Tooth, Gum & Breath Care

Buy a new toothbrush. Your old one is soaked with toxins from your old toothpaste! Use only water or chemically pure baking soda if you have any metal fillings. Put a pinch in a glass, add water to dissolve it. Use food-grade hydrogen peroxide if you have only plastic fillings. Dilute it from 35% to 17 1/2 % by adding water (equal parts).

Store hydrogen peroxide only in polyethylene or the orignal plastic bottle. Use 4 or 5 drops on your toothbrush. It should fizz nicely as oxygen is produced in your mouth. Your teeth will whiten noticeably in 6 months. Before brushing teeth, floss with 4 or 2 pound monofilament fish line. Double it and twist for extra strength. Rinse before use.

Floss and brush only once a day. If this leaves you uncomfortable, brush the extra times with plain water and a second "water-only" toothbrush. Make sure that nothing solid, like powder, is on your toothbrush; it will scour the enamel and give you sensitive teeth, especially as you get older and the enamel softens.

Salt is corrosive - don't use it for brushing metal teeth. Plain water is just as good.

Brush teeth and gums
With a soft-bristled brush, gently brush away from your gums, cleaning carefully along the gum line where food particles and bacteria collect. Use a natural toothpaste: some have immune-boosters to keep gums healthy and minimize inflammation. If you cannot brush after meals, at least rinse your mouth with water to flush out sugars and food particles.

Daily flossing
Flossing is an essential daily habit for keeping gums and teeth healthy. Use a fresh piece of floss each time, and gently guide it between the teeth and below the gum next to each tooth.

Brush your tongue
A build-up of bacteria in the crevices on the tongue can cause bad breath. Gently brush the top of your tongue each time you brush your teeth.

Natural Tooth Care

1) Mash some fresh strawberries and use as you would any other "tooth paste"
2) Using fresh sage leaves, rub over the teeth to clean and whiten.

Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
2 Tbsp dried lemon or orange rind
1/4 cup baking soda
2 Tsp salt
Place rinds in food processor, grind until peel becomes a fine powder. Add baking soda and salt then process a few seconds more until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight tin or jar. Dip moistened toothbrush into mixture, brush as usual.

Basic Toothpaste
1 Tsp of the Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1/4 Tsp Hydrogen peroxide
Mix into a paste and brush as usual.

Loretta's Toothpaste
1 Tsp baking soda,
1/4 Tsp hydrogen peroxide
1 drop oil of peppermint
Mix to make a paste, dip toothbrush into mixture, brush as usual.

Vanilla & Rose Geranium Toothpaste
1/2 ounce powdered chalk
3 ounces powdered orris root
4 teaspoons of tincture of vanilla
15 drops oil of rose geranium
Honey, enough to make a paste
Combine all ingredients and mix until you have a paste the consistency you like. Store in an airtight container. Use a clean stick (popsicle) to scoop paste onto brush. Store the stick in same container.

Lemon Clove Tooth Cleanser
Mix:
Small amount of finely powdered sage
1 ounce of finely powdered myrrh
1 pound powdered arrow root
3 ounces powdered orris root
20 drops oil of lemon
10 drops oil of cloves
12 drops oil of bergamot
Rub oils into the powdered ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Strawberry Tooth Cleanser
1 Tsp of the above Old Fashioned Tooth Powder
1 Tbsp crushed ripe strawberries
Mix strawberries and powder into a paste and brush as usual.

Herbal tooth powder
Baking soda whitens your teeth and freshens your breath. Sea salt tightens the gums. Peppermint oil and ginger fight bacteria and provide flavour

2 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried powdered ginger
3 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients and store in an airtight container. Use half a teaspoon of the powder each time you brush.

Dentifrice Ingredients
Dried and powdered plant parts can be used as tooth powders. Mix them with plant extracts or oils to make a toothpaste.

Alder bark (vinegar decoction), charcoal, clove oil, lemon oil, mint, myrrh, nutmeg oil, orris root, Peruvian bark, rhatany root, rose oil, sage, sassafras oil, soapwort (decoction of root as additive), sweet flag. root, thyme oil, wintergreen.

For Dentures
Use salt water. It kills all germs and is inexpensive. Salt water plus grain alcohol or food-grade hydrogen peroxide makes a good denture-soak.

Tooth Whitening

Mix a teaspoon each of baking soda and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Dip your toothbrush into the mixture and brush for three minutes, then rinse thoroughly Follow with regular toothpaste or an herbal mouth rinse.

