W hen healing your gums with diet, it is still useful to manage the symptoms of gum disease with proper gum care. Brushing and flossing are often not enough to give the mouth an extra boost when dealing with infection or inflammation from gum disease. While many of the methods discussed in this chapter might be considered alternative or experimental, some scientific evidence, along with plenty of people’s experience, supports their use.
Author of Money by the Mouthful, Robert Nara, DDS, recommends regularly rinsing the mouth with a sea salt solution. While treating gum disease as a dentist in the military, he found this easy and inexpensive method improved and sometimes even cured his patients’ gum disease. 1
Sea salt water mouthwash is fast and simple. At least twice per day, morning and night, rinse with warm salt water. Mix one-half to one teaspoon of salt with one cup of warm water. Swish the warm salt water around in your mouth for thirty to sixty seconds. That’s it!
Sea salt water rinse is more effective with an oral irrigator. Keep in mind that salt water use will void the warranty and shorten the lifespan of your oral irrigation device. To minimize the damage caused by salt, run a full reservoir of plain water through after each use.
To “water floss,” you’ll need a device such as ViaJet Pro®, Waterpik®, or Hydro Floss®. These oral irrigators reach places that regular flossing cannot. The pulsation of the water from these devices helps stimulate the gums and thereby improve circulation. These oral irrigators are designed by their manufacturers to be used with plain water only. However, their healing power is enhanced if essential oils, herbal tinctures, baking soda, and/or sea salt are added to the water in the irrigators. For this reason, alternative medicine practitioners and some dentists recommend a variety of gum healing substances be added to the irrigator before using. In particular, herbal tinctures can be both soothing and medicinal to inflamed gums.
While these techniques are therapeutic and I think many readers will benefit from using them, you should know that all of these uses will void the irrigator warranty and shorten its lifespan. The stronger or higher concentration the oil, the more damage it can cause. Diluting essential oils or sea salt in a separate vessel and then pouring them in the irrigator reservoir can reduce sediment build-up and reduce the likelihood of damage. Even so, people who use salt or essential oils usually end up needing to replace their irrigators with some regularity. If that becomes too expensive, a manual syringe-style irrigator can serve as an oral irrigator. Very deep pockets may require a pocket syringe to irrigate them.
Make sure to review the directions of your oral irrigator. It is possible to push the toxins from the gum pocket into the blood stream if wrongly used.
Toothpaste originally evolved out of tooth polish made from chalk or pumice. Much like polishing shoes, it was done on occasion to shine up and whiten the teeth. It was not originally a twice-a-day routine. This all changed in the early 1900s when Claude Hopkins, author of Scientific Advertising, decided to market Pepsodent® dentifrice. To build demand for this product, he had to first create a desire in people to brush their teeth. Though he had no evidence whatsoever, Hopkins warned consumers that they needed to brush every day to prevent gum disease, keep their teeth clean, and have a beautiful white smile. 2 He was so successful that other toothpaste companies soon followed Pepsodent®, and in fact, overtook it as market leaders.
Today the average toothpaste is still based somewhat upon the Pepsodent® formula. Toothpastes are usually composed of 20-60 percent abrasive and polishing compounds, and 20-40 percent moisture-retaining substances such as glycerin, sorbitol, and propylene glycol. The remaining 1-2 percent consists of preservatives, sweeteners, dyes, fluoride, antibiotics, binders, detergents, and fragrances. 3 Some of the substances added to commercial toothpastes are essentially toxic or poisonous, such as fluoride. Other substances added are not natural and generally do not support whole body health, such as industrial-made sweeteners like glycerin or xylitol. My philosophy with tooth cleaning is that if you would not eat or swallow the ingredients, you probably should not be putting it in your mouth.
Because most toothpaste is abrasive, 4 it is easy to brush too hard and cause either tooth erosion or gum recession. One epidemiological study looking at toothpaste and tooth wear found that abrasive toothpaste definitely causes dentin wear, 5 and if it can wear your teeth, then it can wear down your gums. Another study found that hard brushing over time increased the likelihood of receded gum sites. 6 A medium or hard bristle toothbrush—in combination with the abrasive substances commonly found in most toothpastes—will lead to removal of enamel and gum recession in people whose body chemistry is out of balance. 7 This makes it important to use a soft bristle brush and take care with your choice of tooth cleaning products. When people are healthy and their body is in balance, hard tooth brushing and abrasive toothpastes can cause less damage, or the damage can repair itself, leading to some skepticism or denial by the dental community regarding the harm of hard toothbrushes or abrasive pastes.
