You’ve been there. You head to the dentist thinking you’ll have a clean bill of health and high praise for you oral hygiene, only to find out you have gum disease. But have no worry, treating gum disease isn’t especially difficult. In fact, there are numerous home remedies for gum disease you can utilize right here.
Also called periodontal disease, gum disease affects more than half of all Americans age 30 and older – so at least you aren’t alone. But you don’t really have to suffer from bleeding, swollen, irritated gums; there are certainly other options when it comes to invasive dental treatments meant to treat periodontal disease (or toxic fluoride treatments).
Natural Home Remedies for Gum Disease
Here are 7 natural home remedies for gum disease that will make your dentists’ head spin at your next appointment:
- 1. Oil Pulling – This method has been raved about not only for curing swollen, red gums, but even reversing gum disease with bone loss. Oil pulling does just what the name infers – it ‘pulls’ toxins right out of your mouth and gums. It removes plaque build up and has been studied in several triple-blind studies to be very effective. Just be sure to use 100% organic oil – sesame, olive, or coconut is best – because you wouldn’t want to be swishing pesticide-laden oils around in your moth for several minutes at a time. Check out more oil pulling benefits here.
- 2. Sage Leaf Decoction – This is an old folk remedy for gingivitis and gum disease. All you need to do is boil around 50 fresh organic sage leaves in some distilled water and then gargle the decoction several times a day as well as use it like a mouthwash. You can also make a sage tea and drink it throughout the day. Sage has huge amounts of antioxidants and it also contains it anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
- 3. Garlic and Turmeric Paste – Use garlic cloves on irritated gums, or simply make a garlic & turmeric paste to use like toothpaste, then rinse after it has been in your mouth for several minutes. Both of these naturally-occurring foods are full of antibacterial properties, and turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory agent.
- 4. Neem – This plant is used in India for a thousand different healing remedies; among them is better dental health. You can use neem in a mouthwash, or even find neem toothpaste. It has both antimicrobial and antifungal properties. In one study involving three different groups with gum disease: one using traditional mouthwash, one treated with neem gel, and the last a placebo, the neem group had the best outcome.
- 5. Mustard Oil – This method has been used for hundreds of years to combat bad dental hygiene. It destroys bacteria in the mouth and heals the gums very fast. It also has pain-reducing qualities along with being anti-microbial and anti-bacterial.
- 6. Aloe Vera Gel – Best when it comes straight form the plant, aloe vera is a great anti-inflammatory that is especially helpful if your gums are red and inflamed.
- 7. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Not only do fruits and vegetables with skins help clean the teeth, but the antioxidants in both fruits and vegetables also prevent plaque build up in the mouth.
Have your own home remedies for gum disease? Share with everyone below in the comments!
By Christina Sarich
About Christina Sarich:
Christina Sarich is a humanitarian and freelance writer helping you to Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga.
(Source: naturalsociety.com; April 10, 2015; http://tinyurl.com/np3os25)