subject: Herbal Dental Care [print this page] Herbal Dental Care Herbal Dental Care
Getting my teeth cleaned isn't on my prime-one hundred list of favorite things to try and do but it appears to be one of these necessary evils. But, the last 2 cleanings have been short and, while not pleasant, weren't painful. I put it all right down to the very fact that I quit using business toothpaste.
1st, let me preface the remainder of this article with "do everything your dentist tells you to do". Brush, floss, rinse, get regular checkups, the whole nine. I don't would like the ADA climbing down my throat.
Back to my thoughts: over a year ago, I had to quit using any of the mints (that contain salicylates) because of a protocol that I'm on to treat my fibromyalgia. (Sigh. I extremely miss mint-chocolate-chip ice cream.) The toothpastes on the shelf where I do my searching is all mint-flavored or salicylate-containing of one selection or another. There are some toothpastes out there that don't have mints or salicylates in them however the value made me choke. Thus, I decided to create my own tooth powder. I figured if it was good enough for people previous to about 1850, it ought to be smart enough for me.
To one-half cup of baking soda (the same that you get at the market), I add 10 drops of Myrrh essential oil (antibacterial) and 3 drops of Sage essential oil. Sage leaves are using for eons as a tooth cleaner and whitener. I am too lazy to powder some dried Sage so I take advantage of the EO. (If you wish to use powdered Sage, use regarding one tablespoon per 0.5 cup of baking soda.) If you wish the minty flavor, add up to ten drops of Peppermint or Spearmint essential oil; or spice it up a touch with up to ten drops of Cinnamon EO. (You will have to experiment a touch to urge the flavor to your liking as the EOs are sturdy-tasting.) Mix terribly, very well to induce the oils fully distributed through the powder. Store it in an exceedingly jar with a tight-fitting lid in the identical place you retain your toothpaste.
To use, wet your toothbrush and dip the bristles within the powder, obtaining just a very little less on the comb than you'd toothpaste. Brush and rinse as usual. I do yet one more issue for cleaning and whitening purposes: instead of using water to wet my toothbrush, I exploit hydrogen peroxide - on the market in the first aid aisle of most stores. Hydrogen peroxide may be a disinfectant, antiseptic and a bleaching agent. The bottle you buy at the store is only a 3.5% solution thus it's a weak version however useful nonetheless.
Dentists are extremely mixed in their opinions on using baking soda. Some say it's perfectly OK, others say it's too coarse and can damage teeth over time. My dentist falls into the latter category but since there are those that say it's all get admission to, I figure I am going to go along with them and save some money. My price: but 50?. Tube of toothpaste for hubby that lasts regarding the identical quantity of time: $2.50. (Cannot get him to switch.)
You'll be able to still buy industrial tooth powders - I've solely found them on the Web and they're expensive, too. I've been told that they're not as coarse as regular baking soda however frankly, I could not tell the difference. I am going to stick with the homemade stuff.
I've seen some tooth powder recipes that include salt - specifically, finely ground sea salt. The rationale behind the salt is sound... it breaks up the sugars in the mouth and naturally tightens gum tissues. I simply do not like to feature more sodium anywhere if I will avoid it so I do not use it in my recipe. If you would like to strive it, use equal parts of soda and salt.