Natural Toothpaste for Children

I was buying some more toothpaste for my children the other day. They were bugging me for the cartoon character ones sold in all the stores. They wanted to know why I always choose something else...something without Dora or Spiderman or SpongeBob on the tube.

I'd like to talk about children's toothpaste today and explain why using a natural toothpaste is so important.

Here is the listing of ingredients from the leading children's toothpaste sold at drugstores:


Active Ingredients: Sodium Fluoride (0.24%) (0.15% w/v fluoride ion)


Inactive Ingredients: Sorbitol, Water, Hydrated Silica, PEG 12, Cellulose Gum, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Saccharin, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, FD&C Red 40, D&C Red 33

I will first start with an ingredient many people debate over. Whether or not to use it can be quite controversial: Sodium Fluoride (fluoride). We have all been told for years that we need fluoride for our teeth. The ADA recommends using it. It is in many municipalities' water systems.

Sodium Fluoride comes to use as a by-product of making aluminum. As with aluminum, there have been many studies conducted and concerns issued over a possible link between fluoride and Alzheimer's Disease.

Other links between fluoride and other conditions have been studied. There was a concern about the link to cancer and fluoride. Many studies were done, some from more credible agencies than others. A link has not yet been scientifically substantiated between fluoride and cancer but it is still being studied.

A link to bone fractures in areas where the water system is fluoridated has been studied, but the experts believe much more reseach is done. It is interesting to note that here where we live, the Monroe County Water Authority does add 1 part per million (the guideline set by the EPA) to our water supply here in the Rochester area. I had a very nasty fibula fracture here from a fall. Nick had 3 broken bones before he was 6. I am not suggesting anything other than clumsiness on our parts. When Nick broke his elbow, I had just finished reading him Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and after he went down for his nap he tried jumping out of his bed at 2.5 and broke his elbow. The second time, he was running across the kitchen floor and tripped, landing awkwardly on his wrist.  The third, he tripped over the sidewalk while walking to school.  When I had a fracture, I fell down 13 stairs. We also have taken Calcium and Vitamin D for quite some time since Nick was allergic to milk until he was 3 and required to have extra calcium and D to keep his bones strong. He still takes it.


The other area of concern which has been substantiated is a link between fluoride and dental fluorosis, which is caused by exposure to too much fluoride. If the water supply contains fluoride and it is present in some other drinks, foods, in the air, and in toothbrushes and mouthwashes, it is very possible to get too much fluoride. This condition can cause cavities, yellow and stained teeth, white spots on the teeth, and cell damage. The CDC estimates that 32% of American children now have this condition, which is not only embarrassing for aesthetic purposes, but may actually be harmful to their bodies and causing more tooth decay as well.


Sodium Fluoride rates a 9 out of 10 (10 being the worst, like 1/4 Dioxane) on the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Database.


Why is fluoride used? Fluoride is said to make teeth stronger and more resistant to tooth decay.


This is an ingredient that has its pros and cons and, as parents, we need to make a decision for ourselves and do a bit of research to decide whether we'll use this ingredient or not.

Let's examine some other common ingredients in popular children's toothpastes:


PEG-12: It is best to avoid PEG ingredients. This solvent and moisturizing agent may be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, according to the Cosmetics Database.

Sorbitol-This is a skin conditioner and also gives flavor


Sodium Saccharin--Provides flavor. I personally refuse to use anything with ingredients containing saccharin because of the potential health risk.


FD & C Reds--While Red 40 is perhaps the safest of the Reds, avoid Red 33. It's been linked to cancer and is harmful to the eco-system.


Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate--Not a horrible ingredient. It's used in most toothpastes and is a buffering agent.


Disodium Phosphate--See above.


Sodium Lauryl Sulfate--You'll sometimes see companies say that this is natural because it is loosely derived from vegetable oils. This is used to clean garage floors at service stations and in the car wash as a cleansing agent. The effects shown in animal studies are very disturbing to say the least. When SLS is tested on young animals, their eyes can stop developing because of the harmful proteins absorbed. They have been shown to suffer severe damage to their nervous systems and even death. One study I read showed that children who get SLS in their eyes may get cataracts. Children! SLS is also very bad for the environment and has been shown to be lethal to fish. Even though SLS in itself is no longer believed to cause cancer, when it is combined with other compounds, it can be quite hazardous.

A Safe Option

At Nature's Basin, we offer a safe and natural tooth gel for children called Weleda Children's Tooth Gel. This product was developed by European dentists. As we know, standards for product safety and ingredients aren't lax in the EU like they are here in the US. Ingredient safety is a major concern over there.  This toothpaste uses natural essential oils instead of artificial sweeteners to flavor the product.  It is also fluoride-free and contains calendula extract,  an annual from the sunflower family with anti-inflammatory properties, is healing and calming for baby's gums.