Globally, an estimated 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes are discarded every year, enough to fill 50 Empire State Buildings. Add the 1 billion plastic toothbrushes thrown out every year in the U.S. alone, and you have plenty of reasons to dump plastic from your dental care routine. Here's how I did it.
Let's start with the paste. I switched to toothpaste tablets a few years ago. It's easy - you chew on the tablet to create a paste then brush your teeth with it. This grosses some people out, but to me 50 Empire State Buildings' worth of toothpaste tubes is grosser. I first tried the Chew products mentioned in this Forbes magazine article.
However, they contain Xylitol which is poisonous to dogs. Since my beloved pooch eats anything he finds on the floor and I'm always dropping things, I switched to the Un-paste brand also pictured above. They make a version with fluoride. Growing up on a farm with unfluoridated well water, I had many cavities as a child, so I support fluoridation. Despite what that character in the movie Dr. Strangelove says, it's not a commie plot and doesn't sap your precious bodily fluids.
Much as I like the Un-paste brand, it is made in Europe and needs to be brought here which requires fossil fuels. So the next time I re-stock it will be with brands made in the United States, of which there seem to be a few these days. That's toothpaste sorted.
Now for toothbrushes - it's pretty easy to find bamboo ones made with natural bristles. As a bonus, you can customize them with your name (so you know whose is whose), the date (so you know when to change them) and any other bling you like. Yes, I know where bamboo comes from, but it beats plastic.
And finally, dental floss. Years ago I switched to the "Gentle Floss" brand pictured above, and which you can find in health/natural food stores. It is not plastic free however - the floss is in a little plastic bag inside the cardboard dispenser and it has a plastic core. More recently, I found brands that use a refillable glass bottle with an integrated cutter on the lid which I like even better. The refills come in cardboard packaging and it works - so well that my dentist has commented the improvements.
My dentist still offers me all-plastic hygiene products when I go in for cleanings and exams, but I decline them. Next time I plan to bring samples of my plastic-free products, and see if he might consider switching. I think he'd be on board. It doesn't hurt to ask....
Let's start with the paste. I switched to toothpaste tablets a few years ago. It's easy - you chew on the tablet to create a paste then brush your teeth with it. This grosses some people out, but to me 50 Empire State Buildings' worth of toothpaste tubes is grosser. I first tried the Chew products mentioned in this Forbes magazine article.
However, they contain Xylitol which is poisonous to dogs. Since my beloved pooch eats anything he finds on the floor and I'm always dropping things, I switched to the Un-paste brand also pictured above. They make a version with fluoride. Growing up on a farm with unfluoridated well water, I had many cavities as a child, so I support fluoridation. Despite what that character in the movie Dr. Strangelove says, it's not a commie plot and doesn't sap your precious bodily fluids.
Much as I like the Un-paste brand, it is made in Europe and needs to be brought here which requires fossil fuels. So the next time I re-stock it will be with brands made in the United States, of which there seem to be a few these days. That's toothpaste sorted.
Now for toothbrushes - it's pretty easy to find bamboo ones made with natural bristles. As a bonus, you can customize them with your name (so you know whose is whose), the date (so you know when to change them) and any other bling you like. Yes, I know where bamboo comes from, but it beats plastic.
And finally, dental floss. Years ago I switched to the "Gentle Floss" brand pictured above, and which you can find in health/natural food stores. It is not plastic free however - the floss is in a little plastic bag inside the cardboard dispenser and it has a plastic core. More recently, I found brands that use a refillable glass bottle with an integrated cutter on the lid which I like even better. The refills come in cardboard packaging and it works - so well that my dentist has commented the improvements.
My dentist still offers me all-plastic hygiene products when I go in for cleanings and exams, but I decline them. Next time I plan to bring samples of my plastic-free products, and see if he might consider switching. I think he'd be on board. It doesn't hurt to ask....