part rock salt, part ground black sesame seeds, and ¼ part ground guava leaf.Oral Health Resource Guide
Highlighted Botanicals and Associated Recipes
Herbal tooth-cleaning powders can be used in conjunction with chew sticks (herbal twigs), as described in chapter 4, or they can be used in the absence of chew sticks with regular nylon toothbrushes. In Ayurveda, the texture of teeth cleaning substances is deliberately kept on the dry side to counteract the natural moistness of the oral cavity. Also, bitter- and pungent-tasting oral care products are preferred over other tastes, since these are antitoxic and antiseptic.1
I provide here a selection of easy-to-make recipes using a variety of natural ingredients. Try the recipes that appeal to you most or the ones with ingredients that you happen to have easy access to — in your own backyard, on your kitchen spice shelf, or at a local apothecary shop. Most of these ingredients are also available online.
I have made maximum effort to make recommendations for ingredients that are procurable with relative ease within the United States. Certain dental care botanicals such as turmeric and holy basil can even be grown in home gardens or planters, climate permitting.
Gifts from the Mystical Pomegranate Tree
Ayurvedic tradition utilizes the astringent nature of the flower, bark, and fruit rind of pomegranate (Punica granatum) for dental health. Numerous studies and clinical trials are being conducted by modern Ayurveda researchers to look at pomegranate’s healing properties. In one study, pomegranate mouthwash used twice daily for fifteen days resulted in a more efficient reduction of gingivitis and bleeding gums when compared to chlorhexidine.2 And in another, a gel containing the extracts of pomegranate fruit peel applied to patients with candidiasis (thrush) proved an effective antifungal agent.3
Pomegranate peel: Save the peel and dry by exposing it to indirect sun for several days. Grind in a coffee grinder to a slightly gritty texture. The astringency of the powder helps arrest bleeding and tightens loose gums.
Pomegranate blossoms: Mix dried pomegranate flower blossoms with equal amounts of rose petals and marigold petals. Dry the blossoms in shade. When petals are dry, grind to a fine powder. Brushing with this powder prevents bleeding gums and eliminates foul breath.
Pomegranate leaves: Dry two dozen fresh leaves. Grind to a fine powder. Use the powder to brush your teeth, especially if your gums are infected, weak, or unable to provide a solid support to your teeth. Prevents tooth loss.
Pomegranate combo: Mix 1 cup each of dried pomegranate peel powder and neem powder. Add ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric and ½ teaspoon of rock salt. Use this power-packed combination for toothbrushing every morning.
Turmeric Blessings
Ayurveda uses popular spice turmeric (Curcuma longa) for dental applications in the form of mouthwash and throat gargle.4 Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties help significantly with oral care. For centuries, Ayurvedic medicine has used turmeric in almost all of its pain and inflammation management, either by itself or in combination with other agents.5
Mouthwash for pain relief and cavity prevention: Boil 3 small turmeric roots or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 2 cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), and 2 dried guava leaves or 1 teaspoon ground guava leaves in 2 cups water to make a mouth wash. Boil down to 1 cup. Strain. Rinse with this daily or at least weekly for long-term protection from cavities and oral cancer.
Daily gargle for germ protection: Add ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric to 1 cup warm water. Gargle with this water after every meal or at least once before bedtime.
Daily tooth tonic: Mix equal amounts of ground turmeric with ground tulsi, or holy basil leaf. Use this combination to massage teeth and gums daily.
Daily tooth powder: Mix 1 part neem, 1 part ground turmeric, and 4 parts ground guava leaf. Use this combination to brush your teeth daily.
Relief for toothache: Combine equal quantities of asafoetida to ground turmeric. Sprinkle a few drops of water to make a paste-like consistency. Roll this paste into a tiny ball with your index fingers, and keep this ball on the painful tooth for pain relief.
Gingivitis treatment: Mix 1 teaspoon ground turmeric powder with ¼ teaspoon rock salt. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard oil to form a paste-like consistency. This paste can be rubbed on gums to counteract irritated, red, swollen gums.
The Amazing Acacia Tree
The acacia is a thorny tree common throughout India and grows in warm climates, such as Hawaii, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. Acacia seedpods are considered food by many communities worldwide, eaten raw or cooked in curries. Acacia’s beautiful yellow and white blossoms are used for perfume and to flavor desserts and liquors.
