Sustainable Oral Care: 9 Eco-Friendly Dental Essentials
We hate cavities as much as the next person, but you know what’s even less fun than root canal?
Climate change.
It’s time that cavity protection came in a more eco-friendly package that both protects your teeth AND the planet.
With sustainable oral care, it does.
From eco-conscious, cutting-edge electric toothbrushes by Sustainable Tomorrow to vegan dental floss, we’re handpicking the best teeth cleaning products that are a breath of fresh, well, breath!
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The Best Sustainable Oral Care Products For A Winning Smile
The best dental care products give us plenty to smile about—actual pearly-whites aside.
For unmatched eco-friendly dental care, Sustainable Tomorrow’s electric bamboo toothbrush—that’s right, eco-friendly electric toothbrushes!—leads the way by utilizing recycled plastics and biodegradable materials.
Huppy’s toothpaste tablets excel in sustainability with their waste-reducing approach and commitment to natural ingredients, including bamboo charcoal and essential oils.
Not to sound like your dentist, but don’t forget to floss! Georganics offers a sustainable flossing solution made from fully home compostable materials.
Brush through to the end of our article for a ‘floss-ophy’ session on how we picked our teeth clean by picking the best oral hygiene products.
The Full List Of Eco-Friendly Oral Care Products
- Electric Toothbrush | Visit Store
- Manual Toothbrush | Visit Store
- Toothpaste Tablets | Visit Store
- Toothpaste | Visit Store
- Vegan Dental Floss | Visit Store
- Silk Dental Floss | Visit Store
- Liquid Mouthwash | Visit Store
- Mouthwash Tablets | Visit Store
- Tongue Scraper | Visit Store
1. Sustainable Tomorrow Electric Toothbrush
Price Range: $80–$100
Much like ditching single-use kitchen towels for paper towel alternatives, switching to an electric toothbrush is a smart move in the bathroom.
Traditional manual toothbrushes, while effective, can’t match the cleaning power of their electric counterparts.
Studies from the Journal of Clinical Periodontology highlight the superiority of electric brushes in reducing gingival recession and maintaining overall oral health.
And while anything with electric components is naturally going to have a higher impact than its manual counterpart, Sustainable Tomorrow’s electric toothbrushes bring an eco-friendly twist to this dental revolution.
These electric toothbrushes are reshaping our approach to oral hygiene and offer a user-friendly design made of FSC-certified bamboo brush head and the same bamboo casing for the handle body.
After testing them ourselves, we found Sustainable Tomorrow’s electric toothbrushes not only comfortable and easy to use but also remarkably intuitive, offering a superior cleaning performance within plastic-free packaging.
With their ergonomic design, these toothbrushes fit snugly in your hand, ensuring a comfortable brushing experience for everyone.
Moreover, they come equipped with gentle yet effective bristles, which make them ideal for sustainable oral care for sensitive teeth and gums like ours. The adjustable settings (think: 5 cleaning modes with 3 levels of intensity delivering up to 40 000 vibrations per minute) allow you to personalize your brushing experience, catering to your specific oral health needs.
The sleek and modern aesthetic of these bamboo electric toothbrushes also stands out, making them a stylish addition to any bathroom.
Plus, their long-lasting battery life means you can rely on them for consistent performance, even when traveling. And of course, the batteries are rechargeable.
2. Manual Toothbrush
Price Range: $15–$20
Haven’t embraced the buzz?
That’s okay; it’s not for everyone, but you can still brush better.
Embracing a sustainable lifestyle often starts with the simplest of changes, like switching from a conventional plastic toothbrush to manual sustainable toothbrushes.
Brush with Bamboo’s manual bamboo toothbrush offers a perfect blend of simplicity and environmental consciousness.
Not only are their handles made from organically grown bamboo, but their brush bristles are crafted from 62% castor bean oil, making them a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic bristles.
Although their brushes are not fully biodegradable, we like Brush with Bamboo because of their increasing use of biobased materials and their concerted effort to reduce the amount of petroleum-based plastic in their products.
EcoRoots’ toothbrushes feature a minimalist design and a 100% compostable bamboo handle, while the soft, recyclable nylon bristles are tough on plaque but gentle on gums.
While you have to remove the bristles to compost the rest, the bamboo handles alone can help reduce the bulk of plastic waste from the one billion plastic toothbrushes thrown away every year in the United States alone.
That creates a staggering 50 million pounds of waste according to eco-friendly oral care data—especially given the American Dental Association’s recommendation to replace toothbrushes every three months, or when the bristles have frayed.
EcoRoots’ packaging is also plastic-free, being completely plant based and recyclable, and shipping is carbon offset.
