In the battle against gum disease, a natural remedy steps up
Be honest with yourself. How much attention do you pay to your teeth and their health? On a scale of “What toothbrush?” to “I brush, floss, and rinse 3 times a day, everyday” I feel comfortable saying that I’m a “brush, floss, and rinse 2 times a day”. This, according to the American Dental Association, puts me in the middle of the pack, which isn’t bad but still leaves me at a great enough risk for gum disease that I should step up my game.
Gum disease itself is caused by poor and inadequate oral hygiene, meaning the person either doesn’t brush enough, doesn’t floss enough, or both. Now, I know there are a variety of reasons a person may not be brushing and flossing enough, and the most common is likely that they’re too busy. It’s easy for us to overlook our teeth in today’s busy times. In fact, many people substitute a stick of gum for a toothbrush during their day to keep their breath fresh, and while this is great for noses everywhere, it’s likely not enough for your teeth. Consequently, the CDC currently estimates that roughly half of all American’s suffer from some form of gum disease . So, what is gum disease?
According to the American Dental Association, periodontal disease (a.k.a Gum Disease) “is an inflammation of the gums that, if severe, can lead to the loss of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that forms constantly on teeth.” If your teeth don’t get brushed, this plaque will harden and cause inflammation that leads to sore, bleeding gums, painful chewing problems, and even tooth loss. There are two levels to gum disease: gingivitis and the more severe, periodontitis.
Gingivitis is “Inflammation of the gingiva (the gums) as a response to bacterial plaque on adjacent teeth; characterized by erythema (reddening), edema (swelling), and fibrous enlargement of the gingiva without resorption of the underlying alveolar bone.”
Periodontitis is “1. Inflammation of the periodontium (tissues around teeth). 2. A chronic inflammatory disease of the periodontium occurring in response to bacterial plaque on the adjacent teeth; characterized by gingivitis, destruction of the alveolar bone and periodontal ligament, apical migration of the epithelial attachment resulting in the formation of periodontal pockets, and ultimately loosening and exfoliation of the teeth (loss of teeth).”
Now, regardless of which form you have, it isn’t good, and you should fix it as soon as you can. Gum disease, if untreated, has been linked to increased risk of heart disease and difficulty controlling blood sugar; not to mention it makes your breath smell less than pleasant. So, clearly it’s not a disease you should invite into your mouth, but if you do get it, how can you treat it?
There are a number of ways to treat gum disease depending on how severe you have it. You can go to your dentist and get a thorough cleaning for mild cases or get surgery, or turn to nature for support.
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, which is a native tree of Australia, and throughout history it has been used to treat such things as healing skin cuts, treating burns, and as a topical for infections by crushing the leaves and applying them to the affected area. This is due to its three remarkable properties that make it a powerful healing substance:
- It is a strong organic solvent that dissolves the lumps of white blood cells that make pus. This allows your blood stream to clean them away helping to clear infections like boils, sores and ulcers.
- It is an efficient antiseptic that kills bacteria fast. This is especially important for gum disease sufferers since we know that it’s caused by plaque, which is a bacteria. What’s most important, though, is that tea tree oil kills bacteria even more effectively in living tissue than in the test tube, which is unlike most other synthetic antiseptics out there. (You’re alive. The tissue in your mouth is alive. So why not use a treatment that works most effectively on living tissue?)
- Best of all, it is soothing on application and eases away pain you may have on your gums.
In fact, tea tree oil is so powerful and awesome that it has been commonly used to treat other things like acne, athlete’s foot, fungal infections, dandruff, boils, and lice. It really is a remarkable oil, and when it comes to your teeth it could be the best solution around for any gum disease you may have.
In order to get rid of gum disease, you can use tea tree oil by putting one drop on top of your normal toothpaste whenever you brush your teeth. If you are using a tea tree oil extract, it is important that you avoid swallowing the oil, as it can cause irritations of stomach such as diarrhea, and nobody wants that.
You can find tea tree oil in many forms ranging from extract to actual toothpaste infused with the oil. Here at Southern Botanicals we have our Oral Remedy Concentrate, which combines Tea Tree Oil with Echinacea angustifolia and purpurea, bayberry and oak bark, cayenne, peppermint oil (contains a plethora of medicinal benefits), and clove bud oil. By going with a natural remedy like tea tree oil, you can find a solution to your gum disease without turning to expensive treatments, medications, or surgeries, which are often painful and always taxing on the wallet.
Remember: It’s your life, your health, and your choice.
By Craig Bothwell
Check out more amazing information on Tea Tree Oil here!
