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Oral Hygiene

Bamboo Toothbrushes

Are bamboo toothbrushes vegan?

Yes – bamboo toothbrushes are vegan and vegetarian as long as they have nylon (and not hog hair) bristles.

Should I use a bamboo toothbrush as a vegan?

bamboo toothbrushes vegan and environmentally friendly

While plastic toothbrushes are not “unvegan”, bamboo toothbrushes are the best type of manual toothbrush when considering efficiency and the environment.

Electric toothbrushes are however proven to be better for plaque removal and gum health compared with manual toothbrushes. That being said, a manual toothbrush is perfectly fine when used with a good brushing technique. The advantage of a bamboo toothbrush is that it has a lower environmental impact compared to both a plastic manual toothbrush and an electric toothbrush.

If your dentist is generally happy with your brushing and you normally use a manual toothbrush then you could definitely make the easy swap to a bamboo toothbrush. Using a bamboo toothbrush with a good brushing technique will keep your teeth and gums healthy and help minimise your environmental impact.

If your dentist has recommended you use an electric toothbrush then your manual brushing technique might be not be good enough to maintain the health of your teeth and gums. You could stick with your electric toothbrush or research good manual brushing techniques. Consider discussing the switch with your dentist or dental hygienist and ask for a demonstration of a good manual brushing technique.

What to look for when choosing a bamboo toothbrush

You can find out what to look for when choosing a bamboo toothbrush by reading the Dental Choices guide on bamboo toothbrushes.

Should I use a fluoride toothpaste as a vegan?

Yes – read our post on vegan toothpaste to found out why, what to look for in a vegan toothpaste and which are the best vegan toothpastes in the UK.

Zero Waste Vegan Toothpaste

I’m looking for the perfect zero waste, vegan & cruelty free toothpaste – it has to have no plastic packaging, contain fluoride at a level between 1400-1500ppm, and have a strong minty flavour.

If you have found the perfect zero waste vegan toothpaste then please let me know in the comments below. If you make vegan toothpaste and would like to send me a sample then use the contact form to get in touch.

Vegan Toothpaste (UK)

This page explains what to look for when searching for a vegan toothpaste, where you can buy them in the UK, and which are the best toothpastes to buy as a vegan.

Unfortunately, not all toothpastes are vegan. Some contain animal derived ingredients and many are sadly tested on animals.

There are so many toothpastes available, it can be hard to choose which to buy. The vegan market is currently exploding with new products with confusing labelling and marketing hoping to make a quick buck from the growing support for the vegan movement.

I hope this page will equip you with the information you need to cut through the marketing and find a safe and effective vegan toothpaste for you and your family to use.

Of course everything vegan is also vegetarian, so this advice applies for vegetarians searching for vegetarian toothpaste in the UK too!

What to look for in a vegan toothpaste

From my point of view as a vegan dentist, a basic fluoride toothpaste is all that is required for most patients.

Ignore packaging and marketing that play “natural” ingredients against “chemicals”. Its a common meaningless ploy, used in attempt to differentiate products in a crowded market. Chemicals are not inherently bad. Water and oxygen are technically chemicals. Instead the poison is in the dose – meaning too much of anything can be bad. Even too much water can kill you.

Fluoride is often thought to be a “bad chemical”, perhaps “artificial”, “man-made” or an “additive”. Yet we only know about the benefits of fluoride for teeth because it naturally occurs in some water supplies.

Fluoride, fluoride, fluoride

The basic science behind toothpaste is well understood: Fluoride is the key ingredient.

Fluoride in toothpaste works mainly by strengthening tooth enamel and dentine to make them more resistant to plaque acid. This reduces the risk of tooth decay, slows down existing decay, and even helps to reverse very early decay.

No other ingredient will be as effective in preventing tooth decay, including charcoal, bicarbonate of soda, aloe vera and coconut oil.

Worryingly though, most vegan toothpastes are fluoride free.

