care may be getting overlooked in many households.

You might be thinking it’s fine, it’s not like you actually eat toothpaste, but there are dangerous ingredients that have been found in toothpaste, as outlined by TopTenz.net. So with that in mind, we’ve done some research for you to clean up and green up your mouth.

Try an all-natural toothpaste. We know you’ve been using Crest since you were a kid, but there are companies that offer all-natural toothpaste and sustainability in their packaging. You might want to check out Tom’s of Maine (a favorite of this writer). Something that really sticks out to me is how Tom’s of Maine proudly links straight to their ingredient listing on their site, in a large green font, making it quite obvious they want you to take a look and be aware of what you’re getting. They’ve recently launched Simply White toothpaste to help whiten teeth. Tom’s of Maine also offers a new, alcohol-free mouthwash with anti-cavity properties, along with antiplaque dental floss to help round out your routine.

Other options include Natuarl Oral Care line from Jason, which has a large variety of flavors and offers ingredients such as CoQ10, Ester-C and Blue Green Algae, as well as mouthwash with the same variety. Other brands you might want to try are: Kiss My Face, Weleda, Burt’s Bees and Green Beaver.

We’ve covered the toothpaste and mouthwash, and you might think we’re done–but wait. What about your toothbrush? Have you ever stopped to wonder if your toothbrush is BPA-free? BPA stands for Bisphenol-A, a common compound in plastics that has raised safety concerns and has even been declared a toxin in Canada. Many of you have already figured out you don’t want it in your water bottles, but your toothbrush may not be something you’ve thought about. Ever since I discovered Radius Toothbrushes a couple years ago I’ve been hooked. While visiting my sister a few months ago, as I pulled out my Radius Scuba Toothbrush, my sister exclaimed “What is that?!”—it has that sort of affect on people. You might find the large head intimidating, but I’m here to tell you after you try it you won’t go back. Radius offers something for the whole family, with lines including Baby, Totz, Kidz, Source, Scuba and Original. All Radius Toothbrushes are made with premium bristles, BPA-free, dye free and guaranteed to be cruelty free and 100% recycleable.

Another all-natural toothbrush I’ve discovered is Preserve. Preserve is actually powered by recycled yogurt cups. This brand is not only trying to make you have a prettier smile, but also encouraging sustainable practices, as it is sold in a postage-paid mailer which makes it easy to recycle after use.

There are other natural toothbrushes on the market, a few made with boars-hair actually. Your local Whole Foods will likely provide a variety of options, including Radius Toothbrushes and Preserve Toothbrushes, along with the above mentioned toothpaste options.

So now that you have discovered how to green your teeth cleaning routine, don’t forget to smile!