Sometime back, I was consulted by a patient who had recently got Root Canaling done. The patient’s complaint was that post RC, he couldn’t open his mouth completely. There was no pain, but he had difficulty in chewing, speaking and general discomfort. And his biggest question was “Is there any cure for this in Ayurveda?” I won’t go into the whole story, but end of the story was- he got relief from his complications within a week! As patients with dental and mouth disorders rarely seek Ayurveda, this was unique to me too. But, after this case, I researched deeper and Ayurveda didn’t disappoint me.
In today’s times our regular Oral hygiene mostly concentrates on teeth, sometimes on tongue and odor. What we forget that our mouth has whole universe inside it with gums, palate, teeth, lips, tongue, various glands and much more and is a gateway to our whole body!
In Ayurveda, oral health is very varying with each person’s constitution (prakriti), and time of year. The body constitution is classified based on the three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. The dominant dosha in the individual and climate determine the oral healthcare in Ayurveda. To know your body type, your mind type, your past, present and future health- everything to do with it- write me on –maitrinagar@gmail.com
Here are few tips for the overall good oral health-
- Amla (Emblic myrobalan): general rebuilder of oral health.
- Bilberry fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus) and hawthorn berry (Crateagus oxycanthus) stabilize collagen, strengthening the gum tissue.
- Liquorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabral) promotes anti-cavity action, reduces plaque, and has an antibacterial effect.
- Mangiferin a compound present in mango leaves had significant antibacterial property.
- So these herbs can be used in their powdered form for oral cleansing. Simply take 3-5 gms of the powder, use fingers to massage the teeth, gums, tongue with the powder and then gargle with luke-warm water. Do it for minimum 21 days and see the results
- If oral health is more important than taste- using neem datum (azadirachta indica tender branches) twice/week acts as your natural dentist and solves all your oral problems.
Benefits–
- Strengthens gums
- Whitens teeth
- Cleanses oral cavity
- Destroys foul breath
- Terminates all harmful bacteria
- Enhances taste buds
- Improves digestion
- Removes pain and associated symptoms of oral cavity
- Makes voice clear
- Clears sinuses
Food for thought- If sweet taste is most responsible for our oral health problems, how come our toothpastes are sweet???
Knowing Ayurveda 