Acacia bark, twigs, and leaves, according to Ayurveda, are mainly astringent in taste, making it a significant herb for balancing kapha and pitta doshas.6 It is an antitoxic agent, alleviates skin diseases, and is widely used for a variety of conditions. A decoction (instructions follow) made from acacia bark mixed with rock salt in micro quantities can be used as a gargle for treating tonsillitis. In recent studies, gel and powder from Acacia arabica showed significant clinical improvement in gingivitis, plaque reduction, and gum tone.7
Chewing gum alternative: If you are in the habit of chewing gum after meals for oral health, then you may want to order an all-natural chewing gum manufactured from the acacia tree. Whole gum mixtures of acacia have been shown to inhibit the growth of oral bacteria and prevent gingivitis.8
Tooth powder for toothache: Make a toothbrushing powder with the burnt ash of acacia seedpods. Simply char fresh or dried seedpods in a barbecue pit or the open flames of your kitchen stove. They will become quite blackened and brittle. Now grind the charred pods into a fine powder using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. This ash has medicinal value. It effectively relieves toothaches and also tightens the gum pockets around your teeth. This is especially beneficial if you have a loose tooth.
Antiplaque tooth powder: Seedpod ash can also be added to any home recipe for tooth powders, as it imparts wonderful astringent and antitoxic qualities that will prevent plaque buildup. Combine the burnt ash of seedpods with ash from burnt almond shells; pulverize them well into a fine powder. Add part rock salt, part ground black sesame seeds, and ¼ part ground guava leaf.
Chew sticks and brushes: The soft twigs of the acacia tree can be used as chew sticks. They are especially useful if your gums get easily infected or you have spongy gums that bleed easily. For added efficacy, you can also apply honey and turmeric to the twig before using. Many studies have shown that honey has antibacterial properties. Research has also indicated that honey may possess anti-inflammatory properties and stimulate immune responses. It can also be used in the treatment of various ulcerative oral conditions.9
Gargle for mouth ulcers: Tender leaves of the acacia tree can be boiled in water and then used as a gargle. Use about 20 leaves in 2 cups water. Bring to a full boil and then simmer for another 5 minutes. Use this as a gargle when it is lukewarm or at room temperature. It can even be made the night before. This gargle will help with mouth ulcers, bind teeth to gums (reduce looseness), and improve general oral health.
General tooth powder: Gather equal quantities of acacia bark, flowers, leaves, and pods and dry them in the sun. Grind them all and use this powder to brush your teeth. A dash of honey can be used to massage the gums and teeth. This powder will balance the ecosystem of your mouth and protect it from harmful microorganisms.
Gargle for sore throat and mouth ulcers: Make a decoction (see box “How to Make a Gargle” for instructions) from dried bark powder or bark bits. Gargle with this decoction to keep your oral cavity healthy and prevent sore throats. Recurrent stomatitis, or mouth ulcers, can be quickly overcome with this gargle.
Strong teeth: The gum of the acacia tree is available in stores and online in the form of hardened, yellowish, translucent crystals of gum resin of varying sizes. You can lightly sautée the gum crystals in a tiny amount of ghee (enough to coat the bottom of the pan). The crystals pop within seconds, just like popcorn, and become crunchy. Be careful to not leave them in the hot pan too long as they will burn quickly. Mix 1 part popped gum crystals with 4 parts dry-roasted wheat flour, ¼ part chopped nuts such as walnuts and almonds, and organic raw sugar or rock candy crystals (to taste) to make a delicious snack. Simply eat a couple of teaspoons when you get the munchies. This recipe will not only satisfy your sweet taste, and please you with its nutty crunchiness, but the acacia gum will also nourish your bones and teeth. This recipe has been given to pregnant and lactating women in India for centuries to prevent osteoporosis or loss of dentine. The gum acts as a soothing analgesic and, together with wheat, helps in conditions of oral cavity lesions.
Canker sores and other oral lesions: The cooling styptic powder of acacia gum resin can also be applied directly to canker sores and other oral lesions to immediately arrest bleeding and reduce pain.
