Toothpaste makes me gag! What are some alternatives?

I hate the taste of toothpaste, it literally makes me gag. I%26#039;ve tried every kind of toothpaste under the sun, the orange stuff, lemon flavored, cinnamon, plus just plain old baking soda and peroxide (horrible horrible idea, my mouth tasted like a band-aid for hours).





Are there any alternative ways to clean your teeth besides a toothbrush and toothpaste? It%26#039;s not that I%26#039;m a wimp or anything, I drink hard alcohol straight (on occasion), I love spicy foods, etc... It%26#039;s just that metallic mint taste of toothpaste makes me want to vomit. I find that I%26#039;m not able to brush as much as I should because of this.





I guess I%26#039;d rather scrape my teeth with a twig like people did in the past than use toothpaste.... I don%26#039;t know if that%26#039;s really effective or not though....





Any ideas?





Thanks!

Toothpaste makes me gag! What are some alternatives?
Ok, it is nice to know someone with the same problem. I have found a new toothpaste from colgate called Colgate® Luminous™ Try the paradise fresh. There is NO minty taste to it and is very mild in general.





If you have a gag reflex definately don%26#039;t use a %26quot;paste%26quot; base. Make sure you use gel. Also, you can try to use a lot less and brush more often. I use about the size of a pensil eraser to brush my teeth and then brush three times a day. It still works, I went to my dentist and he said everything looked excellent.
Reply:Your toothbrush and toothpaste work the best to clean your teeth. Other options include using natural toothpaste (with fluoride to protect against cavities) such as Tom%26#039;s of Maine, or using children%26#039;s toothpaste with milder flavors.





Electric toothbrushes (Crest Spinbrush, Oral B, or Sonicare) work well, too. Water Piks are great, too, and can be used with water and/or Listerine.





I think that if you can find a toothpaste that is mild, the brushing won%26#039;t be so bad. Good luck!