I was just looking at the toothpaste aisle, and they now have lots of effective ingredients, including Calcium. Ok, I remember when I was a kid, the Crest Commecials, which lauded floride. Now, many toothpastes back in those days did not have floride, or Calcium, or ANY “effective ingredients”-- so what use were they? (This might make a good Cecil Question) 
Well, they served to clean one’s teeth. While fluoride acts on the tooth enamel, the actual cleaning (removing tartar, plaque, and broccoli) is done by the toothbrush. Early toothpastes were either flavored, abrasives, or both.
Not sure what went into pre-fluoride toothpastes, but there are toothpastes today that do not use fluoride. Tom’s of Maine makes one that may be the most popular. Ingredients and their purpose:
Calcium carbonate - Mild abrasive
Glycerin - Moistener
Water - Consistency
Sodium lauryl sulfate - Disperse the calcium
Carrageenan - Thickener
Spearmint and peppermint oils - Flavor
Myrrh - Astringent
Propolis - Gum stimulant
Their baking soda variety contains all this plus baking soda. Tooth powders were also popular in the old days. Usually baking soda, calcium carbonate, and flavoring.
I recall seing an old Ipana toothpaste commercial that bragged it fought cavities better than those containing floride.Back in the 50’s, some brands claimed to have “irium” as a cavity fighting agent. What the heck is irium? What I don’t understand is, floride toothpastes & rinses have warnings about swallowing the stuff (it is a poison) yet they put the stuff in drinking water, & anyone who complains that it’s a health risk is branded a Kook!
Is floride bad to swallow, or is it not?
Among the wonderful things we have used to clean our mouths, stale urine might take the cake. (And speaking of cakes, it was also used as a bakery glaze)
See my article on ‘lant’ at the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
pkbites,
Almost anything is poisonous when taken in larger quantities than your body can accommodate, even things that we absolutely need, such as vitamins. For example, taking too much vitamin A can cause blindness.
Some people are more sensitive than others to fluoride, and will develop mild symptoms of fluoride poisoning with just a little exposure (as that from toothpaste and tap water). A couple of these symptoms are acne and mottling of the teeth (getting white splotches on the teeth). These people should use non-fluoridated toothpaste, but the rest of us are most likely better off using fluoridated toothpaste.
I am very sensitive to the “tartar control” toothpastes. I don’t know what they use to prevent tartar formation, but every time I use it, the skin on my lips peels like you wouldn’t believe.
Do you really want to know what they used as a mouthwash in continental Europe until about a hundred years ago? I think I read it in Unmentionable Cuisine by Calvin Schwabe. They used (get ready) [euw]human urine[/euw]. Apparently it worked, too. They had very few cavities.
Thanks folks, I still have questions about this, but you have helped. Oh, and if you get “canker” sores in your mouth, the culprit might just be the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate nearly all toothpastes have. Apparently the foaming action cleans off your protective coating & thus you are susceptable to Canker sores, etc. I switched to toothpaste without sls almost a year ago, and no sores since.
Floride and cloride in your drinking water aren’t good for you, but they are a much less bad than cholera or rotten teeth. If you are a health nut worrying about your drinking water might be appropriate, but if you smoke, don’t wear a seatbelt, and eat pork rinds for breakfast, etc… Your drinking water is far down on the list of dangers.
michael
Danielinthewolvesden, what brand of toothpaste do you use? I ask because my mom is allergic to sodium lauryl sulfate. I have found her shampoo and soap without it but have had no luck with toothpastes.
YOu don’t need to use toothpaste at all really. A brush does a fine job of cleaning. Most people don’t brush long enough either. I think its 5 minutes you’re supposed to brush.
I know the early toothpastes used sand. Well, in short, anyway. They won’t say that on the tube. I can’t find any more info on this on the net. Shucks. I think they called it ‘sodium silicate aluminum’ Same stuff that glass bottles are made of, surprising eh? Supposely glass bottles leak more aluminum than an aluminum can.
My mu, 81, says she used to use baking soda. I tried it, but it tastes terrible. I found Tom’s brand is pretty good.
robihn: I use one of several made by REMBRANT “Naturals”, also Arm & hammer tooth POWDER is good (basicly baking soda + flouride +mint). There are several others, but ya gotta look carefully. BIOTENE is good, but I can’t find the toothpaste anymore.
Comments:
Flouride bonds to the enamel making it resistent to the acid which causes cavities. It also yellows teeth.
Fl is poisonous, but the quantities in drinking water is small enough that it’s OK.
Chlorine kills germs. It evaporates from water, so if you’re afraid of drinking it, leave your drinking water out before consuming.
My Dad told me that he used salt to brush his teeth before toothpaste.
If you had to brush your teeth with urine you’d probably never eat, hence no cavities. They did mention it’s your own urine your brush your teeth with, right? I’d hate to brush with someone else’s urine.
To answer the OP. Food left over in your mouth is food for bacteria. These bacterias’ waste product is acid which causes cavities. Hence even if you brushed with water to get rid of any food, bacteria would have nothing to eat and you’d have no cavities.
I used to bleed when I brushed my teeth. Asked my dentist about that & she said that you have to floss too. So floss everyday & no more bleeding. I never figured out why that works, but as long as it does…
Steve-o’s comment about flouride sensitivity is absolutely right.
While I do not find flouride to be the great communist evil which violates our Purity Of Essence, I am highly flouride-sensitive. If I drink 3 or 4 glasses of tap water, my mouth starts burning and it’s quite painful.
I’m also allergic to mint, so my toothpaste choice is very limited. Thankfully, companies like Tom’s of Maine and Nature’s Gate help the paranoid, the health nut and people like me who have legitimate toothpaste problems.
The only downside is that the natural toothpastes don’t have whiteners in them, so my teeth will never be ultra-white. Oh well.
My Grampa always bought chloryphyll toothpaste, claiming it was a whitener/breath freshener.
I just know it burned my mouth when I slept over there.
Chloryphyll is like chlorophyll, only spelled wrong.
(My mistake-correcting finger is faster than this window, I think. It looks good while I’m writing, then reverts to the last typo on submission.)