I have seen a growing trend in the local supermarket and pharmacy, toothpastes, toothbrushes and mouthwashes are exploding in both price point and features. Here are some cheaper, more environmentally friendly and I dare argue more effective natural solutions for your oral hygiene regimen.
Why are oral hygiene products so expensive?
There is nothing wrong with a profit but that 8 dollar tube of toothpaste has probably gone through multiple markups even before it hits the shelves which you are paying for. First, the chemicals are produced then sent to the factory to be mixed with other ingredients to produce the final product in it’s fancy packaging. Final product then leaves in bulk to a distributor who may then have to pass through various sub-distributors along the way to the store. The store then typically introduces a 30-70% markup based on the prices they paid for the original product. Each level, of which there are many, have employees that must be paid, overhead, marketing, transportation and various other incidental costs that all get tacked on to… you guessed it… the consumer! What was essentially a few pennies worth of materials has now ballooned to a few dollars. This also explains why your Oral-B electrical toothbrush head costs an arm and a leg, my guess is Oral-B doesn’t make much from the toothbrush itself, instead, their profit margins are in the replaceable heads, similarly to how ink jet printers make money.
Chemicals everywhere…
If you read the back of your toothpaste and mouthwash, you will see a lot of chemicals that really don’t give you any real information. I have a rule of thumb I try to follow, if you don’t know what it is then don’t buy it. You breath in, ingest and bath in more then enough chemicals on a daily basis, try to eliminate the easy ones. Besides, most of the labels warn against swallowing what you are putting in your mouth… this is unavoidable so just skip the warning and use something natural! Keep in mind that cheaper mouthwashes use alcohol as their main ingredient, although it kills bacteria, it damages your gums in the process.
Healthy Alternatives
Well, mouthwashes and toothpastes are very easy to substitute with only three ingredients which will clean your mouth better then anything else on the market. The biggest problem with oral hygiene is bacteria buildup around the teeth and under the gum line. In addition to regular PROFESSIONAL cleaning, simply use warm water in an irrigator and add in a spoon of salt and a quarter spoon of baking soda. That’s it… after doing this for a few days, you will notice a few things. The main one is bacteria buildup inside your mouth leading to bad breath and that morning yuck taste are virtually gone. For me, mouthwashes, no matter the kind nor price range never seemed to solve this problem until I switched to this. As for toothpaste, well, you guessed it… salt and baking soda dissolved in water, you can add a little mint extract if you wish. You can buy salt and baking soda in just about every store a few kilograms at a time and nothing is as natural as salt. Baking soda is an acquired taste but after you begin to see the results, you will never want to go back! Please keep in mind that your irrigator will last only a few months as there is internal mineral buildup and always leave some water in the bottom, otherwise the pump is finished within a day. Regarding toothbrushes, I believe there is no substitute for a pro-level Oral-B toothbrush, sure they cost a small fortune but well worth the investment.
The Bottom Line
Oral hygiene doesn’t need to be expensive nor exotic to remain effective.
I wish they had these blow up water parks when I was a kid, sure beats having a plastic kiddy pool hooked up to a garden hose!
Recent Comments