A toothache usually indicates it is time to visit the dentist. Do not delay! But if it’s the middle of the night or the weekend and you can’t get an appointment, natural remedies can ease the pain temporarily. Here’s how.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
For loose teeth, drink 3 cups (705 ml) of parsley leaf tea daily. Eat raw carrots and celery to strengthen and exercise the gums. Place a clove of garlic on the tooth and gum to encourage the tooth to re-root. Every time you urinate, clench your teeth firmly to plant them more deeply into the jaw.
Apply a few drops of clove oil to the area with your finger. It’s a natural anesthetic and germicide containing the active ingredient eugenol. For children, dilute the clove oil with equal amounts of olive oil. After applying, keep your mouth open a few seconds to allow it to dry and minimize the strong clove blast on your mouth and tongue. A plantain poultice or resin from a pine tree can also be applied to draw out infection.
Another good idea? Place a piece of garlic on the area of the painful tooth for twenty minutes. It will increase circulation to the area and combat infection. A hot ginger compress applied to the cheek area over the afflicted tooth will also help relieve pain.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Several studies have shown that chronic dental infection is associated with a significant increase in the risk of stroke. Here’s why: bacteria from dental plaque, including Streptococcus sanguis, can enter your bloodstream and cause blood platelets to clump together and clot abnormally. Normally, the bacteria are cleared from your body by the immune system, but if your immune system is compromised, as is the case with any infection, the bacteria create a major risk factor. Gum infections lead to chronic inflammation and the buildup of arterial plaque, which reduces circulation. The result is atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
In addition, a hot ginger or mustard footbath will help to draw pain away from the head. Just soak your feet for three minutes in hot tea and then plunge them into icy cold water for a minute. You’ll want to alternate back and forth for about 15 minutes. Start with the hot and end with the cold.
Every couple of hours, add 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt to 1 cup (235 ml) of water (hot or cold) and swish it around to help remove bacteria. Apply cold compresses or ice in the mouth for numbing qualities as needed. A hot water bottle can also give comfort. You’ll need to decide whether warm or cold applications make the pain worse or better.
Take 50 to 100 mg of niacin to help move congested blood at the site of a toothache. Goldenseal and myrrh in capsule or tincture form and applied topically can help clear up an infection.
Achieving Total Tooth Health the Natural Way
As children, most of us had 20 teeth. As adults, the norm is 32, including 8 incisors, eight premolars, 4 canines, and 12 molars. Some people who lose their second set of teeth get a third one—from their dentist! Even though Americans have checkups, fluoridated water, and new improved toothpastes, about 35 percent will have full or partial dentures by age 60. Some tooth problems are hereditary, others aggravated by lack of care. Many tooth problems can be helped with good nutrition and proper care. Here’s how.
NATURAL WAYS TO KEEP TEETH HEALTHY
Cultures that use chewing sticks for oral hygiene have lower instances of dental disease. Pick a twig from a bay, beech, birch, dogwood, fir, eucalyptus, juniper, maple, neem, oak pine, poplar, or sumac tree. Peel off the bark. Use your teeth to chew the twig end until it is bristly.
GOOD TO KNOW!
If you lose a filling (which can make your tooth ache) keep any broken tooth part, especially if it is gold or porcelain, and bring it with you to the dentist. Fill the hole temporarily with a piece of beeswax so you don’t scratch your tongue.
Then use this to gently massage your teeth and gums. You can also dip the twig in water and baking soda.
Herbs that provide nutrients for strengthening the teeth include alfalfa, horsetail, nettles, and oat straw. Try drinking a tea of various combinations of these plants three times daily. Bilberry and hawthorn are high in flavonoids, which may be helpful in protecting the periodontal ligaments.
BEST VITAMINS AND MINERALS FOR TEETH
Calcium, the main element of which teeth are composed, is a necessary nutrient for teeth and gums. Calcium can help prevent bone loss and teeth grinding. Be sure to use a calcium supplement that is either a chelate, citrate, or hydroxyapatite. Calcium is best assimilated with some magnesium, so take 1,000 mg calcium and 500 mg magnesium daily. Note that excess soft drinks and meat can contribute to calcium loss.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
If your tooth is knocked out, get to a dentist within half an hour! if the tooth is loose but doesn’t fall out of your mouth, keep it in your mouth (place it into the socket), cover with sterile gauze, apply slight compression, and get to a dentist or an emergency room where dentists are on call.
If the tooth falls out of your mouth, rinse off any dirt and blood and replace it in the socket. The roots of the tooth must be kept moist. Don’t hold the tooth by the root! if it does fall out and can’t be kept in the mouth due to other injuries, store it in milk wrapped in a cloth or piece of gauze as you hasten to the dentist. Or simply hold the tooth under the tongue until dental health has been obtained.
Take two drops of rescue remedy and homeopathic arnica (3 or 4 pellets under the tongue four times daily) to help deal with the trauma of the event.
Vitamin C (100 mg daily) with bioflavonoids (500 mg daily) can help prevent and treat sore and bleeding gums since they help collagen production. Vitamin C deficiency can contribute to breakdown of connective tissue that produces blood vessel walls, bone matrix, cartilage, collagen, and dentin. However, it is best to avoid chewable vitamin C, especially for adults, as the ascorbic acid can be corrosive to dental enamel.
Deficiency of B vitamins, especially folic acid, can cause weakened gums. Birth control pills can create a need for more B complex. Take 50 mg B complex and 400 mg folic acid daily (which is likely to be contained in the B complex tablet). Coenzyme Q 10 (take 50 to 100 mg twice daily) has been found helpful for gingivitis. It improves circulation and increases oxygen levels in the tissues.
