How to Green Your Smile (in a Good Way!)

Some steps in greening your lifestyle do not have to be difficult or monumental. Sometimes it's as easy as replacing your empty tube of toothpaste with a natural, biodegradable alternative.

Ben and I use Tom's of Maine toothpaste. We like this brand of natural toothpaste because it is affordable, is easy to find (a couple of flavors at Publix, lots at Paradise Health and Nutrition), and comes in many flavor options. You can choose from a host of mint and fruit flavors (ok, so the fruit flavors tend to be the children's toothpaste, but we've used it anyway!). To find out more about this particular line of toothpaste, check out their website.

With some natural products, be prepared to choose what you actually need. You'll have options that do not include some of the active ingredients most mainstream products do. For example, do you want/need fluoride in your toothpaste? You no longer have to consume every chemical or additive some big corporation wants you to use. However, you will have the responsibility, along with the freedom, to make decisions about your health and body for yourself.

This is an easy way to move toward sustainability in general. When you run out of something, whether it's a toothpaste, dish soap, or toilet bowl cleaner, choose something natural and biodegradable as a replacement. No extra money spent; none of your current products wasted. Slowly but surely your hygiene and cleaning arsenals will turn green.

Photo from http://www.tomsofmaine.com/