If you have receding gums, then let’s face it — you are probably at some stage of periodontal disease. The most expensive option for a gum recession remedy is gum surgery. Many, however, do not want to incur the cost or suffer the pain. They are looking for some simple and cost-effective steps that you can take to actually promote healthy gums. Here are a few:

1. Brush, BUT do so gently and with soft bristles. Brushing is a good thing, right? It depends. It is true that too much of a good thing can be bad. Many people brush vigorously with hard or medium bristles. The result is that the gum line is scrubbed away. Additionally, mouth washes and toothpastes with harsh chemicals only exacerbate the situation since they can irritate gums.

2. Floss regularly and floss properly. Floss along the contour of the teeth in a c pattern. Be careful not to just pull the floss into the crevice then pull back out. If your gums bleed, that is a sign of gum disease and deep periodontal problems below the gum line. Do no let this stop you. It only shows all the more that you need to take serious care of your teeth and gums. Keep flossing. Try to floss after meals, when it counts most. You do not want food to be stuck in the gum line or between teeth.

3. Take vitamins and supplements and have good nutrition. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and Vitamin C are known to strengthen gums. Try to get most of your nutrients from whole foods. Cut back on sugars and make sure your floss and rinse after eating, especially sugary foods.

4. Make regular appoints with your dentist. Dentist can scrape away plaque that contributes to gum recession. They will be able to give an accurate assessment of your situation and make appropriate recommendations.

5. Kill Bacteria. This is probably the most important tips of the five. Bacteria are the root cause of periodontal disease. If you do not kill the bacteria and control it, then your gums will likely continue to recede. As mentioned, dentist will assist by scraping away plaque on the teeth. There needs to be, however, a constant war waged against bacteria. Unfortunately, some remedies promise to do this, but contain ingredients that may do harm to the gum tissue in the process. Furthermore, they are washed away and do not deal with bacteria where it is deeply entrenched — in the crevices of the gums and teeth.

Some have found that 100% natural botanical oils are effective at killing bacteria in those hard-to-reach areas. The oils do not wash away as easily. At the end of the day, the goal should be this: kill bacteria where it counts. When you stop bacteria, you stop receding gums.

Now that you have this information, it is time to put these tips into practice and begin the battle against periodontal gum disease and reverse gum recession.

Michael Cuneo is an enthusiastic researcher of natural health products. He has researched natural dental care products and has found one that effectively helps repair receding gums. To learn how to reverse receding gums please visit http://www.stoprecedinggums.com

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Gum disease is vicious so, if you haven’t already, make sure you pay close attention to your gums. You want to make sure your normally pink or coral pink colored gums have not turned red and swollen. You want to make sure your gums are not bleeding or that your gum line is receding. Many times, a person may find that their gum line has receded and they didn’t even notice. That process can be relatively painless, but at least it isn’t to late to stop gum disease before it turns into something much worse.

The progression

As mentioned above, gum disease can lead to bleeding of the gums. This is usually accompanied by swelling and eventual receding of the gum line. At some point, it can turn into Periodontitis and start eating away at the bones that support the teeth. This leads to tooth loss that starts with abscesses and horrible tooth decay. This happens very quickly, so it is important to stop gum disease before it gets to that point or it can cost you a lot of money at the dentist to fix the problem.

At the dentist, you can expect to have teeth pulled, receive treatment for the gum disease, and possibly have to have your remaining teeth repaired. This can involve partials or an entire set of false teeth if the tooth loss has become severe.

Putting a stop to gum disease

So now that you’ve probably already ran to the mirror to check your gums, it is important that you know how to stop gum disease. First, you want to make sure you brush at least twice each day. Of course, you’re going to floss before that so that you can remove food particles from between your teeth and brush them away. After you brush, you then want to brush with an oral balm that is going to kill the bacteria that causes gum disease. Killing the bacteria means that there is nothing to cause or worsen gum disease. If you already have gum disease, that gives the gums a chance to heal. They can’t heal while overrun with bacteria. Unfortunately, brushing alone won’t get rid of it, so you have to have a full routine both morning and night to make sure you put a stop to gum disease before it can cause you even more problems.

The idea is to stop gum disease before it can cause you pain or cause your gums to recede. Killing the bacteria is the best way. As stated before, an oral balm can do this and an oral balm such as Nature’s Smile is a great one to use to do just that. You don’t want the bacterium to be able to thrive at all, so keeping your mouth clean is how that is going to happen. What you’ll see is that your gums will go back to their normal color and any sensitivity you may have had will go away. Basically, your mouth will return to normal. After that, continue the same oral hygiene routine and you’ll never have to deal with gum disease ever again.

