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Travel Shampoo Bottle?

That's kind of cool. I would think to use a disposable (or not) pastry piping bag for storage, that way, all you would have to do is cover the opening, and wont have to worry (that much) about cross-contamination when you squeeze the paste on your brush.

glycerin is often found in drug stores. if you've ever made homemade bubble solution, you've probably bought glycerin to make your bubbles stronger. it is also called glycerol.

You could possibly use a piping bag.

Or at least some piping tips and a heavy duty plastic zip top bag with a corner cut out (like Alton Brown recommends instead of a piping bag). Being able to zip closed would prevent the toothpaste from drying out.

I wonder - can you get straight flouride in liquid form? If so, adding a little of that to this mix may even get you close to something the American Dental Association would be okay with.

You could use the piping bag to squeeze your homemade toothpaste into your last commercial toothpaste tube.

Are you confident that soda isn't too abrasive for daily use?

Why glycerin? And why salt?

I think a reusable container and espresso spoon is a good container/application choice. Maybe a jelly, mustard or other small glass jar this way you can make it as you need it and it doesn't sit for too long. I like the idea that this also is going to help our environment and reduce waste so it should definitely NOT be a plastic bag al a Alton Brown.

Last I checked, fluoride in too strong a concentration is really dangerous, so I doubt you can buy your own. But now that a lot of places have fluoridated water, it may not be a problem.

And the baking soda taste is one of the only reasons I don't make my own.

For those w/ sensitive teeth/gums, baking soda is too abrasive. My dentist told me to avoid it.

You can get Fluordie in a gel form, but it has to be perscribed to you by a dentist.

the link to the article regarding the benefits of these ingredients did not work. I am eager to try this and hopefully save some money.

I think you'd find that Xylitol would be a better item to have in it, you might think I'm crazy suggesting a sugar, however this sugar alcohol (which look it up, is actually natural AND good for you, even though you never hear about it---> it comes from corn) won't let plaque stick to it so there are toothpastes out there which use it. It's very good for your teeth and in fact is even safe for diabetics!

amyd99 - that link is fixed, thanks.

you could use an empty toothpaste container - the bottle style ones, not the tube.

Or baking supply stores (sur la Table for one) sells small plastic squeeze bottles for icing cookies, or holding sauces - they might work as well.

When we were kids my mom made her own toothpaste (along with everything else) and she just stored it in an empty jam jar and we used a spoon to scoop it out onto our brushes - I think the recipe she used was very similar to what you used.

For a year i made and used my own toothpaste from a mix of kosher salt and baking soda.

... now i am facing the threat of an extensive gum graft due to gum recession. That is, erosion of the gums, caused by the abrasion of baking soda.

Do you know how they do this? Either they will graft new "gums" for me using chunks of tissue from the top of my mouth, OR: use donated gum tissue from a cadaver. How appropriately Hallowe'eny.

In conclusion: baking soda = NOT A GOOD IDEA.

Teeth actually abrade pretty easily. Baking soda is actually a lot more abrasive than most of the polishing substances we use in dentistry. Most people use too much pressure when they brush anyway which causes gingival recession and tooth abrasion.
Kittystockings, sorry to hear about your gingival tissue graft... I've heard you should stock up on pudding, yogurt, soups for after your treatment.

Too abrasive. Most of us tend to already have too much salt in the diet.

I didn't used to floss very often but now its a must do habit each night. I keep floss contaners scattered around the apt. to remind me.

How can this save money? An off-brand tube of toothpaste goes for a dollar, 50 cents on a good sale day. A bottle of vegetable glycerin is 8 bucks (I know because I make lotion with it).

If you really want to save, brush for 5 minutes with a good, new brush and no paste, then rinse with water, then floss. Toothpaste is really only to add abrasive and/or fluoride to the process.

@shayna: Um...it's reusable. Just fill the bag with more when you make more. Use a heavy duty one. The tops of most piping bags don't seal. You can twist them, but I'm gonna say that zipping it closed is a better seal and easier.

This isn't like tossing a sandwich bag after eating lunch everyday.

As someone with mild gum erosion from years and years of brushing too hard, that "just polished" feeling is a red flag.

But I do want to look for tooth powder now. My grandfather always used it. It was not baking soda, not salty, and probably not all natural. It was just a little cannister of minty powder the consistency of flour, and you sprinkled a little on a wet toothbrush. It didn't foam up so it wasn't very interesting to me as a kid, but as far as saving money, anytime you pay for something with the water already added, you're probably paying more than you have to (shower gel vs. bar soap, for instance).

As someone who has worked in the dental profession, let me echo that baking soda is something we DO NOT recommend for even occasional, let alone daily use. It is much too abrasive and can lead to the exact kind of thing kittystockings is dealing with, along with other things like loss of enamel. I would not suggest doing this.

I would like to add to the warnings. I did this in high school and now have nothing but problems because I stripped the enamel off my teeth. I cant drink hot drinks because of the sensitivity Im fighting, and Im looking at thousands of dollars in dental bills. I loved that 'just polished' feeling and now Im paying for it.

If saving money is important, combine a coupon with a sale and get your toothpaste for next to nothing.

Please do not make your own toothpaste!!!!

if you still want to go this route, a great solution can be found by using a mouth irrigator to hold the paste. you can see one in this pic:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2140985787_937a0a3314.jpg?v=0

just use a wirecutter or a good scissor to cut off most of the tip (leave a little bit and sand it down with some sandpaper or a file).

Kittystocking: I had gum grafting done when I was 15 (genetic in my case; exacerbated by wearing braces). It's not that horrible. They took tissue from the roof of my mouth. There were a few uncomfortable days, but I healed pretty quickly.

Sorry you have to go through this; you have my sympathy.