Commercial Toothpaste

Commercial toothpaste was designed for foam, flavor, and shelf life, not for preserving the complex biochemistry of saliva. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in toothpaste is the same foaming agent used in shampoo and is in continuous contact with oral mucosal lining during brushing. Parabens used as preservatives in toothpaste degrade within the body into formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Fluoride in commercial toothpaste is toxic to both beneficial and pathogenic oral bacteria, disrupting the oral microbiome. Carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener in commercial toothpaste, causes gastrointestinal inflammation when small amounts are swallowed during brushing.