References:
http://www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_23.pdf
I have bought a weleda ratania mouthwash but after seeing it has Calcium fuoride I will return it. I havent even used it. It is sad to see that Weleda who claims to be all natural and 100% bio is now putting this toxic stuff into their products. This is unacceptable for a company pioneering in the field. Much in the likes of NGOs such as Greenpeace sold to Bankers like the Rottchilds.
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Bought tea tree oil*
My friend has gingivitis and Periodontitis she bought test tree oil and I was wondering how she should use it one drop on her toothpaste and or can she put a couple drops with water and rinse her mouth out if so how many drops ?
I usually put one drop of tea tree oil on a dental pic before I brush. It’s works great on an abscessed tooth.
Dentists and doctors are soo irritating! It would hurt their business to share homeopathic options that would benefit your health. I have the same issue as you and asked what more could I do at home and they absolutely had no other options. You have to educate yourself in order for you to fully be able to take care of yourself sadly because no one in the medical field will 100%. They REALLY don’t care obviously by there actions which is very sad. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I had, what I now realize to be, a malpracticed root canal done at the age of 17. I went in for a front tooth that was very minimally chipped at the corner, but at 17 I felt it was a must to have it fixed. Dentist tapped the tooth with the back of the dental tool and asked if it hurt, I said yes, and thought to myself – you just hit it. He began to work on it and as I thought he was reparing the chipped corner, he stepped away, and I placed my tongue against the back of the tooth and realized the tooth was open; he was started a root canal. I immediately rose from the dental chair, left and never eent back. I went to a different dentest and refused to have the root canal completed and ask to just have it sealed, this dentist was extremely reluctant, but closed the tooth. I am now 43 with overall fine dental health. However, I beleive on average I may not be the ideal dental patient as I only visit the dentist from year to year, sometimes every couple of years, and only because I monitor and care for my tetth very well. Throughoutnthe years I have been advised of several,outcomes from several dentist; very early on I was that I will loose the tooth, the tooth will get be dark and brittle, it will need to be pulled there is no nerve feeding the tooth,…. I always felt two ways; I will redo the tooth, but afraid because of past experiences and it being my front tooth, and then other being that the after all these years the tooths condition appear fine and no pain ever. A few years ago I visited the hospital’s dental clinic, had exams and cleanings and was told that I had a two cavities and that I should consider having the root canal redone, as I have been told in the past. The root canal has very slightly discolored the tooth in which the discoloration is barely noticeable and it is still as that. A few weeks agoI returned to the same dental clinic and after explaining that a skin tag presented on my gum at this front tooth a few months ago, I didn’t see any pus, just looked like part of the gum with teeny blood vessels and again with no pain, the dental resident informed me that there is an infection at the root of this front tooth. She compared and showed me the past x-ray and I noted that the past x-ray shows the area identical to this new x-ray. I asked if what I was seeing, a grayish patch in the x-ray at the root and traveling down the right side of the tooth, believed to be the infection, an infection then (on the past x-ray) she confirmed yes, I asked how could I have not been told this, she said she didn’t know why.
I am now obviously concerned. I was told that an antibiotic would not treat the tooth, “it would go through the body but not treat the tooth”. In the meantime, as I search for a well qualified dentist, I will like to treat any bacteria and wondering if tree tea oil can aid for this.
Very cool how beneficial tea tree oil can be! It’s awesome how many positive affects it has.Thanks for sharing this!
This can be avoided by maintaining oral hygiene because by not doing so gum disease usually occurs thus giving you a very painful feeling.
can tea tree oil be used for healthy gums after you have all impants
Just signed up to say, that smoking cigarettes for 10+ years caused my Gingervitis, not from poor hygiene as I would brush twice a day. I'm going to try out this remedy
Yeah, I heard about the use of tree tea oil for treating gum diseases but never tried. I had gum bleeding issue, and I met Dr. Ratna Indah for the treatment. She examined my gum properly, and treated it very well. Now, I have healthy and pain-free gum.
Now that the cat is out of the bag he has no reason to hid this information from you.
I have always tried to take good care of my teeth but use to have a receding gum line. It didn’t seem to matter how much I brushed or flossed….always a bad report at the dentist. I started using tea tree oil toothpaste and my dental hygienist was amazed at the result after only a few months
. She called in my Dentist to look at my gums and he was very nonchalant about the great state of my oral health. He told me that his patients who have oral surgery recover much more quickly
with the use of tea tree oil. HELLO…he wouldn’t think to share this info with me after years of continued gum recession.