Toothbrush hardness depends on bristle thickness. Thicker bristles will be stiffer. Soft toothbrushes have the thickness of seven mil (seven thousands of an inch) or less. Ultrasoft brushes such as for extremely sensitive gums are five mil and thinner. Medium bristle brushes are eight mil and up to twelve mil thick. Fourteen mil or thicker are considered hard brushes. 8 Given that tooth brushing can irritate the gums and wear away enamel, I recommend soft bristle brushes. 9 Toothbrushes should be replaced often, especially when you are susceptible to gum disease, as they collect dead skin cells and food remnants. Consider replacing your brush as often as once a month, and also consider regularly cleaning your toothbrush with warm water and a bit of soap.
Electric toothbrushes seem to help some people with the healing of gum disease. But not all electric toothbrushes are good to use. As with regular toothbrushes, they should be very gentle and not irritate or abrade the gums. As I personally do not use one, I am of little help in recommending a specific brand or instructions for how to use them in relation to gum disease. But I am mentioning it here, because should you feel inspired to get an electric tooth brush as part of your gum disease home care, a good choice might help you feel better.
Tongue scraping helps improve bad breath, helps your mouth maintain its balance of pH and oral flora, enhances your ability to taste, and improves digestive health. You can clean your tongue by brushing it with your toothbrush. The traditional method of using a metal tongue scraper may be even more effective.
Herbal products can help fight gum disease whether used internally, externally, or both.
White Oak Bark Powder has a reputation for strengthening gum tissues, though it may not help with receding gums. To use as a gum powder, apply a modest amount to the inflamed areas on the gums and leave it on overnight. Continue until the problem resolves.
Echinacea is a native herb traditionally used for the treatment of sore mouth and gum conditions. Although it is most often taken as a tea, the fresh root can be applied to a tooth for a toothache. 10 Echinacea is also a blood purifier . To use topically, place echinacea root powder on the inflamed area, or use approximately one dropper full of echinacea tincture with water as a tea or as a mouthwash.
Goldenseal is highly valued for helping digestive problems when taken orally, 11 as well as for strengthening the immune system. Goldenseal powder can be rubbed on the gums to treat gum disease. A powder or tincture can also be mixed with water and used as a mouthwash.
Myrrh Gum is an ancient healing herb, its use predating the Bible. It has a long history as a sovereign remedy for gum disease. Myrrh powder makes an excellent tooth powder and can ease inflammation and gum infections. 12 Myrrh tincture can be diluted with water and used as a mouthwash.
Chamomile tea or tincture can be used as a gargle or mouthwash for treating gingivitis.
Watercress is an ancient leafy green vegetable. Chewing watercress may make teeth stronger as well as help bleeding gums and gingivitis.
Prickly Ash Bark is the first ingredient in Edgar Cayce’s famous tooth and gum formula Ipsab. Prickly ash bark helps improve circulation in the mouth and it creates a tingly sensation. It can also be used to treat toothache. Ipsab is available in many health food stores.
And Herbal Tooth Powder that contains many of the gum-healing herbs just mentioned is available traditionalfoods.org . It is very gentle and non-abrasive.
Herbal Precaution : Most people respond well to herbal tooth powders and poultices. People suffering from advanced periodontal disease with inflamed pockets, however, might experience irritation if tiny specks of herbs are left in the mouth. These people may wish to try liquid herbal products.
Sodium bicarbonate is often promoted as a natural tooth powder. It is obviously cheap, and it is known for its alkalizing ability. Because most people with significant gum disease have an acidic pH, brushing with baking soda may be of benefit. Unfortunately baking soda does not work for everyone and it is not my personal preference to use it regularly. Baking soda can be too abrasive even though toothpastes are five to ten times more abrasive. 13 Baking soda is most useful as a tooth polish or whitener. Rubbing baking soda on stained teeth that have a translucent appearance can bring their whiteness back.
Many toothpastes, even “natural” ones, are abrasive to the teeth. Like toothpastes, many tooth powders are also too abrasive, so you need to be careful to choose a non-abrasive one. Abrasive pastes and powders leave teeth with a subtle irritated or itchy feeling. When you ditch the abrasive paste, sometimes there is a side effect of teeth appearing slightly stained or translucent due to a thin natural film remaining on the teeth. This film appears when the body chemistry is somewhat out of balance. If this happens to you, using baking soda on occasion can keep your teeth white.
There are a few good alternatives to toothpastes. And again, it is up to you to choose which ones you like, if any. Different people will have their favorites, as we are all unique. Find what works best for you. Some of the options out there are:
For high quality tooth powder, mouthwash, and essential oil products visit traditionalfoods.org .
Those familiar with the work of Dr. Price as well as with traditional societies might know that some cultures who were healthy and free from tooth decay did not brush their teeth. Different traditional cultures around the world have different tooth care habits. Some use a natural tree resin chewing gum (tree resin gums are available at traditionalfoods.org ), while others use sticks to clean their teeth. While I think most people will benefit from tooth brushing provided it is not too abrasive, some people have been able to get their body chemistry to such a balance that they have good breath and no deposits without any brushing at all.