Sacred Song of the Holy Basil
The tulsi plant is a renowned herb that grows all over India. The word tulsi means “incomparable or matchless,” an apt descriptor for its effectiveness for oral health. A triple-blind randomized controlled trial demonstrated that tulsi mouth rinse was equally effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis as chlorhexidine.10
Make it a habit to chew three to five fresh tulsi leaves a day or one or two tulsi leaves after every meal. This is the best way to protect your oral cavity (and overall health). Tulsi juice, which is hot in potency and penetrating, will effectively remove staleness and ensure that your mouth (gums and dental crevices) becomes a zone of perfect balance. The leaves are not bitter in taste; they are tolerably sharp in quality and quite likeable. In fact, even children chew on tulsi leaves in India. They freshen your entire oral cavity and wake up your senses if you overate at your last meal.
Toothpaste: Simply brush with dried tulsi leaf powder. Make a paste with water, and you are all set.
Toothache relief: Mix ½ teaspoon fresh tulsi leaf juice with 2 finely crushed black peppercorns and rub the juice on your aching tooth. Do this several times a day to relieve pain. You can also use this remedy for cavity prevention by applying tulsi juice to the gums at night before bed. This paste can also be used to fill an aching tooth cavity. Refresh cavity with new paste every few hours. In addition to providing relief from pain, the tulsi and black pepper are effective antibacterial agents.
Expressing juice from tulsi leaves is easy. Simply pound a handful of fresh leaves in a mortar and pestle. Then squeeze the pulp with your fingers and collect the expressed juice in a clean cup. You can refrigerate this juice in a covered jar if you like. It will stay good for at least a couple of days, but if you have the time, simply express the juice of 3 to 4 leaves as needed for your purposes. That is ideal.
Gargle: Mix equal parts fresh tulsi leaf juice with warm water to make a multipurpose gargle. It cures phlegm in the throat, improves your voice, and helps fight cavities. Massaging this onto gums helps overcome bleeding gums (gingivitis).
Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica) the Wonder Fruit
Known as a rasayana in Sanskrit, amalaki is the fruit of a tropical and subtropical medium-sized tree that grows in dry areas. It is mainly a heart and brain restorative as well as a whole-body tonic, especially when consumed over an extended period of time. In fact, amalaki is considered Ayurveda’s optimal rejuvenator: it balances all three doshas.
In oral health, amalaki is mainly utilized for tissue regeneration purposes, such as where gums or dental structure need to be nourished or simply strengthened against microorganisms.
Gargle: Amalaki powder (1 teaspoon) can be added to a glass of lukewarm water and used as a nourishing gargle to boost local immunity, voice, and gum strength.
Oral rinse for mouth sores: Amalaki also works especially well as an oral rinse in the case of mouth sores since it has cooling potency. It also promotes anticaries action, reduces plaque, and has an antibacterial effect.
Toothache relief: Squeeze leaves of amalaki to extract its juice and use for toothache relief.
Cloves, Love-Filled Buds
Cloves, known as lavang in Ayurveda tradition, are the dried flower buds of a small evergreen tree in the Myrtaceae family (Syzygium aromaticum). Throughout the year, this tree is dressed up with small, rosy buds and flowers. These buds are so beautiful that cloves are also called devakusuma in Sanskrit, which translates to “flowers of the divine.” Clove mainly balances kapha and pitta doshas.11
Cloves are used for curing pathological thirst, reducing excessive sliminess in the oral cavity, and relieving bad breath. Clove is also a renowned pain relief agent for dental cavities. Every home should have clove oil handy in its first-aid box. Simply apply the oil to a swab and hold it close to your aching tooth or press an actual clove near the aching tooth. Some of the other benefits of clove include the following:
• Analgesic effects of the flower buds provide significant pain relief by acting through opioid receptors.12
• Eugenol extracts from clove have often been used with root canal therapy, temporary fillings, and general gum pain. Eugenol and other components of clove combine to make clove a mild anesthetic as well as an antibacterial agent.13
• The germicidal properties of clove oil make it effective for relieving toothaches, sore gums, and mouth ulcers. Gargling with diluted clove oil helps in easing throat pain and irritation. The characteristic smell of clove oil also helps to eliminate bad breath.14
Other Medicinal Formulas
General antimicrobial formula: Mix equal amounts of the following three herbs in enough honey to make a paste-like consistency: neem, turmeric, and guduchi (Tinaspora cordifolia). This formula is packed with antimicrobial, antibiotic, and antifungal properties.
Painful and loose teeth formula: Mix equal parts ground cumin and Indian long pepper or pippali powder (Piper nigrum) with ¼ part rock salt. Use this powder to clean your teeth and also rub it on your gums. This combination is especially useful when gums are painful and teeth are loose.
