I was recently sent some fluoride free toothpaste in the mail to try, Hello’s Activated Charcoal toothpaste with fresh mint and coconut oil.

I had heard the concept of removing fluoride from toothpaste, but I didn’t know the benefits. Fluoride helped protect against tooth decay, right?. My mother used to always say I was lucky to have fluoride because she used to get a bunch of cavities as a kid. That was my extent of knowledge on the topic.

Time for a bit of internet research.

Does everyone need fluoride toothpaste?

Put simply – if your teeth have a decent barrier against tooth decay, you don’t really need fluoride. But do yours? All of the dentists in this article recommend fluoride twice a day. (Of course they do, they’re dentists, they have an industry to protect.) But they are right – and the main reason why is our diets. Our teeth rot because of what we eat, and protection is necessary. Poor dental health can lead to heart disease, which is still the leading cause of death in America.

So…are there any benefits?

The mechanical action of your toothbrush and floss (lol, do you tho?) should be enough to remove plaque and causation factors for tooth decay and gum disease. But fluoride can produce remineralization of decaying teeth while also providing added protection against decay.

So why not go for the added protection? It’s starting to sound like the toothpaste itself is kind of useless if it isn’t providing extra benefits. While it is good for polishing teeth and freshening breath, and this particular toothpaste is cruelty free and vegan, I’m not sure it’s really protecting me.

Did I like the toothpaste?

Well, yeah. It tasted fine. I felt like a badass with my black teeth as I brushed. The gray stains on my sink were a little inconvenient, but the experience of the product was fine.

But overall?

It’s a nay.