Natural Oral Health Solutions

Andrea Rossi, B.Sc., RHN, R.BIE

April 9, 2019

Lifestyle + Essential Oils

Updated post, originally posted on April 17, 2018

April is National Oral Health Month, so naturally on this week’s topic on essential oils I wanted to talk about oral health applications!

When it comes to oral health, essential oils are my #1 tools – and my Hygienist approves! 😁

If you’re curious about more information on the National Oral Health Month, you can check out the Canadian Dental Association website where they have a list of 5 steps to a healthy mouth here: https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/health_month/.

Now when it comes to keeping our pearly whites at their best, there’s much more to it than just the esthetics.

How your teeth affect your whole body

Did you know that each tooth is energetically connected to an organ in your body?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) established a set of energetic pathways in the body along which vital energy is said to flow called meridian lines. These energy lines also connect and go through each of our teeth. There are twelve pathways and each are associated with specific organs.

What this means is that if we have a tooth infection, or surgery done on a specific tooth, or even have a tooth pulled, there is a direct correlation with that organ. The energy which should normally flow with ease now has energy blockages. Think bladder irritation, heart burn, digestives issues and bowel changes!

This connection can go both ways where poor oral health can affect our overall physical health and the health of each of our organs, but also that if one of our organs isn’t healthy, it can create issues at the corresponding tooth.

I’m not going to go in depth on the tooth/organ relationships, I’ll leave that to the TCM experts. But if you’re curious to know if that tooth infection you’ve been having is giving you other side effects that seemed to have come out of no where, google the “Tooth and Organ Relationship Chart” where you can see all the organs associated to each tooth. It’s actually really amazing to see how it’s all connected!

Toxins in our oral care products

Now, when it comes to oral health, it’s not as simple as just brush your teeth and flossing daily. Part of the problem is that a lot of the commercial dental products contain a lot of harmful ingredients which can of course negatively affect our health.

Fluoride for example is a now known neuro toxin and linked to multiple issues like learning disabilities, depression, nervous system degeneration, reduced thyroid function, amongst others. However, it’s still in almost all commercially available toothpastes and in our water source! So even if you’re trying to avoid it by buying fluoride free toothpastes, you’re still getting exposed via your drinking water, shower water, etc…

Now when it comes to mouthwashes, they almost had a great thing going! Did you know that the 4 main active ingredients in Listerine for example are essential oils?

Yup, that’s right! Peppermint, Thyme, Wintergreen, and Eucalyptus are the 4 active ingredients and they’re essential oils!

However…they are not the only ingredients. The alcohol, stabilizing ingredients, food dyes, etc. all turn this potential powerful product into a more harmful than beneficial one.

Using a conventional mouthwash regularly can affect the flora in our mouth. It’s not just our gut flora we have to worry about!

Not only are they great at taking out bad bacteria, but mouthwashes will take out the good as well! The loss of protective mucous and saliva can actually lead to an increase in plaque build up and also without the good bacteria an increase in bad breath.

Constant use of an alcohol-based mouthwash can also make teeth staining worse for they slowly strip away at the protective layer on our teeth. They can also make issues like dry mouth or ulcers even worse and irritate any sores in your mouth. They also contain acidic stabilizing agents which eat away at your tooth enamel along with various dyes which are known carcinogens.

Healthy and natural oral health options

So what do I recommend? Well essential oils of course! …without all the “extras”! 😉🤓

People have been using essential oils for various health conditions, even oral health, for centuries. These are Mother Earth’s tools for keeping us healthy! I mean, they’re in Listerine too! And the best part, is that they work with our bodies, and even with our good bacteria, to maintain the homeostatic balance we need to thrive.

Thankfully now with the modern popularization of the essential oils there are a ton of studies being done on their effectiveness, safety, and all the amazing things they can help us with and high-grade oils are readily available to us every day.

dōTERRA is the leading company by far when it comes to essential oils in all aspects, sourcing, research, studies, purity, etc. Since essential oils aren’t regulated, they created a standard called CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, which is the highest standard on the market. Not only are dōTERRA’s oils pure but they also contain the highest therapeutic levels of the healing properties available on the market.

Natural oral health care products

dōTERRA has the best natural oral health care products I’ve ever tried! Their oral health line is based on the very powerful protective blend On Guard.

The On Guard essential oil blend contains Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils. It’s know for it’s anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-oxidating effects which make it the perfect powerhouse for our mouth!