To keep or get back healthy gums, Nature’s Smile is a great addition to your oral hygiene routine. Visit http://www.naturessmile.com to learn more about how this product can help you.

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Gum Disease/Gingivitis is becoming an increasingly costly problem to deal with. However as it stands, most dentists will just tell you to use regular over the counter mouthwash as a preventative. While I won’t get into the dozens of reasons why regular (alcoholic) mouthwash is bad for you, it simply does not cut it anymore. Curing gum disease in itself is an entirely different problem. Oil Pulling is an alternative health practice which basically involves the swishing of oil around in your mouth as a mouthwash (Sesame, Coconut, Sunflower oil) and has been scientifically shown to reverse the effects of gum disease and even prevent root canals and painful tooth extractions.

The main premise behind Oil Pulling is that the oil pulls toxins from your mouth as well as kills harmful bacteria. It is swished around in your mouth for roughly 15-20 minutes, after which it is spat out (you do not want to swallow toxins). Doing this procedure daily will significantly reduce the number of bacteria colonies inside of your mouth. As a result, your gum’s will begin to heal themselves which will be evident a few days after doing the regiment. You will immediately notice far less bleeding and sensitivity when brushing. Your gum’s will become firm and you will notice that your gum pockets will start to shrink. This has happened time and time again to many individuals with gum disease. After going back to their periodontist for a follow-up checkup, their gum pockets have significantly decreased to the point where the gum disease does no longer exists, much to the confusion of the dentist.

Oil Pulling is not a new alternative health practice by any means. It is an ancient Ayurveda practice (originating in India), however it has been recently been coming to the forefront of alternative medicine due to its very high success rate and its broad usage.

So start on a path to cure your gum disease as well as other any gum problems you may have by checking out Oil Pulling The benefits of Oil Pulling however are NOT limited to gum disease as you will see.

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While you can best achieve and maintain good tooth and gum health naturally with a long-term preventative, holistic approach that combines herbs and other natural substances with a healthy diet, an effective daily oral-hygiene routine, and regular dental check-ups, for those times when you still experience tooth and gum discomforts or ailments, a wide variety of herbs can soothe the mouth, lessen the pain, and aid in healing the condition. If you are experiencing tooth and gum problems, the best first step is to begin and maintain a routine as described above (see my previous article, “Enhance Your Dental Health Naturally: A Holistic Approach to Herbs for Healthy Teeth and Gums” for a wealth of information and possibilities). In addition to your regular oral-hygiene routine, you can also apply specific herbal and natural treatments for all manner of tooth and gum ailments, ranging from bad breath and canker sores, to discomfort from dental procedures, to gum disease, toothaches and abscesses.

It is important to exercise care when using herbs. Some herbs can be toxic if used for too long or in too great amounts. In addition, the active ingredients in some herbs are not recommended for certain health conditions, and can react negatively with prescription medications or other remedies. It is therefore recommended, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, wish to treat a child, have special health conditions, or are taking prescription medications, that you research the remedies that interest you before using them, and consult a qualified professional if you have questions or doubts. For more severe tooth and gum ailments, it is recommended that you combine any at-home treatment with a trip to the dentist.

Bad Breath

In addition to good oral hygiene, you can also freshen your breath by chewing whole fennel seeds, clove buds, whole cinnamon bark pieces, peeled cardamom pods, or parsley leaves. A mouthwash containing rosemary, diluted essential oils of anise, cinnamon, fennel, peppermint, or tea tree essential oil, or teas made from basil, chocolate mint, fennel, juniper berries, lavender flowers, parsley, peppermint, pineapple sage flowers, rose petals, sage, or thyme and used as mouthwash, also improve the breath. If bad breath remains a problem, you can take chlorophyll capsules or acidophilus supplements, and drink parsley or wheatgrass juice daily. It also helps to eat apples and celery often, since they are natural breath fresheners. Eating a sprig of parsley or a small piece of lemon peel will freshen the breath after eating garlic. Although some texts advise against ingesting essential oils, others suggest that you can also drink a cup of peppermint tea or add two drops of anise, fennel or peppermint essential oil to a full glass of water before drinking it to freshen your breath.

