Herbs in oral, dental and other healing

Herbs can be highly therapeutic

Using plants and their derivatives (extracts etc.) to trigger and/or assist the in-built self-healing mechanisms of the body may be as old as humankind. It is well-known that guided by instinct, animals too will seek out certain plants for health and healing purposes (and possibly frequently combine this with fasting).

For some powerful dental healing testimonials involving herbs, compare for instance the real-life stories serious gum disease (teeth wiggling in their sockets) and chronic periodontitis [after twice daily brushing using conventional toothpaste had failed]). And many powerful cancer cure testimonials involving herbs have been listed here.

Special tip: when taken in combination with other herbs, cayenne pepper due to its circulation-enhancing properties increases their absorption, power and effectiveness.

Be aware

While herbs and their derivatives can doubtless be powerful helpmates in regaining or maintaining oral (and other) health and even though medicinal products derived from organically grown or wild-crafted herbs and plants (and Healing Teeth Naturally only recommends the latter, for the reasons see Shopping for herbs) can be considered natural, they can be or become toxic (or less than beneficial, such as when using large amounts over a longer time period).

In fact, nearly all foodstuffs and therapeutic/medicinal herbs found in nature and used by humans may contain some ingredient(s) which can be toxic when the respective item is overindulged in (not to mention the issue of allergies - there may be few products in the world where there isn't somewhere someone allergic to it).^[1]

Additionally, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it would seem advisable to research any contraindications reported for the herb or herbal preparation/combination you are planning to use.

Another issue can be the question of habituation where the body may no longer benefit from any one item or food used for too long.

Shopping for good herbal products

When shopping for herbal products, it would seem best to make sure to opt for the highest quality rather than the cheapest price or offer. In addition to looking for truly organic^[3] or wild-crafted, watch out for (and try to avoid) chemical toxins added in the production process (there can be a surprising amount).

Be aware that depending on which soil a plant is grown in, it can be richly (or less so) endowed with valuable ingredients, and may be contaminated with pollutants from industrial waste (such as lead). Another consideration is freshness, for optimum effectiveness make sure the ingredients in the herbs you buy are still (considered to be) active.

Incidentally, "common" while highly therapeutic herbs such as stinging nettle, dandelion, yarrow and plantain can also be collected as long as one has access to less or unpolluted areas where they grow.

Herbs in dental applications

Herbs used for oral or dental care or healing purposes have been prepared as a mouthwash, rinse or gargle or directly applied to teeth or gums such as in gum packs or used as (or in) tooth powders.

Depending upon the instructions given by the herbalist or manufacturer, rinses can be made by preparing a herb as tea or decoction, or simply by stirring the powdered herb into water.

Conclusion: aiming at long-term health

Herbal treatments can indeed be immensely helpful and a number of their effects have already been analyzed and confirmed in the laboratory^[2]. In the long run however, one's best bet for sustained health and healing success may be looking into implementing optimised dietary habits and a toxin-free natural, happy lifestyle.

Last but not least...

Most of the recommendations and suggestions for the self-treatment of different tooth and gum problems (tooth decay, gum inflammation or gingivitis, bleeding gums, "gum infection", receding gums, loose teeth etc.) via the administration of herbal preparations featured on this site have been gleaned, compiled, edited and/or translated by Healing Teeth Naturally from English, German and French online and offline sources (e.g. highly impressive real-life healing stories - "anecdotal" reports not provided by the seller of a product but by individuals sharing on forums).

However, with the field of herbology being extensive and ascribed uses and benefits (at least) occasionally varying according to sources (without even mentioning the effect of the well-known [and powerful] placebo effect in most any treatment humans will apply), a guarantee of complete accuracy or (particularly) comprehensiveness cannot be given.

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Footnotes

1 Additionally, some herbs apparently have estrogenic effects in the human body and are therefore possibly not advised for people with so-called estrogen-dependent cancers (breast, endometrial, ovarian...).

Personally I think it tremendously more important to try and avoid the ubiquitous xenoestrogens from chemical compounds newly introduced into our environment and found in items/chemicals such as insecticides, sunscreen lotions, plastics, pesticides, adhesives, paints, parabens, etc. etc.

These newfangled xenoestrogens are the ones the human body has had no time to adapt to while ancient, naturally occurring so-called archiestrogens such as the phytoestrogens (estrogenic substances found in certain herbs and plants) are produced by living organisms and even differ chemically from xenoestrogens.

For an example of how the "estrogen and cancer" issue can be abused in pharmaceutical industry propaganda to further commercial interests, see Are lavender and tea tree essential oils estrogenic?.

2 Though generally speaking, it may be safe to assume that much less research efforts go into non-patentable [and hence not very profitable] herbs than into highly profitable patented drugs. In fact some research seems to be undertaken to "prove" that time-honoured herbal products are "dangerous" to health. A telling example can be read at Are lavender and tea tree essential oils estrogenic?.

3 The term "organic" may or may not be protected in the country you live in (similar to the designation "natural"). So make sure to read labels and go for 100% certified organic wherever available.

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