The fluoride-free On Guard Natural Whitening Toothpaste combines the protective benefits of the On Guard essential oil blend with the addition of Myrrh, Peppermint, and Wintergreen. It helps clean teeth, reduce plaque, and whiten teeth with gentle polishing agents. Only a small amount is needed which is awesome for the tube lasts for ever! And it doesn’t create a whole mouthful of foam that’s hard to deal with. Great for the kids and adults alike! I’ve been using this one for 5 years now and I don’t know what I did before it! Seriously!

I love making my own mouthwash (see recipe below if you’re the DIY kind of person too!) but dōTERRA recently added into their oral health care line the On Guard Mouthwash. This is perfect for when I’m in a rush or don’t have any made. It’s alcohol free and formulated to clean teeth and gums, reduce plaque, and promote a healthy–looking mouth. With all the benefits of the On Guard oil blend as well as Miswak extract helps freshen breath and maintain clean teeth by reducing excessive plaque buildup.

Essential oils have also been found to help in dental surgeries for wound healing and protection (especially clove oil) and with dental implants to help limit the formation of a biofilm (Melissa and Lavender oil). Some Dentists now have been adding them into their practice which is amazing!

Tip: If you or your littles ones get anxiety about going to the Dentist, using a calming oil like Lavender or Serenity before your appointment is great to help with anxiety. 👌

Additional Remedies

Bad Breath: Peppermint or On Guard beadlets or DIY mouth wash (see my shot glass routine below for quick example!)
Tooth Ache: Clove and Melaleuca/Tea Tree diluted with some coconut oil, applied topically with a Q-tip.
Canker Sore: Clove + Oregano in coconut oil – mix 1 drop of each in 1 tbsp of coconut oil and apply topically as needed. Tried and tested by my Mother-in-Law!

Clean and Effective Mouthwash Recipe

1 tsp of salt
2 cups of warm water
5 drops On Guard essential oil
2 drops Melaleuca/Tea Tree
2 drops Peppermint essential oil
1 drops Cinnamon essential oil
1 drops Clove essential oil

Mix the salt with the water until dissolved. Pour into a 500ml glass bottle and add in the essential oils and shake. Rinse for 30 seconds + spit, two times per day. This rinse is also an easy “at work remedy” for the dreaded post lunch smelly breath—your coworkers will thank you!

My Oral Care Routine

When it comes to my personal oral care routine I keep things pretty simple. I use just 4 things: dōTERRA’s fluoride free toothpaste, floss, On Guard essential oil, and a spoon! (I’ll explain the spoon in a sec…)

In the past my Hygienist mentioned that I was having an increase in plaque build up in my lower front teeth along with some sensitivity. Since I’ve been using the oils my teeth are much less sensitive and less plaque! My Hygienist is impressed!

Now before I even start to brush my teeth in the morning, I start by taking the side of the spoon and use it as a tongue scrapper. This pulls off all the bacterial and toxins that have come out over night. Instead of digesting them, scrape them off and spit them out!! 😜

Then I do the basics, brush teeth 2x a day, morning and night, floss daily (well amost!), and use a mouthwash.

Instead of a mouthwash preparation, I usually keep a shot glass in my bathroom with a bottle of On Guard essential oil. I fill the shot glass about ½ full of water, add in 1-2 drops of On Guard (I sometimes also add cinnamon!), swish for around 30 seconds, then I swallow getting my daily boost of immunity at the same time! Keeping it simple for me helps with my compliance! 😉

And that’s it!

Interested in oil pulling?

Although I know this is super beneficial, I’m not going to lie to you and say I do this regularly. It’s on my “to do” list but for some reason I keep forgetting “to do”. Lol!

It’s known for being super beneficial to pull out all those toxins that show up in our mouth as we sleep and heal. A simple way to do this would be to take around a tsp of coconut oil, add 1 drop of On Guard or Peppermint to it, and pop it in your mouth. Swish it around for 5-20 min (the longer the better for removing toxins) and then spit it out ideally in the garbage. Then you’d follow up with the tongue scrapping.

Pregnant or breastfeeding? Use On Guard instead of the Peppermint for it can sometimes affect your milk production.

Conclusion

Interested in purchasing some essential oils? You can shop online here. Just click on the Shop tab. You’ll find the toothpaste and On Guard Essential Oil under the Essential Oils category -> then click on the On Guard subdivision category.

Questions about your oral health? How you can purchase some essential oils? Or wondering if your physical issues are related to something going on in your mouth?