Humble, earthy tooth powder, sleek toothpaste’s understated older cousin, is edging in on the dental-care scene as a newly popular (but not-really-so-new) option. If you’re not a fan of fluoride or you’re concerned about the ingredients in your grooming and dental products, consider this lowly but mighty alternative.
Tooth powder is basically toothpaste stripped of its modern frills, building on the eons-old practice of using grit to clean teeth. Abrasiveness is one aspect of modern toothpaste that makes it effective. Sometimes called “powdered mineral toothpaste,” tooth powder is emerging as its natural and safe alternative.
Adding to its appeal, tooth powder tends to come in eco-friendly packaging such as glass jars or paper bags (as opposed to plastic toothpaste tubes), and contains down-to-earth ingredients such as charcoal (for whitening), cardamom, sea salt, crushed eggshells, baking soda, and bentonite clay. It is usually fluoride-free, which is a plus for many people who’ve become wary of fluoride-treated water and toothpaste.
Limited Research
In some parts of Asia and the Middle East, people have always preferred tooth powder to toothpaste. The limited research that exists on the effectiveness of tooth powder comes mainly out of India and Pakistan, where tooth powders are especially popular (toothpaste giant Colgate sells one called Super Rakshak in India). A 2009 study by researchers in Pakistan in the Journal of the International Academy of Periodontology showed that tooth powder may be better at reducing plaque than regular toothpaste.
Other research includes a 2014 study in the International Journal of Health Sciences showing tooth powder’s stain-removing efficacy (of extrinsic, or surface stains) was significantly higher than that of toothpaste. It was also shown to be better at controlling plaque and reducing gingivitis in a 2017 study from Saudi Arabia.
Very little negative news concerning tooth powder exists, although a 2014 case in India involved a 31-year-old man who used an herbal toothpowder and developed an allergic skin rash called erythema multiforme.
