When brushing your teeth in the morning comes out of habit, have you ever pondered upon the importance of your oral health. Where oral health is not just limited to brushing teeth in order to get fresh breath. Oral hygiene is important to keep gums healthy along with preventing tooth decay and that unbearable pain. We all know about the importance of a regular dental check-up, it can tend to burn a hole in your pocket. Ayurveda being an ancient Indian holistic healing system which acts in order to provide relief from various symptoms and diseases with the use of natural and herbal ingredients. This ancient Indian healing system is proven to be helpful in managing a person’s oral health and providing fresh breath along with stronger gums and healthy teeth. Let us take a look at 5 ways in which ayurveda can help you to improve our oral health and provide you with fresh breath.
#1. Neem Twigs
A plant which is known for its myriad health benefits, neem might be bitter in taste but its benefits are totally worth it. From treating bleeding nose to intestinal worms and from cardiovascular diseases to diabetes, neem is a medicinal plant that can help with it all. Not just diseases and disorders but neem is also known tio treat various skin conditions like acne, irritation and dehydration along with leading to a healthy hair growth by conditioning scalp, reducing dandruff.
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As per ayurveda, using neem inorder to improve your oral health can help you to cure gingivitis, a condition that causes bleeding gums. Neem is enriched with some antibacterial properties and can provide many benefits in order to improve your oral health such as-
- Kill tartar and plaque buildup
- Prevents cavities
- Fight dental diseases
- Kills bacteria
- Provides fresh breath
- Helps in teeth whitening
- Prevents gingivitis
- Prevents gum inflammation
Where neem comes with so many benefits for your oral health, it can be used in multiple ways such as neem powder, leaves, twigs, juice, etc. Let us take a look at how neem twigs can be used in order to reap out the maximum benefits from this plant.
Ingredients
- Neem Twig
Method
- Take a neem twig that has a thickness similar to your pinky finger.
- Peel the skin of the twig
- Now start by chewing one end of the twig until it takes up the form of brush like pristles.
- Spit out the excess saliva and brush the twig all over your mouth.
- Ensure that you do not ingest it and spit out the twig fibers and gargle well once you are done.
Also Read: Bathing With Neem Leaves Water Can Give You These Amazing Benefits
#2. Oil Pulling
Where brushing your teeth is not enough, this technique of oil pulling derived from ancient holistic ayurveda treatment can be really helpful. The technique of ayurvedic oil pulling is proven to be very beneficial for one’s oral health and can keep your teeth and gums healthy. This process of oil pulling is very effective in detoxifying the oral cavities and cleanses the mouth by pulling out the toxins. This technique is also known as the 'Gandusha kriya; that has been mentioned in the ancient ayurvedic scriptures of Chakra Samhita.
As the name oil pulling itself suggests, the process involves the use of natural ayurvedic oils to gargle the oral cavities. Various natural oils used in order to perform this activity to get better oral health are sunflower oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and mustard oil. This ancient ayurvedic technique comes with various benefits such as-
- Prevents cavities
- Eliminates bacteria
- Prevents gingivitis
- Prevents the formation of plaque
- Prevents tooth decay
- Reduces inflammation
- Helps with bad breath
- Kills candida
- Helps in teeth whitening
- Has detoxifying effects
It is not just a person’s oral health and hygiene that gets improved by following the process of oil pulling but it can also provide a person with a healthy heart and sculpted face. Here’s how you can practice this ayurvedic oil pulling technique in an effective manner-
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil (coconut/ sesame/ sunflower/ mustard)
Method
- Take a tablespoon of natural oil of your choice
- Take it in your mouth and swish it around for about 5-15 minutes depending upon your comfort level.
- Spit out the oil.
- Rinse your mouth with some clean water to get rid of any oil residue.