Its important that toothpaste contains an effective but safe level of fluoride at 1000-1500ppm for children and 1400-1500ppm for adults.

Is fluoride vegan?

Yes. Fluoride is vegan.

Is fluoride toothpaste safe?

Yes. At the levels used in toothpaste, fluoride is very safe to brush your teeth with. Don’t eat a tube of toothpaste.

The Best Vegan Toothpastes

Cruelty-free vegan fluoride toothpastes available in the UK, offering good protection against tooth decay with the correct level of fluoride:

Where to buy vegan toothpastes

Coop, Superdrug and Tesco own brand toothpastes are obviously only available to buy in their own stores. Ecodenta and Kingfisher toothpastes are available to buy in many health and vegan orientated stores, as well as Holland and Barrett, Boots and many chemists. Colgate Smile for Good range is available to buy in most big supermarkets. Humble toothpaste is available direct, at Ocado, Holland and Barrett and other websites. Waken toothpastes are available direct, from Ocado, Boots and other websites.

This page is continually under development. Please give a 5 star rating if you found it useful, share any useful reviews and suggestions by leaving a comment, and follow me on Instagram.

Next: Should you switch to a bamboo toothbrush?

OK (but not great) Vegan Toothpastes

These toothpastes are cruelty free vegan toothpastes containing some fluoride, but the fluoride is below the recommended levels for adults. They might help reduce your risk of dental decay but they don’t offer the same protection as the good toothpastes with fluoride at the correct levels (above).

  • BioMin Toothpaste
    • BioMin F Toothpaste (with fluoride)
  • Ecodenta Toothpaste
    • Multifunctional (with 7 herbs [linden, horsetail, birch, yarrow, rosemary, sage, and nettle] and Kalident)
    • Minty Moisturising (with hyaluronic acid, mint essential oil and kalident)
    • Organic Whitening (with papaya extract)
    • Pineapple mornings and Bilberry nights (Pinnapple mornings with pineapple enzyme and kalident, Blueberry nights with bilberry extract and minerals)
    • Sensitivity Relief (with chamomile, clove extracts and Kalident)
  • UltraDEX Toothpaste
    • Low-Abrasion
    • Whitening

Bad Vegan Toothpastes

These toothpastes are marketed as vegan and/or “natural” toothpastes, but do not contain fluoride and so might help freshen your breath but will not provide any protection against tooth decay:

  • Biomin Toothpaste
    • Biomin C Toothpaste
  • Biomed Toothpaste
    • Superwhite Coconut
  • Dr. Bronner’s Organic Toothpaste
    • Peppermint All in One
  • Ecodenta Toothpaste
    • Black Whitening (with Black Charcoal and Teavigo)
    • Caries Fighting (with xylitol, lime and coriander leaves essential oils)
    • Certified Organic Multifunctional (with hemp oil)
    • Juicy Fruit Kids (with Aloe Vera juice and Xylitol)
    • Organic Anti-plaque (with coconut oil)
    • Organic Sensitivity Relief (with natural salt)
    • Triple Force (with White clay, Propolis and Teavigo)
    • Wild Strawberry Flavoured Kids (with Carrot extracts and Kalident)
  • Euthymol Original Toothpaste
  • Georganics Natural Toothpaste
    • Activated Charcoal
    • English Peppermint
    • Eucalyptus
    • Orange
    • Spearmint
    • Tea Tree
  • Green People Organic Toothpaste
    • Mint, Vegan
  • Jason Vegan Toothpaste
    • Coconut Strengthening, Coconut Mint
    • Healthy Mouth
    • Powersmile
    • Sea Fresh Fluoride Free
  • Kingfisher Natural Toothpaste
    • Fennel / Mint without fluoride
  • Lush Toothy Tabs
    • BOOM!
    • LIMELIGHT
    • MILES OF SMILES

This page is continually under development.

Please give a 5 star rating if you found it useful, share any useful reviews and suggestions by leaving a comment, and follow me on Instagram.

Next: Should you switch to a bamboo toothbrush?