3. Toothpaste Tablets
Price Range: $6–$45
Zero waste toothpaste tablets are revolutionizing dental care, offering all the perks of traditional toothpaste, but with zero waste and more convenience.
Huppy’s tablets are a 100% plant-based, all-natural option available in exciting flavors like Charcoal Mint, Cool Mint, and Watermelon Strawberry.
They stand out because they replace fluoride with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHap), a NASA-developed, calcium-rich mineral great for teeth strengthening and plaque prevention.
Gluten-free and committed to vegan, cruelty-free practices, Huppy is perfect for folks who like the foaminess of traditional toothpastes without all the synthetic foaming agents. I
It’s actually the most foamy of all natural toothpastes we’ve tried, making it a personal favorite.
But SuperBee‘s Dentos Eco toothpaste tablets are our sustainable dental care runner-ups.
These spearmint-flavored, zero waste tabs are packed with natural ingredients and come in reusable packaging.
Free of sugar, fluoride, talc, and palm oil, they offer a guilt-free, deep clean.
Their eco-friendliness and quirky hexagon shape make them a hit, especially with kids, adding a fun twist to daily brushing routines.
4. Traditional Toothpaste
Price Range: $5–$12
Toothpaste, the cornerstone of daily dental care, is undergoing a sustainable transformation.
Even if you’re not a fan of toothpaste tablets, brands like Davids and Green Beaver are setting new standards with their innovative and environmentally-conscious toothpaste in the same pasty form you know and love.
Davids toothpaste comes with no plastic tubes and steps up instead with its natural whitening toothpaste in recyclable metal toothpaste tubes. But our favorite feature of these metal toothpaste tubes?
A metal key that ensures you get every drop from the tube, instead of wasting precious toothpaste
It stands out with its innovative use of coconut charcoal for safe whitening, Nano-Hydroxyapatite for sensitive teeth, and other USA-sourced and EWG Verified ingredients.
This formula doesn’t deliver a lot of foam, but leaves our teeth feeling just as clean.
Green Beaver brings to the table its all-natural, vegan toothpaste in an array of flavors like Cinnamon, Spearmint, and Frosty Mint—all of which come in a post-consumer recycled plastic tube.
Particularly appealing for families, its toothpaste is fluoride-free, gentle, and comes in child-friendly flavors made from real fruits.
5. Vegan Dental Floss
Price Range: $6.50–$10.00
In the world of sustainable oral care, zero waste floss is really stringing along a positive change.
Traditional floss, typically made from harmful, non-biodegradable plastics, contributes to significant environmental woes, ending up in landfills and oceans, much to the detriment of marine life.
These flosses are not only tough on waste but also on our underwater friends, causing harm due to their non-tear design and potentially hazardous chemical makeup.
Georganics combats these issues with its eco-friendly floss made from corn and bamboo fibers.
However, they also sell floss made from pure Ahimsa silk, so if you’re vegan, be sure to shop specifically for their vegan floss.
Both are biodegradable options that are effective for dental hygiene, ensuring that keeping your gums healthy doesn’t have to be at the planet’s expense.
Similarly, ZeroWasteStore.com offers a sustainable twist to dental floss, utilizing plant-based materials to ensure that your dental routine is as green as it is clean.
Like Georganics, their in-house ZWS Essentials line includes both a non-vegan silk line and a vegan bamboo floss, which is what we personally use because of the added detoxifying benefits of activated charcoal.
Both these brands use sustainable glass for their floss containers and offer low-waste refills that come only in a cardboard box.
By choosing these sustainable flossers for zero waste oral care, you’re not just flossing away food particles; you’re also helping to brush off the environmental impact associated with traditional dental care products.
6. Silk Dental Floss
Price Range: $4.50–$38
Silk dental floss is a sustainable alternative to traditional floss, addressing environmental concerns associated with common dental hygiene products.
As one of the eco-friendly oral hygiene heroes, silk floss breaks down naturally, leaving no trace behind—a stark contrast to synthetic flosses that contribute to the growing crisis in our landfills and oceans.
The key is to look for ethically sourced silk, like peace silk.
Radius and Dental Lace are leading this green revolution with their 100% silk dental floss, turning every cleaning session into an eco-conscious act.
Gentle on your gums and kind to the planet, their flosses are a testament to sustainable living.
By choosing silk over synthetic, you’re not just polishing your smile, but ensuring the whole process leaves the planet squeaky clean, since silk floss will break down right in your home compost bin.
7. Liquid Mouthwash
Price Range: $24–$30
Mouthwash is getting a sustainable makeover.
The Dirt’s mouthwash, rooted in Ayurvedic traditions, uses coconut and sesame oils to combat plaque and refresh your mouth.