#3. Gum Rub
When we brush our teeth regularly and sometimes put that extra effort in order to make them whiter and shinier, we often tend to ignore the red gums that are holding those teeth. Where brushing teeth is important, one thing that should also be taken into consideration is gum health. Also known as gingiva, these gums are a protective layer made up of tissues that binds the teeth with the underlying bones.
As these gums protect our teeth, they require a bit of protection too. With gum rubs being an effective ayurvedic remedy that can keep your gum healthy in check and is made with some natural ingredients like garlic and guava leaves. Using a gum rub can help you in keeping your gum health in check and your oral hygiene on point. Some if the benefits of using an all natural ayurvedic gum rub are-
- Prevents bleeding gums
- Improves blood circulation
- Keeps bacteria at bay
- Provides fresh breath
- Cleans enamel
- Strengthens gums
Where this gum rub comes with so many benefits for your dental health and keeps your oral hygiene in check, here’s how you can make your own gum rub at home and use it to provide strength to your gums and get stronger teeth.
Ingredients
- 1 gram powdered rock salt
- Half teaspoon mustard oil
Method
- In a bowl take some rock salt and add mustard oil to it.
- Mix both the ingredients well to make a paste out of it.
- Take this paste on your index finger and massage it gently.
- Massage the paste in light circular motions and do not be very harsh
- Massage the gum rub for 5 minutes and then rinse it with some water.
#4. Herbal rinse
In a world where commercial mouthwashes have gained a lot of popularity and have seen a spike in sales, herbal rinse is what our ancestors used as mouthwash. Prepared with natural herbal ingredients, a herbal wash helps to rinse out all the toxins and bacteria from your mouth in order to improve your oral health.
Herbal rinse is one of the easiest and effective ways to take care of your dental hygiene and oral health that also activates your facial muscles. A herbal rinse comes with various benefits for your teeth and gums such as
- Provides fresh breath
- Kills bacteria
- Prevents cavities
- Alleviates mouth ulcer
- Reduces salivary mutants
- Reduces plaque
- Helps with tooth sensitivity
- Has antibacterial properties
With so many benefits for your oral health, this herbal mouth rinse does not just provide you with stronger teeth and fresh breath but is also effective in treating mouth ulcers. Follow the given instructions in order to prepare your own herbal rinse and enjoy its benefits.
Ingredients
- Triphala
- One glass water
Method
- Take some water in a pan and add triphala to it.
- Let the water boil so that the triphala gets infused into it.
- Heat it till the water reduces to half.
- Keep it aside and let it cool
- Take a strain and pour this infused triphala rinse into a bottle with the help of a strainer.
- Use it as a mouthwash after brushing your teeth.
#5. Tongue Scraping
The home to thousands of taste buds and a collection of muscles, tongue is something that often gets ignored when we talk about oral hygiene and its importance. Where we often tend to ignore this important body part, it plays a vital role in your oral hygiene and needs to be taken care of. According to the ancient ayurvedic scriptures, keeping your tongue clean was very important and the process of tongue scraping was known as the ‘jihva nirlekhana’.
Also Read: Know your Tongue: 7 ‘Tongtastic’ Facts That You Need To Know
Not just an ancient ayurvedic technique but even the dentist around the globe emphasis on the importance of tongue scraping and keeping the tongue clean. Some of the benefits of tongue scraping are-
- Activates taste buds
- Removes bacteria
- Eliminates toxins
- Reduces bad breath
- Improves taste
- Improves overall dental health
Where the simple technique of tongue scraping can also improve your taste by activating your buds, here how you can simply follow this technique.
Ingredients
- Tongue cleaner
Method
- When done brushing take a tingle cleaner and rinse it with some water
- Hold it and slowly and lightly scrape your tongue by placing the cleaner on the back end of your tongue and slowly bringing it forward.
- Once done rinse it and repeat for 2-4 times
Where ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic healing system, it not just helps a person to get relief from those joint pains and skin diseases but is proven to be beneficial when introduced in daily life activities such as including it as a part of oral hygine.
