PrimalDent — Mineral Tooth Powder

EVERY INGREDIENT, EXPLAINED

What's in the bottle

• Bentonite ClayMineral-rich abrasive and ion-exchange active

  INCI: Bentonite

  Bentonite is a smectite clay formed from weathered volcanic ash, with a layered aluminosilicate structure that gives it a surface area roughly 50 times that of kaolin. The structural consequence is two different kinds of cleaning action in the same particle. First, the smectite layers are mildly abrasive at the particle size we use — finer than the calcium carbonate in most toothpastes, so it scrubs biofilm without micro-scratching enamel. Second, the layered surface carries a negative charge that adsorbs the bacterial biofilm and, in exchange, donates calcium, magnesium, and silica ions to the tooth surface. This ion-exchange is the trace-mineral remineralisation pathway we have designed the whole formula around. The clay is food-grade, tested for heavy metals, and sourced from a single US deposit that our supplier has verified for composition consistency.

  Sourcing: Food-grade, single-source US deposit, heavy-metal tested.

• Sodium BicarbonatepH neutraliser and mild abrasive

  INCI: Sodium Bicarbonate

  Sodium bicarbonate — plain baking soda, cosmetic grade — is one of the oldest and best-studied oral-care ingredients in the world. Three things make it effective. It neutralises the organic acids produced by Streptococcus mutans and other oral bacteria; those acids are what demineralises enamel between brushings. It is mildly abrasive at the right particle size, removing surface plaque without the harder action of the silicas used in commercial whitening pastes. And it raises the oral pH briefly after brushing, shifting the environment away from the conditions that favour cavity-forming bacteria. The RDA (relative dentin abrasivity) of baking soda at our particle size is roughly 7 — compared to around 100 for the average toothpaste. It is, by a wide margin, gentler on enamel than anything labelled 'whitening.'

  Sourcing: Cosmetic/food grade, particle size calibrated for low RDA.

• Ceylon CinnamonAntimicrobial against oral pathogens

  INCI: Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Powder

  Most of the cinnamon sold in the world is cassia (Cinnamomum cassia or C. aromaticum), a cheaper species from Vietnam and China. True cinnamon — Cinnamomum zeylanicum — grows in Sri Lanka and is more expensive for a reason. It carries a substantially lower coumarin load (coumarin is a hepatotoxic compound in high doses) and a different cinnamaldehyde-to-eugenol ratio that is better documented for antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens, particularly Streptococcus mutans. The 2011 paper by Gupta et al. in the Journal of International Oral Health showed measurable MIC values against S. mutans and Lactobacillus at concentrations achievable via tooth powder use. We use the ground bark at a concentration calibrated for taste and efficacy — enough to feel it, not enough to overwhelm the peppermint finish. The cinnamon is milled fresh-to-order; cinnamaldehyde is volatile and a six-month-old powder has lost meaningful activity.

  Sourcing: True Ceylon (not cassia). Milled fresh-to-order to preserve volatiles.

• Peppermint Essential Oil (Steam-Distilled)Antimicrobial and clean-finish note

  INCI: Mentha Piperita Oil

  Peppermint essential oil is roughly 40% menthol, 20% menthone, and a collection of minor terpenoids including limonene and pinene. Menthol carries antimicrobial activity at low concentrations (documented against several oral pathogens) and, at the threshold we use it, delivers the clean finish that customers associate with a proper tooth product. We specifically use steam-distilled, not solvent-extracted, peppermint — solvent extraction alters the terpenoid ratio and leaves residue. Steam distillation is the traditional method and produces the most predictable oil. A minor but meaningful point: we use a peppermint rather than a spearmint. Spearmint is sweeter-tasting and more common in consumer products, but its dominant terpenoid (carvone) has weaker antimicrobial activity. The choice of peppermint is a functional one, not just a flavour one.

  Sourcing: Steam-distilled (not solvent-extracted); Mentha piperita, not spearmint.