Your Guide To Natural, Non-Toxic, SLS-Free Toothpastes & Oral Care Products

By Marilee Nelson |

Your Guide To Natural, Non-Toxic, SLS-Free Toothpastes & Oral Care Products

Toxins in everyday toothpaste, dental floss, and mouthwash?! Sadly...yes. And it’s been a silent issue for decades. 

Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of brave and progressive researchers, biological dentists, hygienists, functional medicine doctors, integrative practitioners, and parents, we now have solid scientific evidence linking a variety of oral care ingredients to potential harmful side effects. 

So what are some of these harmful ingredients, and how can you avoid them? 

Fortunately, they are easy to spot, and it is becoming easier to replace them with healthier and more effective products.

This article shows you how.

Let’s Start With The Elephant In The Room: Fluoride In Toothpaste

The most widely used and controversial toxic ingredient in conventional and even "natural" toothpastes is fluoride. 

Many dentists and pediatricians recommend it because they believe it reduces the risk of cavities. 

Most parents love it because it’s an easy fix for dental problems and comes in various colors, flavors, and delivery systems. 

However, new research has finally begun to validate what has been known for years: that fluoride can affect a child’s health and development.

Many of us are hearing about this for the first time in news cycles, and it can be hard to discern what’s what.

To begin, I invite you to approach this from a purely evidence-based perspective. 

So, let’s unpack this a bit based on what the science says, which has been mounting for years.

Here are a few examples.

In 2020, the U.S. National Toxicology Program released a review of all published studies on fluoride's potential neurotoxicity. 

The report (which you can download here) is 320 pages long and concludes that “fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive developmental hazard to humans.” Studies show direct correlations between fluoride exposure in and out of utero reduced IQ, memory, and other cognitive impairments.

Keep in mind, this was back in 2020.

A big part of the problem is that children’s bodies retain a much higher concentration of fluoride than adults; 80-90% in children vs. 50-60% in adults. [1]

So if they’re getting extra fluoride in their drinking water and toothpaste every day, that will accumulate quickly during their developmental years.

Studies have also demonstrated that fluoride can be harmful to: 

  • Male and female fertility [2]
  • Neurodevelopment in children [3]
  • Thyroid health [4]
  • Dental health due to fluorosis, a symptom of fluoride toxicity that discolors the teeth
  • Bone health as a risk factor for osteoporosis[5] and skeletal fluorosis [6]
  • And may contribute to many other troubling symptoms, known, suspected, and unknown

The fluoride controversy has been raging for decades, but it all came to a head in 2024 and 2025, when a federal judge ordered the EPA to review and then enhance the regulation of fluoride in drinking water due to strong evidence that it can reduce IQ in children. [7]


In 2025, the EPA agreed to study the effects of fluoride, and the HHS secretary plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water. [8,9]

This is significant because it’s the first time, despite mounting evidence of harm from all sides of the scientific, medical, and political spectrum, that fluoride’s safety has been questioned on a federal scale.

Despite this evidence and viable safer alternatives (which we’ll discuss coming up), some experts, including the American Dental Association [10], maintain the benefits of fluoride outweigh the risks, and that it should not be removed from water and oral care products.

We and many other experts and scientists disagree, but you get to be the judge of what’s right for you and your family. 

In this spirit, we’d encourage you to read the reports—not just what you hear on the news or from your doctor or dentist, but the actual scientific studies and court documents, and make your own decisions.

You’ll find these in the reference section of this article, and we’ll update them as new information becomes available.

Another reason to avoid fluoride, apart from the controversy, is the FACT that fluoride competes with iodine for binding sites in the thyroid, as fluoride is a member of the halogen family with similar chemical properties.  

This can lead to hypothyroidism.    

But Isn’t Fluoride Natural? 

Yes and no. It depends on the form. 

Natural fluoride is a trace mineral found in groundwater and soil at very, very low concentrations (because Mother Nature is smart!). [11]

However, the fluoride found in toothpastes and municipal drinking water is a synthetic version of natural fluoride added in very high doses compared to what you’d find in well water. 

And it’s the concentration (and many suspect the form of fluoride as well) that appears to be causing the problems with neurotoxicity.

But fluoride’s not the only ingredient of concern; here’s what else to look out for in toothpastes and oral care products.

Related reading: How To Choose The Best Water Filter For Every Home And Budget

Nano-Hydroxyapatite: A Possible Natural Replacement for Fluoride?

The jury is out concerning a popular toothpaste ingredient, nano-hydroxyapatite. It is being touted as a natural replacement for fluoride, but there are questions about its safety. 

The controversy is difficult because some wonderful wellness-oriented companies are trying to offer safer oral care products without fluoride. 

If information becomes available that suggests potential issues with an ingredient, we encourage applying the Precautionary Principle, as the Europeans do. 

This principle proposes that we take preventive action in the face of uncertainty. Therefore, continuing investigations of studies and updates, various opinions, and the history of an ingredient can help to guide us.[12] 

In 2016, the European Commission Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety investigated the safety of hydroxyapatite.[13]

Questions were raised, and after consideration, the European Union issued limitations on its use in cosmetics and oral care products in March 2024.[14]

The United States does not currently regulate the use of nano-hydroxyapatite in oral care products. We recommend the study and consideration of research on this issue to learn questions to ask about hydroxyapatite in toothpastes you are considering.

