Keep Your Mouth Healthy Brushing the RIGHT WAY: Tips for brushing & rinsing your mouth

Bookmarks on this Page:

• Helpful Brushing / Dental Care Tips
• Commercial Toothpaste: Doing More Harm Than Good ...
• Natural Toothpaste Options
• Healthy & Effective Mouth Wash Options

Helpful Tips:

• Don't Overbrush! Please keep in mind that overbrushing can damage teeth by wearing off the enamel, and it is hard on the gums.

• Use a very soft, wide bristle brush as you do not want to further scratch sensitive, potentially inflamed gums. Take your toothbrush, and at an angle, gently brush your teeth and gums, making sure to reach below the gum line.

• Clean Your Toothbrush: Soaking your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide will help keep them free of harmful germs.

• More is not better! My dentist recommended not to brush more than twice a day - it wears your enamel down!

• RINSE after each meal or drink! Diligently rinsing acids and food particles off your teeth during and after eating can eliminate most common dental problems. Of course, sugary or acidic beverages will worsen the state of your teeth. For dental health it's best to sip with water, milk or unsweetened green tea (or sweetened with Stevia) -- which will safely clean your teeth and rinse off the acids that build up after a meal.

• Brush the tongue - Food residues and those microorganisms causing dental disease are all naturally present in the oral cavity - including the tongue. If you only brush the teeth, the teeth will soon be contaminated by whatever is on the tongue. It's important to remove all food residues -- including those on the tongue. It's particularly vital at night.

• Dr. Gerard F. Judd, Professor, Chemist and Researcher, recommends in his book, "Good Teeth Birth to Death" to supplement with calcium and vitamin D daily.

• Frequent tooth infections & gum inflammations: Sensitivity to the chemicals contained in over-the-counter pastes and rinses toothpastes or mouthwashes can cause tooth infections and gum inflammations. Oftentimes changing to a different (less toxic) brand will resolve the problems (please refer to the below).

Commercial Toothpaste: Doing More Harm Than Good ...

Toothpaste Contains Fluoride

• Fluoride
  • ... causes us to absorb extra aluminum -- aluminum is the metal that shows up alarmingly in the brains of Alzheimer's victims.
  • ... destroys enzymes that deliver phosphate to calcium at the tooth surface needed for strong teeth
  • ... is a severe biological poison.

Toothpaste Proven to be Toxic:

• If you look at your tube of toothpaste, you will see a warning similar to this: "Warning. Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If ... accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away." (Excerpted)

  The warning on toothpaste tubes is due to lawsuits in which children were poisoned by fluoride-containing toothpaste.

  For instance, Keith Cantor, a little boy from Oregon died in the dentist’s chair from ingesting ½ teaspoon of fluoride, and 3 kidney dialysis patients were killed in 1998 at the University of Chicago Medical School, when nurses used unpurified Chicago tap water for dialysis.

  To add to the problem, most states add at least 1 ppm of sodium fluoride or fluorosilic acid (radioactive toxic waste that contains fluoride) to the water supply, even though it has been proven that at least 113 medical side effects from headaches to cancer are caused by fluoride in the water. 

Toothpaste Contains Silica or Zirconium

Silica - an abrasive mineral - harms gums and wears away tooth enamel. Many toothpastes contain zirconium which is also very hard and whitens teeth by "polishing" or grinding off the surface of the enamel, very much to the detriment of the health of the enamel. Hydrogen Peroxide and aluminum-free baking soda (such as Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda) are much better and safer options.

Most Toothpastes Contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is added to generate foam. However, according to a report by the American College of Toxicity, SLS is quite corrosive and harmful to skin tissue. This chemical is also used in a variety of cleaning products, including garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash soaps. Laboratories use it to irritate skin on test animals and humans so that they may then test healing agents to see how effective they are on the irritated skin. Brushing with SLS is going to aggravate any gum problems.

Toothpaste Prevents Tooth Re-enamelization

The main ingredient in toothpaste is viscous, sticky glycerin. This glycerin coats the teeth and prevents re-enamelization from nutrients in the diet. Glycerin takes over 20 rinses to be removed and leaves your teeth coated!

The following simple test will demonstrate that. Smear some of your toothpaste on your sink and rinse it off. Note how the water beads up because of the sticky glycerin. You will have to keep rinsing many times before it comes off. Your teeth are similar to a porcelain sink, and your teeth are being coated every time you use toothpaste. Coated teeth cannot re-enamelize from nutrients in the diet!

Alternatives to Toothpaste:

Even toothpastes found in health food stores far too often contain harmful additives. There are so many better (and cheaper) alternatives to commercial toothpaste - below listed are the ones we found. Now it's up to you to identify the method you are most comfortable with.

• Saliva: According to Dr. Mark Manhart DDS from calciumtherapy.com saliva works better than toothpaste for cleaning teeth. It is low in salt, anti-microbial, and -- according to the Archives of Internal Medicine - is an excellent "buffer" for the entire mouth. Click on the following link to learn more about this topic: Saliva Fighting Tooth Decay




 
•  

• Soap: Nobody really likes the idea of soap in our mouth -- and we are not talking about "regular soap" -- with its "soapy" taste. Typical ingredients of tooth soap include saponified coconut, palm, and organic, extra virgin olive oils and essential oil. As is the case with toothpaste, they should never contain glycerin, sweeteners, silicates (abrasive minerals), fluoride, dyes, stabilizers or other materials that can damage teeth. However, "tooth soaps" are expensive and, quite frankly, I didn't like them. I am using now for my teeth the same soap that I am using for my face -- coconut soap. It contains nothing but saponified coconut oil, either with essential oil or plain.
   
