Publish Time: 2025-04-02 Origin: Site
Every day, people use toothpaste to keep their teeth clean. But have you ever wondered how toothpaste is made? The process may surprise you. Let's explore the fascinating world of toothpaste manufacturing and find out what makes it so special.
There are two main ways to make toothpaste: handmade and industrially produced. What are the differences between them?
Ingredients for DIY toothpaste
Homemade toothpaste usually uses natural ingredients, and users can choose ingredients according to their personal preferences, such as:
Coconut oil: It has antibacterial effects and helps maintain oral health.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate): Provides mild friction to help clean the surface of teeth.
Xylitol: As a natural sweetener, it may help prevent tooth decay.
Activated charcoal: Some people choose to use it to whiten their teeth, but it may be too rough and cause damage to tooth enamel.
Essential oils (such as peppermint oil, tea tree oil): Used to add a fresh taste, but should be used with caution to avoid irritating the oral mucosa.
Advantages: ✅ Controllable ingredients, avoiding chemical additives.
✅ Adjustable formulas according to personal needs.
✅ Reduce plastic packaging, more environmentally friendly.
Disadvantages: ❌ Lack of fluoride, can not effectively prevent tooth decay.
❌ Taste, texture and stability are difficult to guarantee.
❌ Short shelf life, easy to deteriorate.
Note
Some homemade toothpaste recipes on the Internet may contain ingredients that are harmful to oral health, so you need to be extra careful when using them. Regardless of the seemingly natural ingredients, never use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to make toothpaste. These substances may erode tooth enamel, cause tooth discoloration and cause gum problems.
Raw materials of industrial toothpaste
Industrial toothpaste uses strictly proportioned ingredients to ensure the best cleaning effect and safety. Common ingredients include:
Fluoride (such as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate): strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay.
Abrasives (such as calcium carbonate, calcium hydrogen phosphate): remove plaque and tooth stains while protecting tooth enamel.
Humectants (such as glycerin, sorbitol): keep toothpaste moist and prevent it from drying and hardening.
Foaming agents (such as sodium lauryl sulfate SLS): help toothpaste spread evenly in the mouth.
Thickeners (such as hydroxyethyl cellulose): ensure that the toothpaste has appropriate fluidity.
Antibacterial ingredients (such as triclosan): Some toothpastes contain antibacterial ingredients to help reduce plaque and gum problems.
Advantages: ✅ Scientifically proven to ensure cleaning effect and safety.
✅ Stable texture, suitable for long-term storage.
✅ Fluoride toothpaste can effectively prevent tooth decay.
Disadvantages: ❌ Some chemical additives may cause discomfort to sensitive people.
❌ The production process involves a lot of industrial equipment, which is difficult to replicate in a home environment.
Production method of DIY toothpaste at home
The production process of homemade toothpaste is relatively simple, usually only requires manual mixing of raw materials. For example:
Mix dry ingredients (such as baking soda, xylitol). Add liquid ingredients (such as coconut oil, essential oils) and stir until uniform.
Store in sealed containers or reusable toothpaste tubes.
Since it does not involve high temperature, vacuum mixing and other processes, the texture and uniformity of DIY toothpaste are difficult to control, and long-term storage may cause stratification or deterioration.
Production process of industrial toothpaste
Industrially produced toothpaste needs to undergo strict quality control to ensure product consistency and safety. The typical process is as follows:
Raw material weighing and batching: measure the proportion of each ingredient through precision equipment.
High shear mixing: use a vacuum emulsifier or high-speed mixer to ensure that the ingredients are fully and evenly dispersed.
Vacuum degassing: remove bubbles generated during the mixing process to improve the stability of the toothpaste.
Storage and maturation: Some toothpastes need to be left to stand before packaging to ensure stable texture.
Automatic filling and sealing: use a toothpaste automatic ointment filling and sealing machine to fill the toothpaste into the hose and seal it.
Packaging and inspection: After strict quality inspection, the finished product enters the market for sale.
The production of industrial toothpaste relies on efficient industrial toothpaste production equipment, mainly industrial secondary reverse osmosis water treatment machines, toothpaste vacuum homogenization emulsifiers, automatic hose filling and sealing machines, etc., to ensure the stability and efficiency of mass production.
The scale, speed and effect of DIY toothpaste
DIY toothpaste is usually for personal use, and the production process is limited by household equipment and raw materials. The quantity produced each time is usually small, the production cycle is long, and each step often needs to be operated manually. Although this manual method can adjust the ingredients according to personal needs, it also brings large errors. Due to the lack of precise mixing and homogenization equipment, the distribution of ingredients may be uneven, making it difficult to guarantee the quality of the product. The toothpaste produced each time may be different in texture, color or viscosity, and the shelf life is short, and it is easy to stratify or deteriorate. In addition, the production process of DIY toothpaste usually does not involve professional quality control methods, and it is impossible to effectively detect the stability and safety of the ingredients, which may affect the use effect and oral health of the toothpaste. Compared with industrial production, DIY toothpaste has a slower production speed and is difficult to mass produce. Its effect and quality control are less predictable, so it cannot meet the needs of large-scale or long-term use.
Production scale, speed and effect of industrial toothpaste
In contrast, industrial toothpaste can be produced on a large scale and efficiently by relying on the automated toothpaste production line established by modern industrial toothpaste production machines. The production speed is extremely fast, and the daily production volume can easily exceed tens of thousands of toothpastes. The quality and effect of each batch are strictly controlled to ensure the stability and uniformity of the finished product. Industrial toothpaste can provide more consistent and efficient cleaning effects through scientific formulas and precision equipment regulation, especially in preventing caries and maintaining oral health.
Safety of home DIY toothpaste
Since the formula of homemade toothpaste has not been professionally tested, its safety and efficacy are difficult to guarantee. For example:
Long-term use of highly abrasive ingredients (such as activated carbon) may cause tooth enamel wear.
Lack of preservatives, easy to deteriorate and breed bacteria.
Improper use of essential oils may irritate the mouth or cause allergic reactions.
Quality Control of Industrial Toothpaste
Industrial toothpaste needs to meet strict production standards and undergo the following quality controls:
Microbiological testing: to ensure that there is no contamination by harmful bacteria.
PH value determination: to ensure that the toothpaste does not damage the oral environment.
Abrasiveness test: to avoid excessive wear on teeth.
Stability test: to ensure that the toothpaste does not deteriorate during transportation and storage.
This ensures the safety and effectiveness of industrial toothpaste in long-term use.
For daily oral health, fluoride-containing industrial toothpaste is still the best choice for preventing caries. If you choose DIY toothpaste, you should ensure that the ingredients are safe and combine it with good brushing habits and regular oral examinations to keep your teeth healthy.
Homemade toothpaste and industrial toothpaste each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Homemade toothpaste is suitable for people who pursue natural ingredients and environmental protection, but its stability and efficacy may be insufficient. Industrial toothpaste, on the other hand, is scientifically formulated and produced in a strict process, providing reliable cleaning effects and long-term storage capabilities.