If you’ve never encountered tooth powder, you’re in good company. This ancient dental product was the forerunner of modern toothpaste but largely fell out of everyday use decades ago.
Although it’s uncommon in conventional stores, tooth powder remains available through online retailers and specialty outlets. But is it worth seeking out?
This article outlines how tooth powder and toothpaste differ and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each.
What is tooth powder?
Tooth powder likely dates back thousands of years. Early civilizations may have used ingredients like myrrh, burned eggshells, crushed bone ash, and ground oyster shells to create powders for freshening breath, cleaning, and polishing teeth.
During the 19th century, homemade and commercial tooth powders containing salt, chalk, or baking soda became particularly popular.
Can be made at home
Today, people can make tooth powder at home using ingredients such as:
- baking soda
- coarse salt
- activated charcoal powder
- flavorings
Some users include essential oils for taste and potential benefits, like peppermint or clove, and a sweetener such as xylitol.
online. Some commercial varieties include cavity-fighting fluoride, while others do not.Common components are cleansers and mild abrasives intended to polish teeth and lift surface stains. Ingredients often found in manufactured tooth powders include:
- baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- activated charcoal
- bentonite clay
These formulations also typically contain flavorings.
Tooth powder requires water
Unlike toothpaste, tooth powder needs water to be effective for brushing.
To use it, sprinkle the advised amount—often about one-eighth of a teaspoon—onto a damp toothbrush and brush as you normally would.
What is toothpaste?
Toothpaste began to supplant tooth powder around the mid-1800s and was initially packaged in jars.
Early toothpastes commonly included substances like chalk and soap. These types of cleaners and whitening agents were typical until the early 20th century, when detergent cleansers such as sodium lauryl sulfate became widespread. Fluoride appeared in toothpaste formulas starting around 1914.
Today, many toothpastes still include sodium lauryl sulfate and fluoride, along with thickeners, humectants, and various flavorings.
Pros and cons of each
Tooth powder
| Pros | Cons |
| research suggests powder can outperform toothpaste at removing stains and plaque | typically lacks a cavity-fighting ingredient like fluoride |
| easy to prepare at home, giving you control over ingredients | no tooth powders have earned the ADA seal of acceptance |
| might be overly abrasive for some teeth | |
| can be messy or awkward to use | |
| may leave an unpleasant aftertaste | |
| some manufacturers may not be transparent or may mislabel ingredients |
Toothpaste
| Pros | Cons |
| simple and convenient to use | may include ingredients some people prefer to avoid, such as fluoride |
| many brands carry the ADA seal of acceptance | some manufacturers may lack transparency or misstate ingredients |
| contains fluoride for cavity prevention | |
| formulations exist to significantly whiten teeth, reduce plaque, and combat gingivitis | |
| options for sensitive teeth are widely available |
Which one is more effective at cleaning teeth?
Although numerous studies highlight the importance of brushing with fluoride toothpaste, few directly compare toothpaste with tooth powder.
However, two studies (one from 2014 and another from 2017) led by the same researcher reported that tooth powder removed surface stains and helped control plaque-induced gingivitis more effectively than toothpaste.
Modern toothpastes and tooth powders often share many ingredients, with the main difference frequently being fluoride. If preventing cavities matters to you, verify that any product you choose contains fluoride.
Neither tooth powders nor many toothpastes remove intrinsic stains. Intrinsic stains originate inside the tooth rather than on the surface.
Common causes of intrinsic staining include certain medications, excessive fluoride exposure, and tooth decay. Extrinsic stains are caused by tobacco use and beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine.
If stain removal is your primary goal, a whitening toothpaste formulated for that purpose may be more effective than a tooth powder.
Any health precautions to be aware of?
Both toothpastes and tooth powders can support oral health, but each may contain ingredients some people find concerning. These include:
- Triclosan. An antibacterial agent that was removed from many toothpaste formulas due to worries about contributing to antibiotic resistance and interfering with thyroid function.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Some research suggests SLS is safe and concerns may be overstated, but some individuals experience irritation of the skin or gums, and there is scientific evidence supporting that possibility.
- Fluoride. While fluoride is widely recognized as beneficial for dental health, some worry about potential side effects like dental fluorosis (white spots or discoloration) or skeletal fluorosis. These adverse effects are linked to consuming very large amounts or long-term exposure to high fluoride levels, not normal toothpaste use.
Whether you prefer toothpaste, tooth powder, or both, check product labels to ensure the ingredients align with your preferences and health needs.
Takeaway
Tooth powder predates toothpaste by centuries. Although not commonly used today, it’s still available online.
Both toothpaste and tooth powder offer oral health benefits. Tooth powder has been less extensively researched, but two small studies found it more effective than toothpaste at reducing plaque and removing surface stains.
Most tooth powders don’t include fluoride or other cavity-fighting agents. If cavity prevention is a priority, toothpaste may be the better option.
If you want to avoid fluoride or prefer to control every ingredient, making tooth powder at home or selecting a natural brand could be preferable.
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