Oral Health for Health Overall: Natural Remedies for maintaining Oral Health.

oral health medium

Maintaining oral hygiene should be a priority for every man, woman, and child. Oral health is important for your overall health and ability to fight off dangerous diseases and bacteria. The appearance of healthy gums and white teeth become a by-product when actively trying to perpetuate a healthy mouth environment. Mouth health sometimes contributes to acne production, inflammation in the body and other ailments.

The Risk of Bad Oral Hygiene

Properly taking care of your oral hygiene benefits you in an abundance of ways. A little-known fact is that Saliva is one of the bodies leading defense mechanisms against disease-causing organisms. Saliva contains antibacterial properties and antibodies that attack viral pathogens such as, the common cold and HIV. Unfortunately, saliva cannot terminate every dangerous organism that finds its way to you.

The human mouth may contain over 500 different species of bacteria at one time, according to a study supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Bacteria can cause many unwanted side effects. Bacteria in the mouth most often leads to plaque, which is the sticky film that attaches itself to your teeth. The build-up of plaque causes significant health problems, such as gingivitis. Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to other things, like trench mouth.

Trench mouth may be the least of your worries if your oral hygiene isn’t in good condition. Oral bacteria release toxins into the body and bloodstream. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research determines that roughly 18 percent of preterm, low birth infants born in the United States, are affected by dangerous, oral, bacterial toxins. Bad oral hygiene can also lead to inflammation in the body, clogged arteries, blood clots, as well as links to diabetes and heart disease.

Luckily there are a ton of remedies and foods you can use and eat to help maintain superb oral health. Aside from the obvious brushing and flossing, I find natural remedies to be the most effective and safest ways to sustain and improve oral hygiene.

Natural Oral Health Boosting Remedies

Oral health sesame teeth scrub

1. Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are a slightly abrasive food, perfect for cleaning teeth. To use them, simply put a handful of seeds in your mouth, chew them and spit them out. For the best results, put them in your mouth, chew them, then brush your teeth with a dry, soft toothbrush, and then proceed to spit them out.

The sesame seeds have a slightly abrasive property, that gently removes stains and plaque from teeth without damaging them. Additionally, chewing the seed releases some of the tooth strengthening calcium needed to maintain strong, healthy teeth.

2. Figs

Eating more figs will benefit you in many ways. This fruit is sweet, taste good and contains many vitamins and nutrients, including calcium. Figs also contain antibacterial and antifungal properties.

To get the most out of this tasty fruit, chew a fig slowly and deliberately. You have the option of eating it afterward, unlike the sesame seeds. Chewing figs will help release the bacteria-fighting properties in your mouth while also increasing saliva production. As we know, saliva has bacteria-fighting properties of its own. Figs help fight dangerous microorganisms, wash them away and satisfy your sweet tooth.

3. Spicy Food

Spicy food, depending on how it’s cooked and the ingredients used, can help the body in a variety of ways. Aside from being super tasty, spicy food helps create an environment in the mouth, which optimizes the ability to protect against bacteria and diseases. Spicy foods do this by increasing your saliva production and enhancing your first line of defense against disease-causing organisms. So, do not hesitate to add some heat to your dishes. It will do your body a whole lot of good.

4. Ground Clove Spice

Cloves have been used to help fight against oral ailments for centuries, including toothaches. It has analgesic, antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties. The spice reduces gum disease-causing bacteria. To use this method efficiently, add water to ground up cloves to create a paste. Apply the paste to your teeth and any other afflicted area in the mouth. Rinse out of your mouth after a minute or so. This remedy is especially useful for pain-causing ailments such as sores or toothaches.

5. Orange Peel Rub

Orange peels have been used as an Ayurveda treatment for thousands of years. Orange peels help with a variety of things. Eating the peels of orange can help prevent cancer, reduce inflammation and help reduce the release of histamines. Luckily you don’t have to eat the peels to enjoy the oral health benefits oranges peels provide unless of course, you want to. Rub the white parts of the orange, also known as the pith, on the teeth. The inside of the peel contains properties that naturally act as a teeth whitener. The peel isn’t acidic. Therefore, your tooth enamel won’t be damaged when using this remedy.

Oral Hygiene Tips

oral health oil pulling

Soft Brush vs. Hard Brush

Harder toothbrush bristles aren’t the best thing for teeth cleaning. Depending on how hard you brush you may be at risk of damaging your vital tooth enamel, root surface, and gums. Soft brushes clean your teeth just as well as a hard toothbrush would. Not to mention, it’s gentle and safer to use in your mouth.

Antiseptic Mouth Wash vs. Antibacterial Mouth Wash

Mouth wash is a great way of cleaning the mouth and getting rid of nasty, illness-causing microorganisms. Unfortunately, all mouthwash wasn’t created equally. Antibacterial mouth wash is great. It kills bacteria in the mouth and hobbles their reproduction. However, antiseptic mouth wash is far more superior. It kills bacteria as well as many other microorganisms such as fungi, protozoa, and other illness-causing viruses. So, get the all in one option by simply switching your mouthwash to antiseptic.

Oil Pulling Purifying Method

Oil pulling has been used as a powerful, Ayurveda, detoxifying technique for centuries. Various studies state that oil pulling helps fight against gingivitis, plaque build-up, and unpleasant breath. The science backing these benefits have to do with the ‘like attracts like’ rule. Cells have skin that consists of a liquid fatty membrane. When the microorganism makes contact with the fatty oils they naturally adhere to it. The oil pulling method can be done with a variety of oils such as coconut, sesame and sunflower oil. My favorite choice would be the coconut oil for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

To use this technique, put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and swirl it around for 10-20 minutes. Spit all of the oil out and rinse your mouth thoroughly. If you do this before you brush your teeth proceed to brush normally after. For additional detoxifying benefits add a few drops of essential oils such as tea tree and/or peppermint. Additionally, Oil gargling takes the detoxifying process a step further, by helping to purify the entire body.

Maintaining oral health is an important part of self-care. It affects all aspects of the body because it is our first line of defense against everyday viruses. Actively taking care of your mouth and improving your oral environment purifies the body. Caring for your oral health will not only affect how you look and smell but also how you feel from the inside out.

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