I May Be Green, But I’m Not THAT Green: Natural Toothbrushes and Dental Floss

Over the past two Septembers, I’ve honestly shared that “I may be green, but I’m not THAT green.” I’ve discussed reusable toilet paper, reusable feminine hygiene products, no deodorant, no soap, no shampoo, no plastic straws, and non-plastic coffee makers. Today I’m tackling dental hygiene choices.

I remember how shocked I was when I realized that dental products – we’re talking toothbrushes and dental floss – are plastic. Here I was, on a crusade to remove as many of the toxins from my family’s life, and it was right there, used in our mouths each and every day. I thought I had enough to worry about with dental sealants and “safe” kinds of toothpastes and fluoride. But do we get exposed to BPA every day all because of our toothbrushes?

Most likely, the answer is yes. While there are BPA-free toothbrushes in the world, the cheap but effective toothbrushes I typically buy do not claim that they’re BPA-free. Good news, though. According to Healthy Child Healthy World, Oral-B toothbrushes are BPA-free. (The toothbrushes are made with polypropylene handles and nylon bristles.) I guess I’ve found a new brand to faithfully purchase.

Brushing up on other alternatives
In case you’d like to avoid plastic toothbrushes altogether, there are options for you. This is where I admit that I may be green, but I’m not THAT green. Radius toothbrushes are made from cellulose, taken from sustainable yield forests. Life Without Plastic toothbrushes have a handle made from sustainably harvested wood and bristles made from pig hair. You could also skip toothbrushes and toothpaste altogether by chewing on a wooden Neem stick (actually licorice root), traditionally used in India and Africa.

If those options seem a little far out but you’re still concerned about recycling all the plastic in a toothbrush, Eco-Dent’s Terradent toothbrushes have replacable toothbrush heads, so you never have to replace the handle. Another option is Recycline Preserve toothbrushes. Made with polypropylene plastic from recycled Stonyfield Yogurt cups, these toothbrushes also can be recycled.

Floss
One of the easiest, most sensible flossing decisions is to avoid plastic floss picks – the pick is completely unnecessary, and will stick around in landfills for decades.

When shopping for regular dental floss, opt for a non-Teflon selection. Some traditional waxes are coated in beeswax or a petroleum-based wax. Other brands, like Eco-Dent, are coated with vegetable waxes – yet it’s a nylon wax. (Tom’s of Maine sells a nylon floss, too.) Radius natural dental floss is made of silk.

Talk back
Before today, has the plastic in dental products even been a blip on your radar?

Disclosure: Making an Amazon purchase through this post will result in a modest commission for Accidentally Green.

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Hilary Kimes Bernstein

Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.

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