According to various web sites, you can make effective and economical toothpaste from ingredients you may have around the house or ones you can usually find at a drugstore or supermarket. Searching on homemade toothpaste led to several recipes.

The basis for most homemade tooth cleansers is baking soda. Just mix it with a few drops of water, dunk your toothbrush in the paste, and brush your teeth. Another recipe calls for mixing three parts baking soda to one part salt for a more abrasive toothpaste -- better for scrubbing debris off your choppers. For extra whitening power, put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the baking soda.

Some chemicals commonly found in commercial toothpastes can be found at home. Calcium carbonate is an abrasive mineral used in many toothpastes -- at home, you can use finely powdered, unflavored Tums antacid. Add that to the cleaning agent, sodium bicarbonate (good old baking soda again), mix with a little bit of water, and you have paste for your teeth.

If you prefer a thicker paste consistency, try adding a little glycerin to any of the baking soda mixes. Glycerin is often available in drugstores. For a minty fresh taste, add peppermint or wintergreen oil or even cinnamon extract, flavoring ingredients which can be found at grocery stores.