Proxy Brushes are disposable little brushes that are used like flexible toothpicks between the teeth. They help remove food debris and plaque and are widely used by people with braces and bridges who cannot easily floss. Proxy brushes can also be useful for people with gum recession. 14 Get your brush wet and gently insert it into the gap between your teeth. Move the brush in and out gently. Do not use too much force and make sure to get both the lip side and tongue side of the tooth. For more instructions ask your dentist, hygienist, or review a video on YouTube.com.
Try this right now. It is easy to massage your gums through your cheek, or by placing a finger directly in your mouth. Connect with the gum tissue, apply a bit of pressure, and slowly rub in small circles both clockwise and counterclockwise to bring healing and circulation to the area. If you are trying to clear an infection, gum massage can be done with essential oils either through the cheek or in the mouth. Essential oils good for healing gum tissue were discussed in chapter nine in the section on cavitations. Essential oils should be mixed with a carrier oil like sesame, almond, or olive oil.
Pierre Fauchard (1678 – 1761), considered the father of modern dentistry, believed that the dentifrices and mouthwashes of his time paled in comparison to a “natural” mouthwash that could whiten teeth and strengthen the gums: fresh urine. 15
The ancient traditional Ayurvedic practice of “oil pulling” can pull embedded toxins out of the oral tissues, tighten the gums, and whiten the teeth. Oil pulling can be done up to three times a day on an empty stomach. Here’s how:
Traditional Ayurvedic doctors recommend sesame oil for oil pulling because of its healing properties. Coconut oil also has strong antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Today high quality coconut oil is more available than high quality, cold pressed sesame oil. Both oils work well and many “oil pullers” like to alternate between the two oils. Many people notice that their mouths feel cleaner and fresher even after their first time of practicing the procedure.
Possible Contraindication for Oil Pulling : A common symptom of mercury toxicity is bleeding gums and loose teeth. 16 Be cautious about frequent oil pulling with mercury fillings as the oil may release mercury. If you have mercury fillings, oil pulling may not be a good idea.
Antiseptic mouthwashes can be useful for acute oral infections, but their value for chronic infections is questionable. 17 Normal saliva is more effective at balancing oral flora than chemicals, 18 and constantly sterilizing the mouth does not help the body find microbial balance. To balance one’s mouth, it is best to focus on nutritional and other natural therapies such as those discussed in this chapter and the rest of the book. Swishing with chemicals not only affects the mouth, but also the entire digestive tract, and can contribute to other health problems over time by killing off all the good bacteria.
It is important when you have gum disease or are susceptible to it to treat your gums gently to optimize your chances for healing. Watch out for these behaviors:
J.E. Phillips, DDS (1922-2003), was a forward-thinking dentist who believed plaque and tartar were symptoms of gum disease and not the cause. In his 1972 book, Acquiring and Maintaining Oral Health, he described a remarkable gum cleaning technique called “blotting,” which he recommended for maintaining and restoring gum health. Unfortunately his theory never quite took off with the dental establishment, although there are a few dentists who still know about it and teach it to their patients because it is very effective.
Dr. Phillips believed bacteria were the “helpful watch dogs” of the mouth and that they are needed to prevent the growth of molds and fungus. 23 In other words, bacteria are present because they are eating away and cleaning up potentially more toxic substances formed in the body like mold and fungus.
Ahead of his time, in 1972, Dr. Phillips correctly identified plaque, the unwanted buildup of dead cells in the mouth, 24 and not calculus as the symptom that correlates with gum disease. When the plaque is removed, healing often begins. 25
Dr. Phillips was convinced that normal tooth brushing jams the plaque into the gum crevice, where enzymes from the plaque attempt to break it down and in the process cause gum tissue destruction. 26 Dr. Phillips was opposed to the regular use of antibiotic chemicals, as he believed that most bacteria in the mouth are beneficial. 27 It thus makes sense to clean the gums carefully after brushing with a gum cleaning brush or an oral irrigator.
Dr. Phillips reported most people saw noticeable results from using his blotting technique within three weeks. This technique is optimally performed using brushes designed by Dr. Phillips himself. These are brushes whose bristles are made more porous through a texturizing process; however, I would expect for people on a budget that any soft bristle toothbrush will yield acceptable, but probably not optimal results. Dr. Phillips’ technique works by tapping the special toothbrush at a forty-five degree angle into the gum crevice to suck up the plaque. To buy gum cleaning brushes that can also be used as regular soft bristle brushes and to watch instructional videos, visit curegumdisease.com/gumcleaning .
