Nowadays, everyone wants super bright pearly whites. But if you want your smile to last a lifetime, you need to be just as concerned about fighting gum disease, which affects almost 90% of all of us over the age 20.
Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that can easily be reversed; with regular dental hygiene that includes regular brushing, flossing and tongue scraping to rid your mouth of unfriendly bacteria.
When those bacteria combine with mucus and decaying food particles (yeah, I know—gross!), they not only cause bad breath, but eventually they will cause plaque and tartar that need professional cleaning to remove.
If you still neglect your oral hygiene and regular cleaning routine, eventually gingivitis will become periodontal disease. That means red and swollen gums, bleeding and pockets of infection. Plaque pushes under the gum lines and starts to break down bone and connective tissue that holds teeth in place. Eventually, teeth may have to be removed.
There’s an even more sinister side to gum disease: It can signal heart problems and osteoporosis. People with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have heart disease. At least one study shows that gum disease can serve as an extremely accurate predictor of heart disease.
Certainly periodontal disease and gingivitis are inflammatory disease, as is heart disease, so that link is quite clear. With osteoporosis, the bone destruction common to both disease links them, but researchers aren’t yet sure whether periodontal disease causes osteoporosis or vice versa.
How to address gum disease and promote gum health naturally?
There are some easy answers, beyond the obvious improved oral hygiene. Look for a toothpaste that contains bee propolis, a natural antibiotic and antiseptic to kill offensive bacteria. Propolis has been used historically to treat abscesses and heal wounds, which is exactly what is happening in your mouth if you have gum disease. I use Trader Joe’s brand toothpaste, which is fluoride free and has propolis.
Oil pulling with my favorite coconut oil is an excellent way to draw out those toxins. Just take a teaspoon of extra virgin coconut oil and swish it around in your mouth for 10-15 minutes every day, spit and rinse well.
Swishing warm salt water (use unrefined sea salt) will also help rinse out toxins.
Teeth are basically made from the same substances as bones. If you’ve read my book, The Calcium Lie, you’ve learned that bones are not made of calcium, no matter what your doctor and your neighbors might believe. Bones are made of a dozen or more minerals, including calcium. We need all of those minerals in the proper proportions to have healthy bones and teeth. A high quality ionic mineral supplement and a liberal dose of unrefined sea salt in your diet will do the trick as well as keep blood pressure under control. (That’s another myth for another day.)
Other strategies for improving your gum health:
Open a Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) capsule and rub it on your gums. Often called nature’s dental floss, CoQ10 helps heal gum problems by improving oxygenation of the tissue, suppressing bacterial growth and improving immune system function.
If you’ve neglected your vitamin C intake over the years, the collagen network in your gum tissue may have begun to break down, making your gums vulnerable to bacterial attack. Spongy, bleeding gums are a sign of scurvy, vitamin C deficiency. For those who are in serious trouble with periodontal disease, dosages of up to 4,000 mg of whole food vitamin C a day plus a diet high in C-rich foods including berries, citrus fruits and peppers will help address the problem and possibly help you avoid surgery.
You may need a wound-healing natural mouthwash to boost your oral health. Look for one with folic acid, a B vitamin that helps heal inflamed gum tissue. EcoDent is a good product that includes essential oils, especially natural antibiotic tea tree oil, echinacea and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
In addition, you already know all of this:
Eat a healthy diet
Don’t smoke
Pay extra attention to oral health if you are diabetic or menopausal