BlueHavenHolistics‘ alcohol-free mouthwash, made with natural, organic, and wild-crafted ingredients, incorporates the traditional practice of oil pulling—the ancient Ayurvedic practice of swishing oil in the mouth to remove bacteria and keep your mouth healthy.
Plain old coconut oil works for this as well, but BlueHavenHolistics’ The Dirt’s formulas sure makes the 20 minutes of switching more pleasant with its minty fresh addition of peppermint oil.
It’s crafted without any artificial colors, dyes, preservatives, chemicals, parabens, minerals, or fillers, aligning with a commitment to pure and natural oral care.
8. Mouthwash Tablets
Price Range: $20–$24
Here to shake up our swishing routine, zero waste mouthwash tablets are some of the best oral care products to cut down on the bulk and waste associated with plastic mouthwash bottles.
These nifty little tabs dissolve in water, turning into a powerful mouthwash.
No more lugging around bulky bottles – these eco-warriors are all about reducing plastic and slashing the carbon footprint of transportation.
Mouthwash tablets, offered by brands like Bite and Huppy, dissolve in water to create an effective mouthwash for fresh breath, they provide a zero-waste alternative to traditional options, reducing plastic waste and transportation carbon footprint.
Made from natural ingredients like baking soda and essential oils, these tablets offer a convenient, travel-friendly, and eco-conscious approach to oral hygiene.
9. Tongue Scraper
Price Range: $9–$15
Diving into some lesser-known sustainable dental care practices, tongue scraping is an oral hygiene practice that involves gently scraping the tongue to remove bacteria, food debris, and dead cells from the surface.
Not only does this practice help prevent bad breath, but it improves taste sensation, and promotes overall oral health.
ZeroWasteStore.Com and PAAVANI Ayurveda are top choices for tongue scrapers due to their use of high-quality materials such as stainless steel and copper.
Both companies emphasize the importance of tongue scraping in daily oral care routines and offer durable, eco-friendly dental products designed to effectively remove toxins and residue from the tongue surface.
While ZWS offers one made of durable and non-toxic stainless steel, PAAVANI Ayurveda’s copper tongue scraper is specifically sourced from 100% antiseptic copper, known for its natural antibacterial properties, making it a popular choice for those seeking a traditional Ayurvedic approach to oral hygiene.
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How We Found The Best Sustainable Oral Care Products
The traditional oral hygiene market—much like a fast fashion wardrobe—often favors convenience over environmental impact, leading to unnecessary waste and equally unnecessary chemicals.
So, what makes oral care products sustainable?
Our aim was to find products that not only enhance our oral hygiene routine but also contribute to a healthier planet, aligning with our commitment to eco-conscious living and well-being.
Read on as we share insights from our exploration, guiding you toward the best sustainable oral care options and offering tips to help you embrace eco-friendly and wellness-focused dental solutions.
Materials:
When it comes to the best oral health products, our primary focus is on choosing brands that utilize eco-friendly materials to promote a healthier lifestyle.
We prioritize products made from sustainable and non-toxic materials, emphasizing natural and biodegradable components.
Above all, we seek products free from harmful chemicals and artificial additives, contributing to a dental routine that supports overall well-being.
- Certifications: Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)
Supply chain & labor practices:
Our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices extends to the sourcing and production of the products we select.
We actively seek out brands that support fair trade, ethical labor practices, and prioritize local sourcing.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
When choosing eco-friendly oral care products, we give preference to brands that exhibit a dedicated commitment to minimizing their environmental impact.
We lean towards products offered by companies that embrace sustainable manufacturing processes, engage in carbon offset initiatives, harness renewable energy sources, and emphasize minimal packaging and waste reduction.
This means a focus on compostable or recyclable packaging, like zero waste cardboard boxes and refillable floss containers.
This aligns with our overarching sustainability objectives for oral hygiene.
Final Thoughts On Eco-Friendly Dental Products
Choosing eco-friendly oral care means a clean conscience and a greener smile—while brushing aside harmful chemicals and plastic waste.
Remember, achieving an eco-friendly dental care routine is about progress, not perfection. Every small step (or tooth!) counts on the journey toward a greener lifestyle.
In fact, achieving a more sustainable dental care routine can mean something as simple as pulling some coconut oil from your kitchen pantry and trying out oil pulling.
Just like mouthguards and retainers, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution so don’t be afraid to experiment with different eco-friendly dental products to find the ones that best suit your preferences and needs.
Finally, contrary to the saying, loose lips don’t sink sustainability ships, so share your sustainable oral care journey with your friends and family, inspiring others to reduce their carbon bite-print and promote a pro-planet approach to oral hygiene.
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