3 Tips to a Healthier Mouth & a Healthier You

If cleanliness is next to Godliness, then oral hygiene isn’t far behind. If you want to know how healthy you really are, open your mouth and look in the mirror. Poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, mouth ulcers, and tooth decay, have all been associated with chronic disease including:

• diabetes
• cancer
• and heart disease.

Good oral hygiene doesn’t just help you flash a great smile – but also helps you stay healthy and prevent disease. Combined with regular brushing and a good diet, these three tips can help improve your oral health.

Tip 1: Try Oil Pulling With a High Quality Coconut Oil

Oil pulling is a practice that dates back thousands of years to ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine. The highly anti microbial & anti bacterial properties of coconut oil help to kill bad bacteria that build up in the mouth – these bacteria are one of the common causes of plaque that lead to periodontal disease.

Oil pulling is simple & easy to add to your morning routine. Simply take 1 or 2 tablespoons of good quality coconut oil and swish in your mouth for 10–15 minutes. Once done, make sure you spit out the coconut oil, rather than swallowing.

Tip 2: Add a Few Drops of Liquid Stevia to Your Drinking Water

Did your mother ever tell you that sweet drinks would rot your teeth? Well now you don’t have to worry! While stevia is normally thought of as a natural sweetener or alternative to sugar, it has also been shown to prevent dental cavities and plaque buildup making it a powerful tool in preventing periodontal disease.

While stevia is often found in natural toothpaste, it is also available in liquid form which is great to add to drinking water and sip on through out the day. You can also add 3–4 drops of stevia extract to lukewarm purified water and use as a natural mouth wash. If you have gingivitis, adding 1 or 2 drops of clove oil, tea tree oil, or peppermint oil, can help soothe gums.

Tip 3: Swap Your Coffee for a Green Tea

If you are looking for more reasons to give up the daily coffee fix and switch to green tea you can add improved dental health. The active constituents of green tea help to protect against both tooth decay and gingivitis.

For best results make sure you use a good quality, organic, green tea that has not been treated with pesticides or sprays.