Note:  At this time EWG Skin Deep rates hydroxyapatite a one. They do not rate nano-hydroxyapatite.[15]

Other Toxins To Avoid In Toothpaste Oral Care Products

In addition to fluoride, a typical tube of toothpaste may contain the following harmful chemicals:

  • Artificial colors, flavors, dyes, gums like carrageenan, and sweeteners (xylitol and stevia are safer options in oral care products).
  • Plastic chemicals from packaging.
  • Foaming agents, synthetic and naturally-derived surfactants, and chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and propylene glycol. The exceptions are the alkyl glucosides—coco glucoside, lauryl glucoside, and decyl glucoside.
  • Triclosan—an antibacterial agent banned in hand sanitizers but allowed in oral care products, which negatively impacts your oral microbiome.

Mouthwashes also contain these ingredients, plus copious amounts of alcohol, which kill off both good and bad bacteria in the oral microbiome.

Conventional dental floss isn’t great either, as it often contains fluoride, antibacterial ingredients, and the ever-insidious PFASs (aka: forever chemicals related to Teflon) to help it slide through your teeth. 

A 2019 study published in the Journal Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology [16] showed that women who use a particular brand of ultra-slick dental floss had higher levels of the PFAS chemical: perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) in their blood than women who didn’t use that type of floss. 

PFASs have been linked to such health conditions as cancer, developmental issues, thyroid issues, the immune system, and liver damage.

Related reading: What Are PFAS? How To Safeguard Your Family Against Contaminated Drinking Water

3 Tips On Choosing Safe Non-Toxic Toothpastes, Dental Floss, And Other Oral Care Products


Formulating a toothpaste with all safe ingredients is difficult. With so many oral health brands getting on the “all natural” bandwagon, finding safe toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, etc. can be perplexing 

Firstly, just like with skin care, food, and cleaning products, don’t be fooled by labels like “all natural”, “non-GMO”, or “made with organic ingredients”...because they could still contain fluoride, PFASs, surfactants, etc.

Second, use what you just learned to scan ingredient labels and avoid the toxins listed above. 

It’s also imperative to look for “fluoride-free” on the toothpaste tube, as many brands that make fluoride-free toothpastes also make fluoride-full toothpastes. So, label reading is essential!

Third, to save time, use EWG’s Skin Deep database to rate specific ingredients in a toothpaste.   As time goes on and more research is carried out, clarification on safe toothpaste ingredients will emerge.

You can find more information on the best and worst-rated brands here. 

BUT NOTE: You can see how confusing this can be, as EWG has a couple of EWG-verified products that contain fluoride! 

Our Favorite Natural Toothpastes And Floss

The best brand for you and your family depends on your oral care needs and your budget. 

Here are some natural, fluoride, and SLS-free toothpastes:

The following brands have options that contain hydroxyapatite. Use the information above to inquire about the particular hydroxyapatite used. 

Gum and Oral Hygiene Treatment

Dentie Tooth Powder - Eden Foods: Helps maintain gum health.

Best non-toxic, eco-friendly, PFAS-free dental floss:

Look for either wax-free dental floss or brands made without synthetic wax, artificial flavors, and antibacterial agents. Brands we like include:

Best Natural Mouthwash:

Studies show that some mouthwashes cause a disruption of the oral microbiome and high blood pressure. 

Instead, we recommend a simple saline rinse after brushing. This provides gentle antimicrobial properties and promotes gum health without decimating beneficial bacteria.

The rinse creates a hypertonic saline solution that soothes, cleanses, and reduces inflammation while maintaining ecological balance in the mouth.

Here's the recipe for a simple saline rinse:

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup warm water

Dissolve salt in the water, rinse for 15-30 seconds.

Yes, There Is More To Oral Health Than Just Toothpaste

In the interest of time, we’ll have to tackle topics like nutrition, the oral microbiome, more studies on fluoride, hydroxyapatite, mercury amalgams, root canals, biological dentistry, oil pulling, the anti-cavity diet, and more in separate articles.

For more information on the toxins covered today, plus a helpful tutorial on oil pulling, check out:

Looking For Healthier Household Cleaning And Laundry products? 

Shop Branch Basics' full line of human-safe, biodegradable, MADE SAFE, cruelty-free, refillable products here.

References:

  1. https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0551-x 
  2.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-017-1121-0 
  3. https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05601-z 
  4.  https://jech.bmj.com/content/69/7/619 
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897754/ 
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19305069/ 
  7. https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-ruling-drinking-water-ccdfa11138600ab0838ebf979cbaead2 
  8. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-rfk-jr-cdc-fluoride.html 
  9. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/hhs-epa-to-study-fluoride-in-drinking-water-as-rfk-jr-says-he-ll-tell-cdc-to-stop-recommending-it/ar-AA1CuhE5 
  10. https://www.ada.org/about/press-releases/making-america-healthy-means-keeping-water-fluoridated 
  11.  https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0551-x 
  12.  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-018-0109-y 

 

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Marilee Nelson

Marilee Nelson is an Environmental Toxins expert who has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the chemically-sensitive and chronically-ill. She is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Certified Bau-Biologist and Bau-Biology Inspector and specializes in Food As Medicine. She has helped thousands of families and individuals identify, heal and recover from toxic exposures and is on a mission to revolutionize the way American families view their health.

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