  • Coconut Liquid Soap (unscented) -- I have been using this plain Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Liquid Soap for years, and love it both for my face and for my teeth. It tastes neutral, and leaves my teeth clean. These soaps are packaged in a convenient foam pump dispenser that adds air to the soap, causing a rich lather of foam to come out. It feels very much like regular toothpaste.
  
  
  • Coconut Liquid Soap with Tea Tree Oil -- The same as above, but Tea Tree Oil has been added to it. I recently have started to use this Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Liquid Soap with Tea Tree Oil for its additional antibacterial properties.

  If you would like to save money, simply add our own Tea Tree Oil. If you miss the minty taste of regular toothpaste, you can add peppermint or spearmint essential oil. I have been mixing essential oils in with the plain liquid soap without any problems. Any of these oils are available at just about any health food store.



• Baking Soda and / or 3% hydrogen peroxide (H202): The hydrogen peroxide and baking soda combination is effective cleaning teeth and gums. Do make sure to only use aluminum-free baking soda (such as Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda). Mix into a paste and use as you would use common toothpaste. Baking soda has the effect of increasing alkalinity in the mouth, thereby neutralizing acids produced by the bacteria responsible for dental plaque and tooth decay. Baking soda is also a mild abrasive and whitens teeth. Hydrogen peroxide also gently whitens teeth with the bleaching action of oxygen, thus preserving the enamel of your teeth. You get this bleaching action when brushing with hydrogen peroxide/baking soda combination, and also when using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash.
   
  • Baking soda is less abrasive than normal toothpaste, which protects your tooth enamel from wearing off. Hydrogen peroxide cleans, whitens and disinfects. It's best not to use Hydrogen Peroxide with open sores as it may delay healing. Below are some variations that you might want to try. If infections occur, it is usually recommended to use hydrogen peroxide to eliminate the bacteria that caused the infection and then continue with a paste / solution without hydrogen peroxide to encourage healing.
  
  
  • Combine 5 parts baking soda to one part sea salt. Mix thoroughly in a mixing bowl or blender and store in a small container for later use.
  
  
  • Mix aluminum-free baking soda (such as Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda) with enough 3% hydrogen peroxide (H202) to make a paste or simply dip your brush in 3% H202 and brush.
  
  
  • Add Aloe Vera Gel for additional healing powers
  
  
  • Tea tree oil (very dilute) stimulates circulation and kills germs
  
  
  • For a minty taste add peppermint or spearmint essential oil.

    NOTE: Do not swallow any hydrogen peroxide and keep the hydrogen peroxide out of your eyes. Read the label carefully and follow the directions. The 3% hydrogen peroxide is not "food grade" and may contain other ingredients that are not intended for internal consumption. When the peroxide rinse is done, be sure to rinse your mouth well with tap water. Also, you may want to be careful to keep the hydrogen peroxide off your clothing because of its bleaching effect.

• Herbal Toothpaste: Powder sea salt and dried horsetail stems in a coffee grinder; mix dry and wet ingredients separately; then slowly mix all ingredients into a paste.

Healthy & Effective Mouth Wash Options

Did you know? Commercial mouthwash may kill bacteria but can accelerate their re-growth.

• • Rinsing your mouth throughout the day, and most certainly after ever meal / snack, will keep your mouth fresh and clean, and teeth and gums healthy.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide: Use 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, which is very inexpensive and readily available at any grocery store. Add a dash of liquid chlorophyll for flavoring if desired. It is generally recommended to use Hydrogen Peroxide only once a day. More is not better. Only a short hydrogen peroxide rinse a day suffices for white teeth and a clean mouth. Below are counter indications.
    • Using Hydrogen Peroxide when you have sores in your mouth may delay healing.
    • Hydrogen Peroxide may also react with mercury -- therefore, if you have amalgam (silver) dental fillings, it may cause mercury vapors to be released.
    • Hydrogen Peroxide kills bacteria in the mouth - including good bacteria. It is fine to use it for a couple of weeks or so to help cure an infection. If taken for a longer period, it can cause an imbalance in a mouth allowing yeast to grow (referred to as "oral yeast infection or thrush").
  • Herbal Mouth Wash: 2 Cups Water, 2 Tbsp Organic Sea salt, 5 drops Peppermint extract, 4 drops Horsetail extract, 1 drop Sage extract ... Combine ingredients and store in a tightly sealed bottle; shake before use.
  • No alcohol: If you must purchase a commercial mouthwash stay away from those that contain alcohol which can cause dry mouth. Bacteria flourish in a dry mouth. Saliva is extremely rich in oxygen and contains certain enzymes that are natural enemies to bacteria. Products that aggravate dry mouth should be avoided. (Please refer to this article for related information).
  • Freshen your mouth and sweeten your breath naturally ...
    • Chew a pinch of the following herbs: parsley, basil, cilantro or dill - all of which are rich in chlorophyll. Chew the seeds or make tea by adding the leaves or mashed seeds to boiling water.
    • Cardamom contains cineole, a potent antiseptic that kills bad-breath bacteria. You can chew the seeds and then spit them out.
    • Anise: Boil the seeds in a cup of water. Strain, and then drink or use as a mouthwash.
    • Peppermint tea, a strong antiseptic, fights halitosis
    • Oil of Oregano: Dental plaque and gum disease can be prevented with the oral application of oregano oil because of its anti-bacterial properties. Swish one or two drops in your mouth, or put a drop on your toothbrush when cleaning your teeth.

Common Dental Health Problems

Please Refer to Legal Disclaimer

GreenAndHealthy.Info strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!