Strawberry whitener
To lighten tooth stains and whiten your teeth, crush a fresh strawberry and rub it on to your teeth. Follow by rinsing with water.

Breath Fresheners

Most of these have been chewed to freshen the breath. Made into tea, or soaked in 75% alcohol for a week and then diluted, they become mouthwashes:
Aniseed, cardamom seeds, cloves, European angelica root, gum mastic, mint leaves, orris root, parsley, peppermint oil (additive), sweet flag root, tarragon tea.

1) Chew fresh parsley to sweeten the breath.
2) Chew fennel seeds to freshen the breath.
3) Chew anise seeds to freshen the breath.
4) Chew a few peppermint or spearmint leaves or drink a cup of peppermint tea
5) Add 1 drop of myrrh oil to 1 cup of cooled, boiled water. Use as gargle/mouthwash. tea

A few drops of food grade hydrogen peroxide added to a little water in a glass should be enough to make your mouth foam and cleanse. Don't use hydrogen peroxide, though, if you have metal fillings, because they react. Don't use regular drug store variety hydrogen peroxide because it contains toxic additives. Health food store varieties contain solvents from the bottling process. Never purchase hydrogen peroxide in a bottle with a metal cap.

For persons with metal tooth fillings, use chemically pure baking soda or just plain hot water. A healthy mouth has no odor! You shouldn't need a mouthwash! If you have breath odor, search for a hidden tooth infection or cavitation.

Mouthwash

Spearmint Mouthwash
6 ounces water
2 ounces vodka
4 teaspoons liquid glycerine
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
10-15 drops Spearmint essential oil
Boil water and vodka, add glycerine and aloe vera gel. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly. Add spearmint oil, shake well. Pour into bottle, cap tightly.
(Recipe By: Wendy Robbins)

Daily herbal mouthwash
Rinsing vigorously with a mouthwash for one minute a day can prevent plaque build-up. which contributes to gum inflammation and cavities. Look for brands with antiseptic ingredients such as tea tree essential oil and the disinfectant herb myrrh.

Mint mouthwash
Peppermint essential oil helps fight odour-causing bacteria, and aloe vera soothes gums.

250ml (8fl oz) water
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1 teaspoon aloe vera juice
6 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients together and store in a covered container. Shake well and use within a few days.

Herbal mouthwash for healthy gums
Peppermint and aniseed freshen breath. Myrrh helps strengthen gums and is an antiseptic and preservative.

250ml (8fl oz) boiling water
2 teaspoons dried peppermint
1 teaspoon aniseed
1/2 teaspoon myrrh tincture

Pour the boiling water over the peppermint and aniseed. Cover, and steep until cool. Strain, and add the myrrh. Store the mouthwash in a bottle and shake before using.

Rosemary-Mint Mouthwash
2 1/2 cups distilled or mineral water
1 tsp fresh mint leaves
1tsp rosemary leaves
1 tsp anise seeds
Boil the water, add herbs and seeds, infuse for 20 minutes. Cool, strain and use as a gargle/mouthwash. If you wish to make up a larger quantity, double or triple the recipe then add 1 tsp of tincture of myrrh as a natural preservative.

Nutrients For Teeth Care

Vitamin C, co-enzyme Q10, calcium, magnesium, and daily brushing and flossing are essential for healthy teeth and gums. To clean your teeth, nothing is more effective than baking soda. It polishes and whitens teeth naturally and gently. Herbal mouthwashes are quick to make, are beneficial for your gums, and freshen your breath as well.

Vitamin C
The antioxidant vitamin C reduces inflammation. It boosts the immune system to help fight the bacteria that cause infection and to heal gums. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin C. such as citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables (for example, spinach and broccoli), and supplement your diet with 250 to 500mg a day.

Co-enzyme Q10
Co-enzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that reduces the number of gum-damaging free radicals.Your body makes it naturally, but less so as you age. Consider supplementing your diet with 60 to I00mg daily.

Calcium
A deficiency of the element calcium can weaken both your teeth and the bone that holds them in place. Increase your intake by eating dark leafy greens, tofu, and low-fat dairy products. and by supplementing your diet with 1,200mg daily, taken in two separate doses.

Magnesium
The element magnesium works with calcium to keep teeth and bones strong. Eat magnesium-rich foods, such as nuts, seeds, legumes, and dark leafy greens. and supplement your diet with a 400mg capsule daily.