Oral Health

Why should I avoid common ingredients like glycerin, foaming agents, guar gum, natural sweeteners, and fluoride, common in natural toothpaste?

Some ingredients found in commercial brands and even natural brands can be harmful. Many other ingredients are unnecessary and provide no real benefits to your oral health. Here are resources to learn more about the differences: Not So Good Ingredients in Natural Toothpastes Are These Junk Ingredients in Your Natural Toothpaste? 7 Disturbing Facts About Chemicals in Personal Care Products  What are “naturally derived” ingredients and how do they compare to ingredients that are actually natural? Our remineralizing, fluoride-free toothpowder takes natural toothpastes and powders to a whole new level — helping to deliver truly healthy teeth and gums.  The other big issue is that most of the natural and commercial brands of toothpaste or toothpowder do not contain natural ingredients to fight bad bacteria and/or help re-mineralize teeth, which is the whole point of brushing your teeth and effective oral care.  

Simple tips to address underlying causes of bad breath

According to Harvard University Medical School, 30% of the population complains of some sort of bad breath resulting from poor oral hygiene habits, unhealthy gums, or underlying health issues. Here are a few tips to get at the root causes of bad breath that you can do right now. Physically remove as much bacteria as possible — some bacteria in the mouth emit volatile sulfuric compounds that produce odor. Don’t skimp on brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning. (Our Tongue Cleaner is specially designed to remove the tongue’s whitish-gray coating made up of bacteria, dead cells, fungi, and food debris.) Stay well hydrated — bacteria that cause bad breath thrive in dry environments. (That’s why breath tends to smell worse when you’re dehydrated, e.g., after a workout or when waking up.) Saliva naturally cleans the mouth, and when you aren’t producing enough, odors can build. If you drink enough water, it enables the saliva to do its job, and bad breath-producing bacteria have less of a chance to grow. Don’t use traditional mouthwashes — even the "natural” ones often use harsh ingredients, indiscriminately killing good bacteria along with the bad bacteria. They can throw your oral microbiome and PH out of balance. Plus, they are merely a temporary fix for bad breath since they don't address the underlying causes. (Consider detoxing & supporting a healthy oral microbiome with natural, effective ingredients, like those found in our Oil Pulling Mouthwash). Bad breath as an early warning system for bigger health issues — Assuming you’re addressing basic hygiene and hydration issues and still have bad breath, it could be a sign of underlying health issues. If this is the case, it would make sense to contact your dentist or doctor — assuming you are working with a good dental hygienist, they should be able to look out for things like this during regular dental cleanings.  

How can I find a Holistic or Biological Dentist in my area?

Working with a Dentist that understands the whole body in relationship to Oral Health is key to finding a cure for any issues you may be having. Typically they are called "Holistic", "Biological" or "Functional" Dentists. Here are a few resources for you: Holistic Dental Association International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology Directory of Biological Dentists, Doctors and Allied Professionals Mercury Safe Dentist Directory You can also enter "holistic dentist" or "biological dentist" in your search engine. Learn more about Oral Health and Overall Health and what you can do.  

What do you think about Hydroxyapatite for remineralizing teeth?

In summary, and in our opinion of Hydroxyapatite:  The use of Nano-hydroxyapatite in oral care products has not been proven safe. nHAP is a synthetic, man-made nanoparticle and NOT the same as natural hydroxyapatite. Often both are referred to as "Hydroxyapatite", creating widespread confusion.  Natural hydroxyapatite is OK and can be a good source of Calcium and Phosphorus, but it may not have all of the supporting minerals you need to support remineralization (keep in mind, calcium needs magnesium to work) and it is a highly processed mineral. You don’t need nHAP or HAP for remineralization to occur. There are many natural sources of high quality, highly absorbable (naturally occurring) macro and trace minerals like non-irradiated raw clays, fulvic acid, or even eggshells that provide the necessary minerals to aid in tooth remineralization. If someone was severely demineralized it might make sense to have a medical application of nHAP (just like the astronauts). We follow the precautionary principle. If any ingredient has the potential for harm, we don’t use it. We use only natural ingredients that are minimally processed from plants and the earth which are good enough to eat and are proven to improve health.  As we see it, nature is the answer. Learn more about our natural, safe, and effective Oral Care Products that promote overall health and support remineralization, naturally. Read our full article, Hydroxyapatite for remineralizing teeth, has it been proven safe? Updated June 2023

