Essential oils: anti-inflammatory for healthy teeth and gums

Let's discuss essential oils and their benefits for your teeth and gums, whether it's to treat canker sores or dental abscesses. Dental pain can be treated and prevented naturally!

I have organized this page around two axes: essential oils for healthy gums and teeth and essential oils against bad breath.

Our Comparison Of Essential Oils On The Market

Origin of Essential Oils

We will not talk in detail about the how, that is to say how essential oils are produced. Apart from telling you that it is by distillation, I am not enough of a chemistry buff to tell you much more.

But you're right on time, I've always loved history!

However, little is known about the historical origins of aromatherapy. What can be said is that the Egyptians were the first to set up machines capable of distilling and extracting the oils from certain plants, which were then used to embalm the dead.

It is the Chinese, then the Greeks who have appealed to the virtues of essential oils for their contributions on mood and health.

The famous Hippocrates would have used aromatherapy to provide care. Greek mythology recalls that the Gods possessed the knowledge of perfumes.

In the XXth century, two Frenchmen (yes Sir!) have brought to the taste of the day the use of essential oils: the chemist René Maurice Gattefosse who was the instigator of the popularization of the term “aromatherapy”; and the surgeon Jean Valnet, who used essential oils to heal the wounds of World War II soldiers, thus demonstrating the benefits of aromatherapy.

So, how does all this apply to teeth?

We're getting there. Let's start with the treatment of inflammations, pains, gingivitis, abscesses, etc.

Essential oils and healthy teeth

I'm going to talk briefly about tooth decay and bleeding gums, before I talk more specifically about essential oils that will help you treat your sensitive teeth.

What causes tooth decay?

These are typically the attacks of bacteria on your teeth. These attacks take place when bacteria consume bits of food left on your teeth.

These bacteria produce acids, which weaken tooth enamel before causing greater damage, such as cavities.

Factors that increase the risk of cavities include: poor dental hygiene, too much sugar, certain medications such as antidepressants that reduce saliva production, and periodontitis. Less saliva produced creates an even better environment for bacteria.

What causes gum inflammation?

Ignoring inflamed gums can hurt you in the long run. Indeed, it is one of the first signs of periodontitis. Bleeding gums or halitosis are other signs to watch for.

Factors that increase the risk of periodontitis are: brushing or flossing too hard, which can cause bleeding that allows bacteria to enter; lack of vitamin C; poor dental hygiene, which causes the formation of plaque that destroys the gums in the long term; smoking.

How do essential oils treat tooth decay and inflamed gums?

Pure plant extracts derived from aromatic plants such as bark, leaves, roots, fruit barks, and plant resin, essential oils are highly concentrated and contain natural chemical elements that provide them with therapeutic virtues.

What gives them this therapeutic aspect include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic elements.

Essential oils contribute to the treatment of dental caries by:

• Repels bacteria that are harmful to your teeth (not all of them are)
• Mouthwash
• Refreshing the mouth and neutralizing bad odors
• Relieving dental pain
• Reduces inflammation
• Removing plaque
• Improving digestion which is linked to your oral microbiota

For healthy gums, essential oils are particularly interesting for the following benefits

• Anti-inflammatory: essential oils are rich in natural anti-inflammatory elements that reduce swelling, inflammation, and redness around the gums.
• Analgesic: Some oils such as clove have analgesic substances, or painkillers, that relieve dental pain.
• Stimulating: stimulating your gums is important because it boosts blood circulation. Good blood circulation provides nutrients and oxygen for healthy gums.
• Antioxidant: the antioxidant properties of oils can accelerate cell growth and repair.

Can essential oils reverse dental cavities?

There are more and more anecdotes that support that it is possible to reverse the dental cavities. Essential oils can help, but their use must be combined with other elements, such as dietary changes, or reducing the use of fluoride that would prevent the remineralization process of teeth.

If you want to know more about how to use your diet to reverse tooth decayI invite you to read Dr. Ramiel Nagel's book, “Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition“, or Dr. Steven Lyn's more recent book, “The Dental Diet“.

8 Essential oils for inflamed gums and cavity care

Essential oils are increasingly being considered as another tool to care for one's teeth, as confirmed by this study which lists some of the elements below. Another study cited the importance of peppermint and clove on oral microbiota and dental caries.

Spearmint

Spearmint is a powerful antiseptic, eliminating germs and healing wounds faster. It is also a soothing element for the gums.

Myrrh

The essential oil of myrrh acts as an antiseptic and soothing. This is why it is traditionally used to treat inflamed gums or to cure dental abscesses. You can also combine it with a tongue scraper to improve your breath.

