Toothpaste has come a long way in recent years. There are so many more options out there than the good old stripey paste in a plastic tube. There are powders, tablets, and the usual paste in metal tubes. Here is a comparison between some plastic-free options put together by Lindsey & me.
| by Humankind | hello | Unpaste | Bite | Davids | DENTTab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Tabs | Tabs | Tabs | Tabs | Paste | Tabs |
| Price | $15 | $8.99 | $12.75 | $30 | $9.99 | $10.39 |
| Tabs/Ounces | 60 tabs | 60 tabs | 125 tabs | 248 tabs | 5 oz | 125 tabs |
| Price per Ounce/Tab | $0.25/tab | $0.15/tab | $0.10/tab | $0.12/tab | $1.90oz | $0.08/tab |
| Fluoride? | No | No | Both options | Uses nHAP which, according to their website, is a fluoride alternative that strengthens enamel and reduces sensitivity | No | Yes |
| Other Notes | Partners with Plastic Bank. Carbon neutral. Comes in a cute glass container with your choice of colored lid. You can purchase the jar first time and then get refills ($12). | Comes in non-plastic container. Whitening. Cruelty-free. Subscription option available. Shipping $5 if order is under $30 | Can be bought at multiple online stores. Comes in compostable bag. Have both fluoride (FDA approved) and non-fluoride options. | Comes in a glass jar with a metal lid. Woman owned business | Comes in a metal tube that can be cleaned and recycled. Subscription and multi-pack options available with savings attached. | Comes in a compostable bag. These are being shipped from overseas. |
| Where to Buy | by Humankind | Hello toothpaste tablets | List of places to by UNPASTE | Bite Toothpaste bits | Davids | DENTTab |
| EWG Rating | Not rated | This product not rated. Other hello toothpaste products rate between a 2-3 (Low – Moderate concern) | This product not rated | This product not rated | EWG Verified! | This product not rated |
From Lindsey: My family needed new toothpaste recently so I made another comparison chart. We decided to go with Davids since Lefty (this is how we refer to our significant others in our little corner of the internet) wasn’t sure about the tablets. I don’t necessarily like that it doesn’t come in a fluoride option, but we do have fluoride in our city’s water. So far we like it!
From Leigh: Tom’s of Maine has been a staple toothpaste in our house for a while but I was keen to try a plastic free option. We started our foray into toothpaste tablets at the end of 2020 and I really like them. Eliot finds them a little harsh. We tried the DENTtabs as they were the only ones with fluoride that I could find. There is no fluoride in our water supply so we were keen to make sure we had it. I also mistakenly bought some fluoride free toothpaste a couple of years ago and really noticed an increase in sensitivity. Back to fluoride for us! Might try Davids for Eliot the next time around. Kids toothpastes are next on the list!