Vitamin E (400 IU) and selenium (50 mg) are both natural antioxidants. Rub them on gums to tonify the tissues, after pricking the capsule with a pin. Vitamin D (1,000 IU) helps bone formation. Zinc (15 mg) inhibits plaque formation and inflammation. These last two supplements are taken orally daily.
Essential fatty acids can also help reduce inflammation. Take 2 or 3 capsules of a good quality fish oil each day.
Thrifty Cures!
Rub a fresh cut raspberry or strawberry over the teeth for its natural whitening action due to their high concentration of acids. Or use this tooth whitener you can make at home. Just add 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda to enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste. Use it to brush teeth for two minutes.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
Make a simple tooth-cleaning powder with 1 cup (221 g) baking soda, 2 tablespoons (30 g) sea salt, and 5 drops essential oil such as anise, cinnamon, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, or tea tree. The essential oils will freshen the breath and they taste good!
Baking soda cleans teeth, removes stains, and does not damage tooth enamel. It also is antibacterial and neutralizes plaque acids.
Salt helps to draw out agents that contribute to decay. Salt also helps to lessen the reactions of sensitive teeth from hot or cold and curbs bleeding from the gums. Use this mixture a few times a week. It can be abrasive if used excessively.
BEST FOODS FOR HEALTHY TEETH
Teeth are nourished through their roots, building and renewing from the materials we eat. Foods considered beneficial for the teeth include yogurt (calcium and probiotics inhibit bacterial growth), tomatoes (lycopene, an antioxidant), shiitake (lentinan combats plaque), green tea (catechin inhibits plaque), onion (combats mouth bacteria), celery (cleans teeth), and kiwi (vitamin C strengthens gums). Fluorine in moderate doses can help prevent tooth decay and occurs naturally in avocados, cabbage, black-eyed peas, brown rice, cheese, rye, sea vegetables, green tea, green leafy vegetables, and goat’s milk.
Snacks of crunchy foods like raw carrots, celery, sunflower seeds, and apples massage the gums. Eating fresh corn helps to strengthen the teeth and gums. The French tradition of eating some cheese at the end of a meal helps counteract mouth acids and is beneficial. Snacks considered okay for the teeth include eggs, fish, raw vegetables, popcorn, and plain yogurt. Chewing all food well helps seat the teeth more firmly.
BEST PRACTICES FOR HEALTHY TEETH
Flossing first allows you to brush away dislodged particles later. Flossing is even more important than brushing. Take 18 inches (46 cm) of the floss of your choice and wrap it around the middle fingers of both hands. While holding the middle of the floss between the extended thumb or forefinger, insert it gently between two teeth in a “C” fashion. Press the floss toward the back of one tooth while you gently bring it into the gum and move the floss up and down several times. Pull the floss forward against the other tooth and floss up and down several times. Avoid forceful flossing that can cut into the gums. If you use waxed floss, look for brands using beeswax or jojoba rather than petroleum products and dye.
After a thorough flossing, use a soft brush and brush at a 45-degree angle at the gum line, pressing gently. Jiggle the brush back and forth, and then rotate it downward to wipe off the tooth. Do this a few times in each location before moving on. This is known as the “modified bass technique.” Ask your dentist for a demonstration. Brush not only the teeth for about two minutes but also the gums and tongue with toothpaste or baking soda. Brushing too hard can cause gum recession and tooth destruction. Give yourself five minutes to do a good cleaning job. Natural bristles can be too rough and sharp. Rounded bristles are gentler. Change your brush about every six weeks to three months.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Use this tooth powder to keep teeth healthy:
Brigitte’s Tooth Powder
1/4 cup (55 g) baking soda
20 drops peppermint essential oil
20 drops tea tree essential oil
Combine ingredients and sprinkle on a damp toothbrush. Store the remainder in a clean glass jar with a lid. Remember the oil folk saying: “Be true to your teeth or they’ll be false to you!”
Brush after eating sticky foods such as dates and raisins as their sugars can stick to the teeth. Sugary foods produce acids that cause tooth decay and decrease the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria. Use a disclosing tablet on occasion to note the areas that are being missed. There are a plethora of gadgets to clean your teeth. Talk to your dentist about what she suggests.
KEEP IN MIND
Some dentists may also offer acupuncture or relaxation tapes. A headset of beautiful music can help mellow the dental drilling sounds. You may find valerian tincture relaxing before a dental appointment. Taking a 500 mg supplement of bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple, can help lessen swelling from dental surgery. Take some before and for a few days after major dental work, up to three times daily.
Health food stores have selections of beneficial products for mouth care. Some natural toothpastes contain xylitol, a sweet-tasting substance derived from birch trees. It has anti-cavity properties. You can also find chewing gums made with xylitol that are used to increase saliva production and reduce cavities. Green tea helps inhibit plaque buildup.
Skip This!
Refined carbohydrates, which break down quickly, also feed the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Many respected health authorities deplore the use of fluoride in our water supply. Though it does help prevent decay, a lifetime of use can mottle the teeth and bones.
Foods likely to stain teeth include coffee, tea, red wine, blueberries, and tobacco. Smoking also contributes to the buildup of tartar and decreases the body’s supply of vitamin C. Even milk and rice can cause a buildup of yellowish plaque on the teeth.
Abrasive substances to be careful of using to extreme on the teeth include calcium carbonate (made from stone), dicalcium phosphate (which is bone), and silica, which is a sand substance. They can be damaging to tooth enamel over the years.
Saccharin and artificial colors are not great things to put into your mouth. Harsh chemicals in dental products can aggravate teeth sensitivity. That’s why it’s important to read the labels on your tooth care products.
This Home Remedies For Toothache article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
