Last Updated: May 31, 2022
What are toothpaste tablets, how do they work, and why would you choose them over paste? Grove writer Kristen Bailey tries hello's toothpaste tablets, and she’s here to tell you all about switching to these eco-friendly teeth cleaners.
I’m sure toothpaste tabs are the bee’s knees, but I only just learned that they even exist, and I haven’t quite come to terms with how I feel about brushing my teeth with something I have to chew first. But once I settle into the idea, I’m sure I’ll get past it. Here’s my honest experience using toothpaste tablets.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or health related diagnosis or treatment options.
Toothpaste tablets are exactly what they sound like — a waterless toothpaste powder that’s pressed into a tablet. Instead of squeezing toothpaste out of a tube and onto your toothbrush, you pop a tablet in your mouth and chew it up into a paste, stick your toothbrush in there, and brush as usual.
Toothpaste kinda grosses me out, especially when dried clumps of it magically appear in the sink despite everyone insisting they would never. They’re liars! And what they do to the toothpaste tube is unmentionable.
So the number-one benefit I can see to using toothpaste tablets is no more goopy messes on the sink, no more fishing the cap out of the drain with a coat hanger when someone buys the wrong brand, and no more dried-up toothpaste blocking the exit hole — even if the lid is attached to the tube.
But will the prospect of no more toothpaste grossness outweigh my aversion to the idea of brushing my teeth with something I’ve just masticated? Maybe. These additional four benefits of toothpaste tablets might help:
Because they’re waterless, toothpaste tablets don’t require the chemical preservatives you’ll find in your pre-chewed — jk, gross! — toothpaste. The tablets come in fluoride and fluoride-free versions, and they’re made with plant-based ingredients that have powerful cleaning properties.
Americans toss out more than 400 million toothpaste tubes every year, which end up in the landfill, since most tubes are made of an aluminum-plastic composite that can’t be recycled. So far, most brands of toothpaste tablets on the market are 100 percent plastic-free products.
Conventional toothpaste is considered a liquid under the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule, so swapping out your tube for tablets frees up space for other precious elixirs in your carry-on and checked bags. And you won’t ever have to deal with a toothpaste tube squishing open all over your stuff.
Water makes up 60 to 95 percent of beauty and personal care creams, lotions, liquids, gels, and pastes — and a lot of water is needed to produce the billions of plastic containers they’re sold in. Water-free products, including toothpaste tablets, generally come in eco-friendly, water-conscious packaging.
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Colgate is working on a recyclable toothpaste tube that they hope to have in full production by 2025. But it’s made with multiple layers of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is still plastic — and considering America’s recycling rate is a dismal 32.1 percent, even recyclable toothpaste tubes will largely end up in the landfill.
I tried hello Activated Charcoal Toothpaste Tablets with fresh mint and coconut oil since I use hello charcoal toothpaste a few times a week (I figured I’d keep with the dark theme). The tablets arrived in a small black metal canister, and I was immediately in love — and you will be too, if you also have a prized collection of irresistible bottles, boxes, and tins that will totally come in handy for… something… someday.
I opened the tin and sniffed. The tabs smell nice: very minty, but not like mint candy. I set the tablets on the bathroom counter, not quite ready to dive into the experience just yet.
After a few days of procrastinating, I was finally ready to take the plunge, but the tablets were nowhere to be found. I immediately assumed my 11-year-old had taken them — of course, she had. They were in her bathroom, squirrelled away with my good brush and my favorite lipgloss.
“What are you doing with my toothpaste tablets?” I asked. “Using ‘em,” she said. “Really?” “Yeah, they’re kind of weird, I don’t really like them that much, but I like spitting black.”
Okay, then. Well, if she can do it, I can surely do it too.
Toothpaste tablets aren’t complicated to use. You just pop one in your mouth, chomp on it until it’s liquidy, then brush as usual. So after a couple of false starts, I did it! I chewed up the tablet, managed to get my toothbrush into my mouth without drooling black liquid back out, and brushed my teeth as usual. Spit, rinse, big smile in the mirror. Ahhhh. Minty fresh!
Why is activated charcoal good at getting teeth clean? Activated charcoal in toothpaste may help remove surface stains on your teeth. Charcoal is mildly abrasive and is also able to adsorb (yes, we meant to say adsorb) the odors that cause bad breath and tannins that can stain teeth. This makes these hello Charcoal Toothpaste Tablets especially effective at cleaning hard-to-reach crannies.
As with many things in my life — like making phone calls and putting lace-up shoes on — I dramatically overestimated the misery toothpaste tablets would cause me. I spent far more time (weeks!) dreading chomping on them than I actually did chomping on them (about five minutes.) And sticking my toothbrush into my mouth with a chewed-up substance already in there didn’t gross me out at all — and now I wonder why it does in theory.
My final verdict? Toothpaste tablets definitely aren’t the worst things I’ve ever chewed on, and they left my teeth feeling smooth and clean and my mouth feeling fresh and woke. I probably won’t use them every day, but I would most definitely reach for them in a pinch — and I would certainly recommend them to my traveling friends and family and those who want to reduce their plastic waste, collect sweet tins, or spit black.
Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
About the author: Kristen Bailey is a writer in the Midwest who is no longer afraid of toothpaste tablets. She’s been writing and editing for Grove since 2020.
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