Mouth Sores

Herbal and natural remedies can also soothe and heal mouth sores. Mouth sores are often linked to food allergies or nutritional deficiencies, especially of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, so good vitamin and mineral supplements help. Acidophilus taken internally and used as a mouth rinse also eases mouth sores. Since canker sores stem from the breakdown of connective tissue, the herb gotu kola, ingested daily as a tea, is an effective remedy since it heals connective tissue. Chamomile mouthwash treats mouth sores resulting from chemotherapy. Other good rinses for mouth sores are alum, Milk of Magnesia, and teas of marigold, sage, or chinchona bark. You can also apply myrrh gum powder directly to the sore. Licorice root, a strongly anti-inflammatory tissue healer, is considered the best remedy for mouth sores. You can apply a pinch of licorice-root powder directly to a sore, or suck on a lozenge of DGL (de-glycyrrhizinated licorice). Aloe vera also soothes sores in the mouth when applied directly. A mouthwash of chickweed, violet, or rockrose also soothes pain from mouth sores. You can rub tea-tree oil directly on a cold sore to promote healing; apply as soon as the developing sore begins to tingle. A salve of thyme, myrrh and goldenseal can treat mouth sores caused by oral herpes.

Sore and Receding Gums

You can massage certain essential oils directly into sore areas of gums. These include tea tree, clove, eucalyptus, evening primrose, summer savory and wintergreen oils. You can also rinse the mouth with fennel or chamomile tea, a mouthwash of goldenseal, marigold, sage or diluted tea-tree oil, or apply aloe vera or a naturally antibiotic ointment made of steeped red clover leaves and blossoms, directly to the gums. A preparation of myrrh, tea tree and peppermint essential oils in vodka or apple-cider vinegar can be massaged directly into the gums to strengthen them. A mixture of yerba mansa, echinacea root, myrrh tears and prickly ash bark, steeped in vodka or apple-cider vinegar and massaged into the gums after brushing, encourages regeneration of receding gum tissues. For more severe gum disease, packs containing ingredients such as turmeric, aloe, willow bark, licorice root, the antioxidant vitamin E, and powdered alum, wrapped together in gauze and placed in the corners of the mouth nightly, have been known in some cases to heal the condition in a just few months.

Toothaches

Applying a powder of blackened eggplant and salt directly to the tooth will lessen a toothache. Rinsing the mouth with hydrogen peroxide, chewing a clove bud, or even applying just plain salt to the tooth will also help. Saturating a cotton ball in an essential oil such as cayenne, clove, peppermint, summer savory, wintergreen, or tincture of hops, and placing it directly on the tooth will also ease toothaches in an emergency. Since a persistent toothache often signals a more severe condition, it is wise to visit the dentist when this symptom occurs.

Infections and Abscesses in the Mouth

Garlic, a natural antibiotic for bacterial and fungal infections, and immune system strengthener, helps heal mouth infections. Fresh oil of garlic or raw cloves are the most effective form, but you can also find odorless garlic extracts in health-food stores. A mouthwash of the horsetail herb or witch hazel also treats infections of the mouth and gums. The common weed dandelion, a blood purifier, as well as echinacea combined with myrrh and licorice root, and ointment of red clover leaves and flowers, are good treatments for mouth abscesses. A salve or ointment of sanicle, a powerfully antioxidant herb, can also heal septic wounds. In the event of an infection or abscess in the mouth, it is best to combine any at-home treatment with a trip to the dentist.

Healing After Dental Procedures

After a tooth extraction, gum surgery, or other dental procedures, you can apply annato-seed pulp to the area to enhance healing. The fresh tops of St. John’s wort (also known as shepherd’s purse) help stop any bleeding. A chamomile poultice reduces pain and swelling. Elderberry mouthwash following gum surgery or suture placement helps the gums to heal properly, preventing scars. Antibiotic red clover ointment, or marigold or yarrow mouthwash also enhance the healing process.

For further information on healing tooth and gum conditions, including recipes for specific remedies, consult the sources listed below.

Sources

* “Herbal Care of Teeth and Gums,” by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, in The Herb Quarterly, Issue 79, Summer 1998.

* “A Natural Remedy for Gingivitis, Toothaches, and Mouth Sores,” by Rudy Silva, on EzineArticles.com.

* “Herbs for Dental Health” by Christopher Hobbs L.Ac., A.H.G., on www.healthy.net. “Periodontal Disease” by Janet Zand L.Ac., O.M.D. on www.healthy.net. “Herbal Therapy in Dentistry,” by Flora Parsa Stay D.D.S., from The Complete Book of Dental Remedies.

* Beauty By Nature, by Brigitte Mars.

* Living on the Earth, by Alicia Bay Laurel.

Debbie Hart is a writer, teacher, and student of nutrition and alternative healing. She co-runs the University of Yourself with Dr. Ron Masa, teaching intuitive methods, including dreamwork and the I Ching, to help individuals discover and access their own inner wisdom. She is also co-author of the e-book, “How We Lost Our First 100 Pounds Together: Romantic Weight Loss for Couples” with Dr. Ron Masa.

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