Home Remedies for Gum Health

       Enjoy this home remedies blog by Alandi student Anita Muralidharan! Anita is a senior student and will graduate shortly.                               

Do you, or does someone you know, have bad breath, swollen, inflamed, red, bleeding or receding gums? You might have gum disease. Taking care of your gums are important, because if left untreated it might ruin your teeth, bone and tissues connected to it. Gum disease is preventable and here are few Ayurvedic tips to have a good smile.

For Receding Gums

  1.  Gently massage gums by combining ½ tsp of tea tree oil with ½ tsp of neem oil.

  2. Lightly roast a tablespoon of cumin in a pan without oil. Grind this to a fine powder by mortar and pestle or a clean coffee grinder. Mix in a quarter teaspoon of salt. Massage gums with this powder to strengthen gums and prevent gingivitis.

  3. Take a mouthful of warm sesame oil and swish it around in your mouth for few minutes before going to bed. Then massage your gums with your index finger. It is not necessary to rinse with water afterward; leave the oil residue in your mouth.

  4. For strengthening teeth and gums have 4 figs every day.

For Bleeding Gums

1.     Make a paste with cinnamon in honey and apply 2-3 times daily.

2.     Massage aloe vera gel gently on gums.

3.     Gargle with Triphala tea will prevent gingivitis and bleeding gums.

4.     Eating a raw apple about an hour after meals helps to clean the teeth and heal the gums.

5.     Massaging the gums with coconut oil can also help heal gingivitis and bleeding gums.

6.     Gargle using Goldenseal to treat gum infections, mouth sores, pyorrhea, and thrush.

Bad Breath

1.     Taking a pod of cardamom after meals will stop bad breath.

2.     Chew few coriander seeds to freshen your breath.

3.     Chewing 1-2 clove pods will help remove bad breath

4.     Make fenugreek tea by steeping 1 tsp fenugreek in a cup of boiling water, strain and drink daily. It will prevent bad breath and body odor.

5.     Swish mouth with warm fennel water once a day to get rid of bad breath.

6.     Gargle using Rosemary helps with gum ailments, canker sore, sore throat and also freshen breath.

These are just tips for your oral care but do not forget to brush and floss every day and make an appointment to see a dentist once every year to ensure your oral health.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.