Maintain Healthy Gums and Teeth

The health of your gums and teeth is more important to your overall health than you may realize. Of course, you want nice bright white teeth. But your oral health can be an indicator of your overall health. The bad bacteria in your mouth, along with plaue, can travel through your blood stream to other parts of your body and cause health issues. There is a strong correlation between an unhealthy mouth and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Here are some natural ways you can maintain healthy gums and teeth.

Healthy Oral pH

Maintaining an alkaline environment in your mouth is important. The combination of acid and bacteria is what causes tooth decay. One obvious source of acid is sugar. You can help maintain an alkaline environment in your mouth by rinsing with baking soda and water. Many natural tooth pastes cantain baking soda because it is a mild abrasive and it raises the pH in your mouth. You can make a paste using baking soda, but it is not recommended to do this more than twice a week because it could damage your tooth enamel.

Eliminate Bad Bacteria

Too many bad bacteria in your mouth can overpower the good bacteria and lead to an unhealthy oral microbiome. In addition to keeping an alkaline pH in your mouth, you can target bad bacteria by rinsing with a small amount hydrogen peroxide. Spit it out after about 1 minute. In addition to eliminating some bad bacteria, it can be helpful in healing canker sores.

Essential Oils

One of the essential oils that has been used in dental care for hundreds of years is clove. Clove essential oil is made from the clove evergreen tree. Not only is it numbing, it is a power antioxidant and may reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Other essential oils that can support a health oral microbiome are peppermint, cinnamon, anise, and tea tree. Using a toothpaste that contains many of these oils can help reduce the bacteria and plaque in your mouth.

Clays

Using a toothpaste or tooth powder containing clays can help polish your teeth. Since clays contain minerals such as silica, magnesium, calcium and potassium, that may also help remineralize your teeth. Bentonite and kaolin are two of the most widely used clays in dental products. The environmental working group (EWG) scores and rates toothpastes and tooth powder so you find a healthy one.

Salt Water Rinse

Rinsing your mouth with salt water is a great way to make your oral microbiome more alkaline when it's not convenient to brush. It is especially beneficial if you've had something acidic like sugar, bread, pasta or an artificial sweetener. Not only will the salt water change the alkalinity in your mouth, but it will also reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth thereby reducing the amount of plaque and inflammation. All you need to do is mix a teaspon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Take a large sip and siwsh in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out.

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