Gingivitis formula: Mix equal amounts of ground ginger, ground black pepper, and ground long pepper (Piper nigrum) with ¼ part rock salt to make a powder for tooth cleaning. Use this daily, especially if you suffer from gingivitis.
Rotting teeth formula: Mix triphala powder with ½ part ground turmeric, ½ part ground ginger, and ¼ part rock salt. Use this combination to brush your teeth daily.
Swollen gums formula: Mix Indian madder or majishtha (Rubia cordifolia) powder with raw, unprocessed honey. Use this to massage your teeth and gums to overcome swollen or bleeding gums.
Tartar and foul-smell formula: Mix powder of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) in honey and use this to brush your teeth. It is an effective anti-tartar agent.
Bleeding gums formula: Mix equal amounts of the following ingredients: ground clove, ground green cardamom, rock candy, and alum powder. This combination is especially useful to remove tartar buildup, counteract microorganisms, and prevent bleeding gums.
Eroding enamel formula: Mix equal amounts of the following powders: musta (Cyperus rotundus, also known as coco grass), rock salt, pomegranate, triphala, and ginger. Use this mixture to brush your teeth daily. All of these ingredients are available online or at specialty grocery and natural food stores.
More Home Remedies for Tooth Pain
• For pain in a tooth cavity, fill the cavity with the commonly available Indian spice asafoetida fried in ghee.
• Place a swab of cotton with pure edible camphor oil on the aching tooth.
• Fry 3 clove buds. Gently grind the buds into a powder with mortar and pestle (they will crumble easily), then mix with 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Apply on the aching tooth.
• Place a cotton swab mixed with oils of clove and cinnamon on the aching tooth.
• Mix a paste of fresh grated ginger with an equal amount of edible camphor powder and a small amount of rock salt. Apply this mixture to the aching tooth.
• Mix pippali powder with honey. Apply this paste to the aching tooth repeatedly.
• Mix ½ cup sesame oil, ⅛ cup licorice powder, ⅛ cup ground cloves, and ½ cup honey. Gargle with this mixture or hold it in your oral cavity for as long as you comfortably can, at least three times a day. This mixture will keep for several days on your kitchen counter (no need to refrigerate), as long as you keep it away from dust and water.
Kitchen and Garden Ingredients for Homemade Gargles
In the preceding sections, I have discussed many botanicals in-depth. They can be sourced to make oral gargles. Below are a few more important botanicals that you can use to make homemade gargles using the instructions in the box “How to Make a Gargle.”
Aloe vera: The Aloe plant has several hundred varieties, and all of them demonstrate antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. In Ayurveda, it is known as kumari and is celebrated for its cooling, bitter, blood-and skin-purifying, and antimicrobial properties. It is a rasayana, an immunity-enhancing agent. Aloe is also used as an expectorant and an antitoxin.
Cinnamon: Known as tvak or dalchini, cinnamon is the dried inner bark of the middle-sized evergreen tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The bark is sweet and pungent in taste and warm in action. It has a cooling aftereffect in the mouth. This aromatic bark has demonstrated antimicrobial as well as antioxidant properties in studies. Cinnamon not only prevents cavities, but also eliminates bad breath.
Coriander: An aromatic herbaceous annual, coriander (Corriandrum sativum) is from the parsley family. Both the leaves and seeds are cooling in potency, and the herb itself balances all three doshas. A coriander gargle is great for counteracting chronic or acute stomatitis (mouth ulcers).
Corn mint: This is a special species of mint (Mentha arvensis), different from common grocery store varieties. Corn mint seeds are available online. A gargle made with fresh leaves is excellent for bad breath, as well as for preventing dental cavities.
False pepper: Vidanga (Embelia ribes) is a small-sized evergreen tree that grows in temperate forests. It is used in parasitical infestation. It is available online, as a powder, or as berries of vidanga, which is its Sanskrit name. As a gargle, it helps overcome dental infection as well as swelling and pain.
Fennel: Foeniculum vulgare is a glabrous biennial or perennial aromatic herb, known as shatpushpa in Sanskrit. The fruit is used as a mouth freshener. It is sweet in taste and semihot in potency. A gargle with fennel seeds acts as an anti-inflammatory and an antispasmodic agent, and is especially effective in sore throats and hoarseness.
