If you have green teeth, you're beyond being helped by the contents of this entry... please see a dentist.

Keeping your pearly whites nice and pearly might be costing you more than the price of oral hygiene products...  The fluoride, found in most toothpastes (however effective it may be for preventing tooth decay) if swallowed, accumulates in our bones and weakens them.  Fluoride has been shown to increase the chances of bone cancer and fractures.  Okay so most of us don't swallow a mouthful of toothpaste after a good brushing but traditional toothpastes contain other ingredients you want to stay away from. FYI many municipalities are still putting fluoride in your drinking water so find out and if that's the case start writing letters to your MP.  I've somehow gotten off the topic at hand.

The fact is, regular oral hygiene things (like brushing regularly, flossing and reducing your sugar intake) are just as sure to keep healthy teeth in your mouth as a dose of fluoride.  Here's a list of other ingredients in regular and even 'natural' toothpaste that you should look out for and avoid.  Avoid propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate (aka: SLS, an irritant added for its sudsing ability), triclosan (See: 'Antibacterial Soaps: Helping or Hindering?'), artificial colours or flavours as well as fluoride. 

Considering how tedious you might find reading all those labels to find a toothpaste that contains none of the above, consider making your own all-natural and very effective toothpaste; here's how.  All you need is 6 tablespoons of baking soda (whitening agent), 1/3 teaspoon of salt (mild abrassive antiseptic), 4 teaspoons of vegetable glycerine and 10-15 drop of an organic essential oil like spearmint or wintergreen.  (recipe from Pioneer Thinking, www.pioneerthinking.com)  Our first batch didn't taste so good!  But if you're adventurous give it a shot, you might not mind the taste.  Or try tweaking the recipe to achieve a better flavour.