In my book, Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry, I describe the best, safest recipe for keeping your gums and teeth clean and healthy. We have received hundreds of emails requesting information regarding a safe toothpaste so, I have taken an excerpt from my book and provided it below.

Toothpastes

Toothpastes are dangerous. One of the culprits is sodium laurel sulphate (SLS), a fierce detergent used as a foaming agent. You may get the impression that your teeth are going to become sparkly clean when you see all that foam, but the truth is, SLS is officially listed as a poison, and as a primary irritant. It binds to tissues, so is not removed by simply rinsing the mouth with water. SLS also damages the friendly bacteria in the mouth, while leaving others, such as streptococci and E coli, unharmed. The worst news of all is that SLS causes periodontitis (gum disease) which is extremely painful and expensive to treat, and can lead to tooth loss.

Further, some toothpastes are too alkaline, while others are too acid, etching the teeth and making them more vulnerable to decay. Believe it or not, chlorhexidren, bromchlorophen and even formaldehyde are included in some toothpastes as antibacterials - and those awful fluoride 'stripes' are made from yet another toxic waste product that manufacturers would rather sell to you than pay to dump responsibly.

As far as I know, only one government has had the sense and decency to outlaw the use of fluoride as an aid to oral health. Fluoride tablets, fluoride drops and fluoride chewing gum, for decades promoted as the crown jewels of dentistry, are to be taken off the market in Belgium because the government now agrees that they are poisonous and pose a great risk for physical and psychological health.

An example of the cavalier attitude of toothpaste manufacturers came from an American truck driver. He reported picking up a 44,000 pound load of aluminium dioxide powder in Bauxite, Arkansas . When he asked why the load was destined for a toothpaste manufacturer, the shipping agent told him that the aluminium mined in Arkansas is too low grade for manufacturing purposes, but that the brilliant, white aluminium powder is perfect for toothpaste. To allay the fear of Alzheimer's Disease-conscious consumers, it is concealed on the label as an "inactive" ingredient.

You can see that we must not be lulled into a false sense of security by the ingredient labels on tubes. Many are downright fraudulent, and most list only the benign-sounding ingredients. When I warn students at Hippocrates Health Centre about toothpastes, some tell me they have a 'good' one - guaranteed by a multilevel salesperson or a health food store to be safe. They bring me the tube for inspection and usually I find several ingredients I know to be dangerous.

When there is nothing dangerous listed, I often fax the company requesting a complete list. Some refuse to divulge the ingredients, which makes me really nervous, and those who do, invariably fax lists that read like a poison manual. Most contain SLS, even if it's not on the label, and some contain artificial sweeteners, which you should by now know are deadly, and many actually contain sugar, which you are brushing your teeth to remove! It is against Australian law for importers to label incorrectly. Too bad the authorities don't enforce it. When I discovered the true ingredients of several imported toothpastes, I naively wrote Carmen Lawrence, who was then the Federal Health Minister, sending proof and requesting that something be done. Years later, I am still waiting for a reply, or for the companies to be stopped.

What To Do?

The question is - what to do until a safe toothpaste is available? My dentist assured me that it is not necessary to use any toothpaste. Just brush thoroughly and floss, of course. If, after several weeks, you find that your teeth look a bit discoloured, brush with a bit of ground pumice, very gently, and they will clean up nicely. You can get it at a pharmacy or from a cooperative dentist. Do not use it too frequently, because it will remove some enamel; but then, so does toothpaste.

There is another option, and I prefer this one because I love prevention. An American dentist, Dr Paul Keyes of the International Dental Health Foundation in Reston , Virginia , claims that using baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), three percent hydrogen peroxide, and salt will clear up gum disease, as well as kill harmful bacteria. His recipe: dip your toothbrush in the peroxide, then into the bicarb and brush your teeth and go over your gums thoroughly, so the mixture can get into all the crevices.

Because the three percent hydrogen peroxide that is commonly available is stabilised with chemicals best left out of your mouth I prefer this method: get a bottle of food grade, 35 percent hydrogen peroxide from your compounding pharmacist. Because it is not stabilised with chemicals, you will need to store the excess in the freezer. Warning: Do not use it neat, and keep it off your skin. Dilute a very small amount (one part peroxide to nine parts water) and use it with the bicarbonate of soda, as described in the previous paragraph.

After thorough brushing, gargle with salt water. Not ordinary salt, please; use Celtic salt. Dr Keyes says that his patients have saved loose teeth, reduced gum inflammation, stopped bleeding, cured bad breath and halted other problems that were connected with gum disease. If children are started on this technique, Dr Keyes says, tooth-destroying gum disease will probably never take root. You and your children may not love the taste but, trust me, it is miles better than submitting to painful, expensive gum surgery. I've seen some wonderful results with this, but please don't neglect going to your dentist for regular cleaning as well.

For those who do not wish to gargle with salt water, Epsom Salts may be used instead. But please remember never to use Listerine or any of the other dreadful commercial mouthwashes. They are all filled with nasty chemicals that will go straight into your body and create havoc.

'Smart' Toothbrushes

Several years ago toothbrush manufacturers came up with a new selling tool; they put a coloured stripe on toothbrush bristles that was designed to fade over the weeks, thus indicating when a new brush was needed. Duh! Without their help, you'd never have been able to work that out for yourself, would you? Either they didn't think or they didn't care what happened to that dye. All it takes is a little commonsense to figure out that the dyes are chemical, not food dyes, and that as they fade, they are absorbed through your gums into your bloodstream!

It is becoming more and more difficult to find a dye-free brush in this country. Once it becomes impossible, we may have to import them from Europe .

Read Elaine's Mini Ebook to find out more. Mercury, fluoride, industrial waste -  are you sure your dentist isn't making both of you sick? There is a lot to be afraid of when you walk into a dentist's office.

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