I started Googling the ingredients on the back of the tube. One by one.
Nothing dangerous. But nothing particularly useful either.
So I kept digging. And eventually I stumbled onto something I hadn't even thought to look for.
When you take fluoride out of toothpaste, you need to replace it with something that does the same job.
Because fluoride's actual job isn't just cleaning your teeth. It's strengthening them. Rebuilding the outer layer that protects against cavities.
Most people don't know that. I didn't.
A lot of "natural" toothpastes don't replace it with anything.
They clean your teeth. Make your breath smell nice. But there's nothing in them that actually protects.
It's basically expensive mint-flavoured baking soda.
That's why I got a cavity. I'd been brushing twice a day for months with something that was never going to protect my teeth.