Clove

The clove and its use does not date from yesterday, proof is what the Chinese did for hundreds of years to relieve the pain of teeth. Clinical research has shown that clove disinhibits many pathogenic bacteria. By the way, cloves are also considered an aphrodisiac and can improve the health of your hair.

Ceylon Cinnamon Bark

The essential oil of Ceylon cinnamon bark has long been used for its medicinal benefits (especially antifungal and antibacterial).

Recent research from New Zealand has shown that cinnamon essential oil has the most antimicrobial power against streptococcus mutans (a bacterium responsible for tooth decay) and lactobacillus plantarum (one of the bacteria responsible for gum disease).

Peppermint

Researchers have found spearmint essential oil to be very effective in suppressing anaerobic bacteria, the type of bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environments, such as the mouth, and can cause gum disease.

Lemon

Lemon and its sanitizing properties help to improve the health of your gums and breath.

Incense

Frankincense essential oil, also called “olibanum”, is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. This product is also an antioxidant that strengthens the natural defenses and your immune system.

Yarrow

Yarrow is a plant with medicinal properties that are good for teeth, especially its anti-inflammatory properties for healthy gums.

Before moving on to the recipe part, we particularly liked the Mearome product that offers 8 organic essential oils, most of which are described on it.

Our Essential Oil Recipe For Tooth Decay And Inflamed Gums

There are different ways to fight tooth cavities naturally, and this includes reducing the daily consumption of sugar, regular brushing of teeth, eating a specific diet etc.

Using essential oils for your oral health helps keep your mouth fresh, clean and free of harmful bacteria.

Some may also improve the health of your immune system or gut microbiota, which has a direct positive effect on your dental health.

Before I move on to the next part, which is about breath, I have a recipe for a homemade toothpaste using essential oils so that you can enjoy the benefits of using these products on a daily basis.

Recipe:

1. Add ingredients to a bowl and mix until a foam forms
2. Transfer the foaming toothpaste to an amber glass jar and add it to your bathroom cabinet
3. Soak your dry toothpaste in it before each tooth brushing. Do not add water to avoid ruining your efforts and your toothpaste

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of coconut oil
• One teaspoon of xylitol
• 2 c. to c. baking soda
• 10 drops of peppermint
• 5 g. of clove

Essential oils : to have a fresh breath

If this doesn't surprise you, you probably know something about it, but 50% of the population suffer from bad breath.

If you are suffering from this, while religiously brushing your teeth, using mouthwash and so on, then this part is good for you.

How does the essential oil help fight halitosis?

Many essential oils contain detoxifying and purifying elements, which are essential for reducing plaque and removing food particles from teeth and gums.

I present to you one of the major reasons behind bad mouth odor: bacteria! The accumulation of bacteria in the mouth leads to the formation of dental plaque. Bacteria also like to linger on the tongue, which causes bad odors too. The essential oils below actively fight the bad bacteria responsible for bad breath.

Indigestion and constipation are other notable causes. Peppermint oil stimulates digestion, which in turn improves the health of the gut microbiota and gives you fresh breath.

Dental cavities can also lead to bad oral odors. You can review part¹ of this presentation to learn more.

5 essential oils to counter halitosis

Eucalyptus

Like peppermint, eucalyptus has a high menthol content that refreshes the breath. It also contains antibacterial elements that eliminate cavity-causing bacteria.

Wintergreen

The oil of wintergreen is known for its soothing virtues, therefore essential to relieve dental pain. Like eucalyptus, wintergreen has a mint-like taste.

Thyme

Thyme is a powerful ingredient for improving oral health. It is known to eliminate 60 types of bacteria. Thymol, its main component, fights gum disease and gingivitis.

Parsley

The parsley allows to fight infections and inflammations of the gums by its scent. One of the natural remedies is to chew a piece of parsley, which allows you to have a fresh breath quickly.

Additional Tips

I have listed below some additional non-oral treatment tips to help you if you suffer from recurrent halitosis:

Taking care of your gut microbiota: It all starts with the gut microbiota and your bad breath comes from there as well as from your oral microbiota.

Trust your homemade food rather than processed foods that contain artificial flavors and colors. Also use probiotics such as kefir, kimchi or kombucha.

If your microbiota does not contain the right bacteria, you may have impeccable dental hygiene, but your body will be vulnerable to health problems such as low immunity.

Antibiotics: they hurt you in the long run. Not only do they destroy bad bacteria, but antibiotics also attack good bacteria. You can use garlic or coconut oil which are natural antibiotics. If you ever use antibiotics, be sure to take probiotic supplements to get good bacteria again.

Cigarette and alcohol: Cigarette is a major cause of oral malodour, as well as alcohol. The latter often leads to a dry mouth.

If by the end of this page you'd like to learn more about how to fight your halitosis, we've put together a comprehensive file on the subject to help you get rid of your bad breath for good.