FORT MYERS, Fla. - A new toothpaste -- with some pretty big claims of what it can do -- is gaining in popularity in Southwest Florida. It's called Neem, and some say it's made a huge difference in their dental health.

"Personally, it has made a big difference in our lives," said Leslie Liebermann.

Lieberman struggled with gum problems for years, with borderline periodontal disease.

"I would go in every three to four months and get my teeth cleaned, and nothing I did made any difference," said Liebermann.

Until she says, she started brushing with Neem toothpaste, made with an extract from the Neem tree which grows mainly in India. The tree's oil has been used all over the world for everything from insecticides to cosmetics, even medicinal uses like dental hygiene.

"Millions of people in India have taken these little twigs and roughed up one end and used them sorta like a tooth brush, like a chewing stick. Reportedly there are very few instances of tooth decay there," said Dr. Martin Price, Senior Agricultural Scientist at Echo in North Fort Myers where the toothpaste is sold, and where the Neem tree is grown locally.

"The first time after I used it for about a half hour I could feel a tingling sensation on my gums," said Liebermann.

When Liebermann went back to her hygientist, her gum problems had disappeared.

"I said to her 'have you noticed anything different about my gums?' She said they are a lot better. Every time I go back there's more improvement," said Liebermann.

Dr. Mark Kraver, a dentist at Cape Dental Care, isn't so convinced.

"It doesn't say it's been FDA cleared or accepted or anything like that. It's made in India. The product is kind of like snake oil. They see an exotic name on it like 'Neem', they think 'Wow, this is a magic bullet,' and unfortunately there are very few magic bullets in the world for anything," said Dr. Kraver.

Dr. Kraver says the diet in India, which is low in sugar, is behind the country's dental health.

As for the benefits from Neem Toothpaste experienced here, Dr. Kraver claims users become more vigilant in their hygiene when armed with a new product.

"It's really the toothbrush and floss that does the job, it's not the toothpaste," said Dr. Kraver.

Doubt isn't stopping Leslie Liebermann.

"For me and for my family it's made a marked difference," said Liebermann.

While no side effects have been reported with Neem Toothpaste so far, ingesting the oil from the tree has been connected to pregnancy problems during lab testing with animals.

As with any product, talk with your doctor and dentist.

Neem is not sold in most stores, but can be found at Echo in North Fort Myers, on Durrance Road. It costs between $5 and $6 dollars. Neem Toothpaste can also be purchased online.