Is Davids Toothpaste Worth $10 To You?

Davids Toothpaste - our new favorite organic toothpaste!

The average cost of toothpaste in the United States per tube is $3.59. So, why would you ever want to spend $10 on something you can get for less than four?

Here’s a couple of reasons why we should think about spending a bit more on our toothpaste:

Waste.

How many tubes of toothpaste do you think you throw away each year?

Maybe it doesn’t seem too bad if you think of it like that. Unfortunately, it isn’t just you and I throwing out a couple of tubes each year.

If you had to guess how many tubes we throw out each year in the United States alone, how many do you think that would be? If you’re like me, you’ve underestimated by a long shot:

The answer? It’s 400 million tubes. You read that right.

400 million each year. Just in the United States. Globally the number comes out to 1.5 billion tubes yearly. All of those tubes that end up in the landfill will need at least 700 years to dissolve.

Here’s the kicker:

Most toothpaste tubes are made of recyclable materials: aluminum and plastic. But their construction makes them almost impossible to process for the typical recycling plan.

Because of the way manufacturers have layered the materials, and the amount of sticky residue left inside the tubes, the process to recycle them just isn’t profitable for the recycling companies.

Each year 8 million tons of plastics end up in our oceans.

Not to mention that so few of us never fully use our tubes meaning that harmful residues from these tubes are also washing out to sea!

Ingredients.

I want you to imagine you were staying over at a friend’s and forgot your toothpaste. You ask to borrow some, and they hand you a bottle of dish soap so green it’s practically glowing.

Gross. Right?

Unfortunately, that green bottle and your average tube of toothpaste very likely share a common ingredient. SLS.

But what is SLS?

SLS stands for sodium lauryl sulfate. It is a synthetic detergent that helps your dish soap cut through grease and it’s also what makes your toothpaste bubble and foam. According to the ADA foaming agents toothpaste manufacturers add foaming agents to better break up plaque.

But as satisfying those bubbles can feel, it turns out they may be doing nothing for your oral health.

Some studies have also found that using toothpaste in SLS regularly may cause or worsen ulcers in your mouth

Ouch!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a product that was both a natural toothpaste and a zero-waste toothpaste all in one?

Well, here comes the good news about Davids Toothpaste:

Brands like David’s Toothpaste are ditching SLS along with other synthetic ingredients!

David’s natural toothpaste is free of artificial preservatives, colors, and sweeteners. Right now, Davids Premium Natural Toothpaste uses one primary flavoring—natural peppermint oil—which is steam distilled from farm-grown peppermint leaves. It also comes in a charcoal version.

Awesome, right?

To top it all off, David’s is vegan and cruelty-free as well!

That’s not the only thing they are doing differently with their toothpaste:

Davids toothpaste comes in a tube that is almost fully aluminum.

Just in case you aren’t fully on board yet, let’s look at why that makes such a difference:

Unlike plastics glass and metals like aluminum lose almost no quality when we recycle them. But what does this mean for your tube of David’s toothpaste when you put it in the recycling bin?

When we recycle aluminum, the material recovered is like brand-new, meaning it is more profitable for companies to recycle it. Aluminum over the years has remained the most valuable of the commonly recycled materials.

It gets better:

When recycled aluminum is used rather than raw material, the energy savings can be as high as ninety-five percent!

Ok, but back to our real question here about Davids Toothpaste:

Does all of this really make David’s natural toothpaste worth the $10 price tag?

There are some concerns to consider when looking into any new toothpaste. One is the issue of fluoride.

Many natural toothpaste companies, like David’s, choose to leave the fluoride out of their formulas due to concerns about the ingredient.

Those of us who have issues with cavities and thinning enamel should know that the ADA will not give it’s seal of approval to toothpastes that do not contain fluoride.

The FDA also does not allow fluoride-free toothpaste to make claims about cavity or tooth decay prevention.

Ok, I know what you are thinking. But don’t write David’s off just yet.

It’s likely that not everyone needs fluoride in their toothpaste to maintain good oral health. The creators of David’s toothpaste state that regular use of their product does reduce plaque.

Which is where all that nasty tooth-decay-causing bacteria hides.

So, here’s the reality of it:

Until the FDA and ADA are willing to investigate the effectiveness of non-fluoride toothpastes, we’ll have to weigh these factors for ourselves with the help of our dentists.

They know our teeth best after all.

When asked, a representative of David’s premium natural toothpaste stated that they had not completely ruled out the possibility of a fluoride product in the future for those customers who want it.

However, the company has no such plans at this time.

Fluoride is kind of a sticky subject in the natural oral care world right now

Luckily the next concern I had, has a simple solution and David’s has already found it for us!

Remember how I said most toothpaste tubes nowadays are made from plastic and aluminum layered together?

Turns out there is a reason that manufacturers made this switch from plain metal tubes.

It was easier to accidentally puncture or perforate the metal tubes of the past when rolling them up to get every last drop.

But here’s the good news:

Every tube of David’s toothpaste comes with a metal tube roller (or tube key)! This tool not only helps you get every drop of toothpaste but helps you do so without damaging the tube. The tube key is made of recyclable steel.

But better yet:

You can also reuse them on any product you may already have that came in a metal tube such as ointments or even paints if you’re the artsy type.

If you collect 20 tube keys from previous orders you can send them in for a free tube of toothpaste. Personally, I love to see companies incentivize reuse and recycling this way, which is just another reason you should consider supporting them!

Here’s the tldr:

It’s probably a good idea to talk to your dentist when thinking about switching toothpastes, especially when going from fluoride to non-fluoride.

Your dentist can also help you track changes in your oral health—positive or negative—after you’ve switched.

Supporting a company like David’s means supporting more sustainable packaging in the industry. It’s also a way for us to tell manufacturers that we don’t need foaming agents like SLS, artificial mint flavors, or colorful dyes, to have clean teeth.

Looking for more ways to cut down on waste in your bathroom routine?

I’ve got you covered!

Our zero-waste dental kit comes with not only a tube of David’s toothpaste but also plastic-free, vegan corn floss or bamboo floss, and a set of four of our biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes.

For more info on how to make sure every piece of your dental kit stays out of the landfill when the time comes, check out the product listing on our site.

One of our biggest powers as consumers is to fight for what we want and need in our products.

Right now, I think it’s safe to say we need more companies like David’s who are willing to risk being different in order to take care of the planet we all call home. 

The bottom line is this:

If enough of us can start today—make that plastic tube by your sink the last one you ever throw away—we can start to make a difference for our planet.