How to Make a Gargle
Making your own all-natural gargle with any of the botanicals in this section is easy, and you can employ one of the two methods I suggest here: the steeping method (which is simpler and also quicker and works well when you are in a hurry) or the decoction method (which is a bit more time-consuming but creates a more potent formula).
Steeping method: Place 1 part herbs in a container and pour 4 parts boiling water over them. Cover the container and allow it to sit and cool naturally overnight. In the morning, strain and use. Remember to give a good shake daily.
Decoction method: Boil 1 part herbs to 8 parts water. Boil until water is reduced by half. Strain. Cool to desired temperature and use. The decoction method makes a stronger gargle than steeping, but the steeping process is less involved.
Additional Points to Remember
• Use only fresh, pure water. Never mix gargle ingredients in fruit juices or milk.
• Dried herbs generally need a heat source to bring out their qualities, so boiling is preferred over steeping when using dried herbs.
• Nonbotanical ingredients, such as rock salt or edible camphor, do not need to be heated; simply mix them to make a ready gargle.
• Essential oils should not be heated. Simply mix them into room temperature water.
Fenugreek: Trigonella foenum-greacum (known as methica in Sanskrit and methi in Hindi) is an annual aromatic prized for its seeds that are used both in cooking and medicine. The whole plant is pungent, hot, and drying. Gargling with an infusion of its fresh leaves a minimum of three times a day for a couple of days helps overcome gum infection and stomatitis (mouth ulcers).
Green cardamom: Known as ela in Sanskrit, green cardamom is an aromatic seedpod from an herbaceous perennial (Elettaria cardamomum). Its gargle is used mainly for correcting foul odor from teeth and/or rotting gums. Simply placing a pod directly in your mouth and sucking on it also helps. However, as a gargle, the herb reaches deep underneath the gum line.
Hibiscus: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known as japakusum in Sanskrit, is an evergreen shrub with ornamental flowers. A gargle made with these flowers or leaves, or both, is used for stomatitis (mouth ulcers) and mouth odor. Mixed with turmeric, it becomes an effective anti-infective as well as a soothing gargle.
Jasmine: Jasminum grandiflorum is a fragrant creeper with white flowers known as sumana in Sanskrit. It balances all three doshas, with special benefits for pitta and kapha doshas. Its leaf oil is a natural analgesic. A decoction of jasmine leaves (fresh or dried) cures boils in the mouth and fights periodontal disease. Its leaves can also be chewed directly.
Licorice: Known as yashtimadhu in Sanskrit, Glycyrrhiza glabra has been used successfully to alleviate vata and pitta doshas. As a mouthwash ingredient, it heals stomatitis (mouth ulcers). It also helps overcome dry mouth and bad taste on the tongue.
Mango: Grind the peel of ripe mango (known as amra in Sanskrit) along with fresh leaves from the mango tree (Mangifera indica) in equal amounts to make a fine paste. Mix this paste with water. Gargle with it to impart strength to your teeth and gums.
Marigold: Tagetes erecta, known as zendu in Sanskrit, is a flower that can be grown in most homes. A decoction made from leaves and petals (fresh or dried) of the marigold flower relieves toothache and helps overcome inflammation and stomatitis (mouth ulcers), since marigold is cooling in potency. Its leaf paste can also be applied directly to affected gums.
Homemade Breath Fresheners
Certain foods that we eat, or that get stuck in our teeth, can impart bad breath. According to Ayurveda, excess pitta dosha accumulated in the stomach can also cause a foul smell. Ayurveda has come up with the perfect all-natural solution for freshening the breath by suggesting sucking on spices or drinking teas that are not only aromatic, but also pacify pitta. Here is a list of few of them:
• Pop a whole green cardamom pod into your mouth and chew it. After a while, spit the empty pod out.
• Chew a whole clove; it burns in the beginning, but then it sweetens and cools the saliva and freshens the entire oral cavity (and makes it germ-free!).
• Chew ½ teaspoon dry-roasted fennel seeds after each meal. Simply pop them into your mouth and chew. They are sweet and tasty. You can also chew raw fennel seeds, but lightly roasted ones are crunchier.
• Dry roast equal amounts of fennel seeds, white sesame seeds, and split coriander seeds separately. Mix together and add rock salt and rock candy to taste. Chew this combination, about ½ teaspoon each time, after every meal.
• Drink a cup of mint tea at the end of your meal. Hold the tea in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Mint will do the work!