How To Incorporate Natural Oral Health Practices Into Your Dental Routine
Since you were young, you’ve known that regular brushing and flossing is essential for healthy teeth and gums. We may have discovered that vaccines were helpful in saving lives 300 years ago, but orthodontic devices can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt. Now, it’s more important than ever. While this remains true, there are other concerns to consider when thinking about your oral health. Your mouth is home to microorganisms that can be either beneficial or harmful to your health, similar to the bacteria that live in your gut.
Also known as probiotics, these beneficial microorganisms help with digesting food and protect your gums and teeth from bad bacteria. This latter job is the most important, as bad bacteria can lead to oral health conditions such as periodontitis, bad breath, cavities, and more. With the global wellness industry estimated to be worth $4.2 trillion, there are plenty of natural products and techniques that can give the probiotics in your mouth a little help. Let’s take a look at a few of them that you can start integrating into your family’s dental routine today.
Scrape Your Tongue
Next to your trusty toothbrush and floss, you should also have a tongue cleaner. These devices are shaped like a “U” and typically made of wire. While many people give their tongues a once-over with their toothbrush when they brush their teeth, which the American Dental Association recommends you do twice every day, using a scraper specifically designed for the job is much more effective. Tongue scraping cleans off food debris, fungi, bacterial build-up, and dead cells from the surface of your tongue. Ridding these particles can help freshen your breath, clean your mouth, and even stimulate your metabolism.
Rinse With Warm Sea Salt Water
As a natural alternative to traditional mouthwashes, holistic oral care experts recommend rinsing your mouth with warm sea salt water. They advise that you do this once every day so that you can eliminate the day’s bacteria and other unwanted visitors. To ensure that it still helps your bad breath smell good, try adding a few drops of clove or mint oil.
Soak Up The Sun
Like other bones in your body, your teeth need a boost from natural vitamins to stay strong. While they can tear through various foods every day, they don’t have the strength of glass tile surfaces, which can retain their appearance and integrity almost indefinitely. Your teeth need a source of vitamin D to stay this strong and there’s no better source than the sun.
When your body has the proper amount of vitamin D, it can better absorb the calcium that leads to healthy bones. Vitamin D also aids your teeth by reducing gingivitis, a form of gum disease that can cause tooth decay. If you don’t have the time to get outdoors and get vitamin D this way, consider taking vitamin D supplements.
Visit a Holistic Dentist
Going to the dentist regularly is just as important to your oral health as brushing and flossing your teeth. If you want to ensure your healthcare is as natural as possible, you may want to visit a holistic dentist. Dentists with this label are typically focused on ensuring that any treatments they recommend are beneficial for your body and mind’s overall health.
If you haven’t been seeing the dentist as often as you should, you need to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Many employers offer dental insurance and if you are self-employed, you can deduct 100% of medical and long-term care insurance premiums from your gross income to arrive at your adjusted gross income. With these possibilities for healthcare coverage, there’s no reason why you and your loved ones shouldn’t be going to the dentist regularly.
Use Neem Oil
An ancient remedy for curing infections in the mouth, neem oil is a great natural product to incorporate into your oral hygiene practices. Neem oil acts as an antibacterial that prevents the bad bacteria in your mouth from taking over and growing uncontrollably. It has also proven to be effective in reducing inflammation, dental infections, and levels of plaque and tartar.
You can start using neem oil by applying a few drops directly to the gum line, massaging it, and allowing it to sit overnight. You can also find a toothpaste that has neem oil in it and use that instead of your standard brand. As neem oil doesn’t have the most pleasant taste, this may be the best option for kids or those with sensitive tastebuds.
Many families are making adjustments to their lifestyle to make it more natural. While they may focus on things like their groceries and energy usage, dental hygiene is an area in which families can easily go natural. Whether you are among the 27% of adults living with untreated tooth decay or you want to ensure your children don’t develop cavities, these tips could be helpful for your family. Start applying them today and see what difference they make in your family’s oral health.