Akamai’s Complete Oral Care Routine & System

MORNING ROUTINE 1. TONGUE CLEANER Benefits: Physically removes bacteria from the tongue to freshen breath and reduce bad bacteria. Your body detoxes all night and delivers waste to the tongue - this is the only way to physically remove bacteria from your mouth (a toothbrush only redistributes it, and some will leave your mouth from spitting or swallowing). How to: Using two hands, place on the tongue as far back as is comfortable. Gently press the curved section of the cleaner on the tongue and pull forward, removing the unwanted coating.  2. OIL PULLING MOUTHWASH Benefits: Controls bacteria, detoxes the mouth, and can help detox the body systemically (based on frequency and length of time pulling). How to: Take a teaspoon to tablespoon size sip, swish, and pull the oil through your teeth and gums for at least 5 to 20 minutes (the longer the better to get the full effects of detoxing your mouth and body). Spit into the garbage when done, and rinse and brush your teeth well. Do this at least 2 to 3 times a week. If you have an active issue, you can oil pull 3 times a day, every day. If it's hard to find the time and you can’t do it first thing in the morning, consider pulling while you’re in the shower. 3. FULVIC MINERAL COMPLEX Benefits: Nourish your teeth and gums from the inside out while also boosting your hydration and detoxing your liver. Fulvic acid provides bioavailable forms of trace minerals, macro minerals, naturally occurring vitamins, amino acids, and organic acids to every cell. How to: Drink a glass of purified water with a big twist of lemon, a pinch of high-quality sea salt (such as Himalayan Salt), and 5 to 18 drops of FMC. Feel free to add other boosters to this drink (ionic silica is a great choice). MORNING & NIGHT ROUTINE 1. MINERAL TOOTHPOWDER & BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH Benefits: Brushing with our Mineral Toothpowder will help control bad bacteria, gently clean, and support remineralization with bioavailable minerals. Our Dr.Bass-inspired Toothbrush features bristles designed to reach under the gums, and the smaller handle allows for more gentle precision. How to: We recommend waiting at least 30 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth to allow any leftover food and flavors to dissolve and for your saliva to complete the digestion process.  Wet the toothbrush, shake off any excess water, and gently press the top half of the brush in the Mineral Toothpowder.   The key to maintaining healthy gums is brushing around and under the gumline where bacteria and plaque tend to accumulate. Place the toothbrush parallel to your teeth with the bristles toward the gums. Position the brush at a 45-degree angle and move the bristles slightly under the gumline. With firm but gentle pressure, and while maintaining the bristles under the gum tissue, wiggle or vibrate the brush back and forth or use a small circular motion 15 to 20 times, before moving to the next area. Brush the entire outer surface of the teeth, and then continue the same technique on the tongue side. To brush the insides of the front teeth: hold the toothbrush in a vertical position and use the bristles on the toe of the brush, but make sure they are getting under the gum tissue. Brush the tops of the molars and finish with your tongue. 2. INFUSED FLOSS Benefits: Our Infused Floss physically removes plaque, bacteria, and debris at the gum line and in between teeth while delivering essential oils (bad bacteria fighters) and fulvic acid (trace minerals).  How to: Pull out roughly 18” of floss and secure with your fingers. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth.  

Aside from using your products & suggested routines, what else can I do to optimize oral health?

We take it for granted (and forget the connection) that our mouths are connected/tied to/part of our body. Therefore, achieving optimal oral health requires a whole-body approach. This is what is behind a "holistic" or "biological" approach. We have written an actionable guide to help A Whole Body Approach to Optimal Oral Health.  Summary / Putting this whole-body approach into action: Work with a Holistic Dentist. Consume proper nutrition and supplementation of key "missing" nutrients (e.g., vitamins A, C, D, K2, macro and trace minerals, CoQ10) Addressing/curing acidity in the mouth and body & sources of tooth erosion. Use optimized oral care products.  

Why should I wait 30-60 minutes after eating to brush my teeth?

The ADA recommends that you wait 30 to 60 minutes before brushing your teeth after eating. Here's why: 1. Digestion begins in your mouth with the combination of chewing and salivation (which has digestive enzymes) to help break down the food before swallowing. Smaller pieces of food that might cling to your teeth can take time to dissolve and get washed down.  Tip: Chew each bite well before swallowing for optimal digestion. Don't wash down food with water while you are still eating - water will dilute your saliva, and the food will enter your stomach without the benefit of being pre-digested - drink water when you are finished with your meal. 2. Small food particles can get pushed into your gums by a toothbrush. If you brush directly after you eat, you could accidentally push food that has collected on your toothbrush (or is still clinging to crevices in your teeth) up into your gum line, where it can cause irritation and disrupt your oral microbiome. Tip: Rinse, swish, and pull water through your teeth and gums before you start brushing, to make sure all food is gone. If you get food stuck in your gums or any open pockets, you can use a water pick to gently remove it. Oil Pulling (best done before eating) can also help dislodge and remove any leftover food particles while fighting bad bacteria - do this 3x a day for at least 15 minutes, to make sure any/all debris is gone. Continue oil pulling, at least 1x a day (best before breakfast) for a week to make sure any infection has healed.  3. Brushing your teeth in an acidic environment damages enamel. Most food is acidic and will create an acidic environment in your mouth while you are eating – think of "acid etching" – artists use acids to weaken hard surfaces in order to cut in/etch a design.  Your body is constantly working to become balanced – a balanced PH is 7. Usually, within 60 minutes after eating, your mouth is more alkaline. However, if you are experiencing an illness or suffer from indigestion (have poor gut health), your body may not be able to create a balanced or more Alkaline environment. Using a mouth rinse of 1/2 tsp of baking soda in 8 oz of water can help temporarily.  Tip: Cure your acidity (which can cause sensitivity from weakened enamel). Use PH test strips to find out if your body is acidic - test your saliva and/or urine upon waking. Test again 60 minutes after eating. If you are not able to achieve 7 plus you need to supplement your diet with Alkaline water and/or minerals. Drinking water with baking soda 3x a day after eating can help. PH Adjust is a useful powder to achieve Alkalinity quickly. Suppose you can't wait to brush your teeth... In that case, we recommend thoroughly rinsing your mouth with baking soda and water, followed by Toothpaste or Toothpowder that is Alkaline (the higher the better), such as Mineral Toothpowder, and using a Toothbrush that is less likely to collect food (fewer bristles, set farther apart) such as our Bamboo Toothbrush.