What the Ingredients Are in our Toothpaste Tablets and Why We Use Them
You would probably want to know what you are putting in your mouth to clean your teeth. We thought so, so here are the ingredients that we use in our toothpaste tablets here at Canary, and why we use them!
Xylitol - Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sourced from plants and trees and helps to add some sweetness to the toothpaste. But you might ask, "wouldn't sugar be bad for teeth?"...which the answer is "No" as it does not contribute to cavities or decay. On the contrary it actually serves to clean the teeth of cavity causing bacteria. And don't worry about counting calories, as Xylitol has 40% fewer calories than sugar and it doesn't raise blood glucose levels.
Erythritol - Erythritol is similar to Xylitol as it is also a sugar alcohol and also helps to clean teeth by breaking up cavity causing bacteria. It is considered to be a great replacement for fluoride as well. And it is also only 6% the calories of sugar. The only caveat to these natural sugars is that they can cause digestive issues. So even though our tablets taste great, we don't advise that you eat them like candy (even though you might be tempted!).
Cellulose - We use this to keep the tablets together and to prevent them from breaking apart.
Xanthan Gum - Xanthan Gum creates that foaming effect that we all love. It makes it seem that the tablet is working, and the foam does help to get all of the good stuff into those little cracks and crevices.
Calcium Phosphate - This an important structural component of bones and teeth, so we add it to help your teeth become stronger through remineralization. Calcium is absorbed by our bones and teeth to keep them strong. No need for your teeth to hit the gym after brushing.
Magnesium Stearate - We've added this as it creates a lubricating effect in the formula to help keep our tablets consistent and reliable. We want your tablet to be the best it can be, every time.
Stearic acid and Sorbitol - These ingredients also help to bind the tablet together and to add texture and consistency. We hope this list isn't getting too boring at this point, but we still want to share what goes in to every tablet.
Nano-Hydroxyapatite - This is a natural mineral commonly used to replace fluoride. It is a form of calcium crystal that works to re-mineralize teeth. It replaces missing sections of minerals that have dissolved out of the enamel or bone by bonding directly to the bone or tooth surface. Now you know.
Calcium Bentonite - This is a naturally occurring clay that works as an abrasive to help whiten teeth.
Menthol - We use menthol in very small amounts in our "adult" flavored tablets to give you that great minty aftertaste, hoping to help boost that confidence so that you can go kiss your partners, family, friends and even your pets. We use a bit more in our Peppermint flavor, than in our milder but refreshing Wintergreen flavor.
Elderberry - This herbal bad boy has been known to support the immune system with some antiviral qualities that fight some viruses like the flu or common cold. We also use it to add that fun pink coloring in our kid's tablets. Currently we only use these in our kid's flavors, but the adults can use those too!
We hope this helps. Please contact us if you want more information or if you have other ideas to share. We are always happy to hear from you!