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I first started to clean up my personal care routine when I went off to college and had to buy my own toilet paper, deodorant, and toothpaste for the first time. I started buying natural personal care products but eventually, I realized that my routine still created a lot of waste – especially my dental routine! In fact, every trip to the dentist, I would get a goodie bag with (plastic) floss, (plastic) toothbrush, toothpaste (in a plastic tube), and all packaged in a little plastic bag. Going to the dentist every 6 months or so meant I had a lot of extra dental-related plastic laying around!
I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could create a natural dental care routine without all the plastic. I stopped accepting the goodie bags from my dentist and donated all of my unused dental care bags to a local women’s shelter.
At first, I ordered a toothbrush made with recycled yogurt cups and bought a “natural” toothpaste (which turned out to be pretty similar to my conventional toothpaste). I also bought silk floss and a tongue scraper for better oral health. I used these things for a while before realizing it wasn’t any better than my conventional routine!
The toothbrushes were still made with plastic (albeit recycled plastic), the natural toothpaste and floss still came in plastic packaging, and the rubber handles on my tongue scraper deteriorated and got so gunky it was no longer usable.
In my quest to reduce this waste, I experimented with many different toothpaste options (both storebought and homemade). I also researched various zero-waste dental options to replace their wasteful counterparts.
After nearly 2 years, I ended up with a simple, natural, and zero-waste dental routine.
Toothbrushes
Big surprise, I use a bamboo toothbrush! There are currently almost no 100% compostable or biodegradable toothbrush options on the market. Why? The bristles. The only fully compostable toothbrushes contain bristles made from pig hair. ALL of the other toothbrushes you see have nylon or plastic based bristles. They may be “BPA-free” or “100% recycled” but they still contain at least some plastic. Hopefully, this will change as the demand for bio-plastics shifts but for right now, there are few options.
Since I still use a bamboo toothbrush with plastic-based bristles, I use a pair of pliers to pull out the bristles so I can compost the handle. All it takes is a firm tug on each bristle plug and they come out!
I use the Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes. They come in a compost
able wrapper in a paper box so the only part that ends up in the landfill are the bristles which are still (partially) plastic based. One unexpected downside of the bamboo brushes is not being able to tell them apart. With plastic brushes, we always had a different color for each person. Now, I just write my initial on the handle so I never question whose is whose! I also have seen people add fun colors, stickers, etc. to distinguish their toothbrushes!
Floss
I used silk based floss in a plastic container for quite some time before I was able to find a completely zero-waste floss option! Dental Lace is the best option for floss because not only is the string biodegradable and made with plant-based wax, the packaging is infinitely reusable! The floss holder is a small glass tube with a metal top. The wound floss sits inside the tube and comes out an opening in the top. My floss came in a paper package and my refill floss came in a plant-based plastic bag — zero-waste and natural!
Tongue Scraper
If you’ve never heard of a tongue scraper it may sound odd but it is so beneficial for dental health! So much bacteria stays on your tongue after brushing but a tongue scraper manually scrapes it away removing plaque and bacteria from your mouth. I was skeptical at first and remember thinking that the scraper looked like it might hurt — luckily I was very wrong! Now, I can’t go without it. I actually don’t feel like my mouth is clean until I use it!
My old mainstream brand tongue scraper was difficult to clean and did not last long. I was so glad to find a 100% stainless steel tongue scraper. I have now been using this tongue scraper for over 3 years and it is still in excellent condition!
Toothpaste
Last but not least is my toothpaste. I have struggled to find a solution that is both zero-waste and still healthy and natural for my teeth. I have tried some zero-waste pastes, powders, and tablets and I have tried some great natural tubes of toothpaste. However, most are either not very effective or still come in plastic tubes. My current toothpaste is homemade and I can package it in a reusable and easy-to-use tube! I use the remineralizing toothpaste recipe from Wellness Mama but instead of virgin solid coconut oil, I use food grade fractionated coconut oil which is liquid at room temperature (making the toothpaste more squeezable). I have been able to find almost all of the ingredients at my local bulk store but I have had to buy a couple ingredients on Amazon and they come in recyclable packaging.
Basically, I mix the ingredients in a bowl until I get a nice consistency and then spoon it into my toothpaste tube. I highly recommend these silicone tubes. If you are anything like me, they will be super helpful for a variety of concoctions (like shampoo test recipes). They are also great for travel and last a long time (I’ve had mine for at least 5 or 6 years!). Seriously, they are game changers!
A note on Orthodontics
For anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to have orthodontia work, you know that it is not a zero-waste process. After years of orthodontia, I learned that pretty much the only thing I need is a couple of floss threaders (not 500) and floss. I finally got comfortable to say no to the non-essentials. Your orthodontist (and dentist) is just trying to help by giving you extras but find out what works for you and stick to the basics. I still always wear my retainer at night even though it is plastic — some plastic is hard to avoid.
There you have it!
I love that my dental routine is so minimalist and simple. I also love that it creates almost no waste and is so affordable! After an initial investment of about $30-40, I have been able to keep a steady supply of toothpaste and floss for almost 2 years. With how beautiful this routine is, who wouldn’t want to transition to a simpler and more natural dental care routine?
Have you tried any of these alternatives? How have they worked out for you?
Great ideas! I need to get going on this!
Thank you! Something to add to your Christmas wish list? 🙂