Dr. Phillips also noted that the teeth only represent a small part of the entire tissues in the mouth. Therefore, if we merely brush our teeth while ignoring all the other tissues, the mouth is really not being properly cleaned. During your normal twice-daily mouth cleaning routine, Dr. Phillips recommended that the soft bristle brush be brushed everywhere in the mouth and not just on the teeth. That means lightly rubbing your brush on the inside and outside of the gums, on all parts of the tongue including the back of the tongue, the roof of your mouth, the floor of your mouth, and your cheeks.
When healing your gums with diet, it is still useful to manage the symptoms of gum disease with proper gum care. Brushing and flossing are often not enough to give the mouth an extra boost when dealing with infection or inflammation from gum disease.
Try any or several of these mouth-cleaning concepts:
Life is more than just a set of days to live out. Life is meant to be lived through you. As a culture, we have unknowingly accepted many practices generated by the field of dentistry that are not enlivening. We have put up with treatments that do not address the root cause of gum disease, and we have ignored great teachers like dentists Weston Price, Melvin Page, and Harold Hawkins, who paved the path toward real gum health. I have summarized and clarified their work in combination with up-to-date research and my own personal experience with oral health so that you can have the information you need to cure gum disease naturally.
The choice is now yours. Will you continue to accept a fate in which you have little control over your health? Will you submit the responsibility for your gum health to a professional who will make a profit from providing you a service that does not address the root of your disease? Or will you choose a new way of freedom and empowerment, in which you are completely responsible for your health, and can choose to turn to professionals when you need them to support you on your own healing journey?
There is so much more to life than suffering from poor health. But poor health stands in the way of us truly living and being in the world the way we want to be. It is time to let go of this outmoded way of living and being. For the dental profession, that means serving people first and placing patient health paramount to financial gain. For you, it means taking care of yourself: to follow that forgotten dream, to really reach out for what you need in life, to take a risk and to “bite” into life.
The industry of dentistry, as a collective, has unconsciously taken away our right for good oral health, and doing so increases dentists’ profits, as people need more treatments and more severe treatments. Likewise, we have given it to them because in general, people have not been willing to face real responsibly for their health and/or are not aware of alternatives. The way we live our lives on a daily basis either contributes to our health or takes away from our health based on the choices we make. So regaining our gum health will involve changing our lifestyle.
Your health is both your right and your responsibility. And as our modern profit-driven health care systems begin to crumble apart as their dysfunction is revealed, a new way of living will emerge in which people will value financial gain less and will remember that our true nature is to serve one another. You and I can make the world we live in a bit better for ourselves, our friends, and our families by being responsible for our health, making good choices, supporting small local farms, choosing to embrace what life has given to us with gratitude, and pursuing our dreams to create something more.
There is a deep human need to be loved and cared for. Give this gift to yourself because you deserve it.
I wrote this book in honor of you
,
in honor of our ancestors who have come before us
,
and in honor of our descendants,
those who will come after us
.
You are not here to suffer.
You are here to live, to love, and to heal your suffering.
I personally would like to wish you healing, abundance, joy, and good health on your journey.
Ramiel
If you have any systemic medical condition, or are on medications, please consult with a trusted health care provider before trying any of the advice or dietary supplements recommended in this book.
It is impossible for me to know what products or ideas offered in this book may or may not benefit you. I have done my best to provide safe and natural guidelines to support your health and vitality in general. That being said, since every person is unique, it is possible that some of the advice in this book, or products that are recommended, may not suit you.
Furthermore, I have created a business to provide foods and whole food supplements for people who wish to improve their health, Traditional Foods Market, www.traditionalfoods.org . It is important for you to know that I own this business and I have recommended products that I directly profit from.
There is a specific purpose for me to sell products directly. My goal is to give people high quality foods and supplements at a reasonable price. Rather than, for example, simply recommending vitamin C, I have spent the time, energy, and effort to find the highest quality vitamin C on the market, and at the same time, keep the price lower. I truly want to provide superior products that will suit most people, so I share my products with you in the spirit of being helpful and being of service. There is no requirement to buy any products mentioned in the book to be successful with your gum healing.
With that in mind, every product or service you try in this book is done at your own risk and responsibility. The best results for using dietary supplements are obtained by using a method to test whether the supplement is right for you. Some alternative health practitioners provide this service, so do not be afraid to ask for help. At the same time, I know that it can be difficult to find the few good practitioners to help support your health. So do your best to find what works for you. Understand that not everything suggested in this book is exactly right for your particular needs. For example, it is very hard to estimate the dosage and frequency of the products that every unique individual needs to take. And everyone needs changes from day to day and season to season. Nothing in this book is meant to supplant your own inner wisdom or feelings about what is right for you and for what you need to be healthy, but rather, it is to help encourage your connection with it.