Good Mouth Care the Herbal Way

Good Mouth Care the Herbal Way

Using tooth powder is definitely not a new thing. Many today globally still use some form of clay to re-mineralize and clean their teeth daily with consistently good results. My husband lived in Germany for many years and that's what many use in Europe. It comes in a light weight cardboard box too. When I think about all the toothpaste tubes heading to the dump, I'm concerned. How will these ever breakdown? Even if recyclable, what about the toxic processes necessary to recycle certain plastics? Plus many the ingredients in commercial toothpastes are just not good for us. The mouth is full of blood vessels and mucosa designed to absorb significant amounts, quickly, straight into the bloodstream, including much of the unwanted chemicals, artificial sweeteners, and dyes that are known neurotoxins. The rest of it ends up in our water supply after spitting them out. There is another way, yes? The main ingredient in many tooth powders is Bentonite Clay. Not only does it bind to and draw out heavy metals and toxins but it is alkaline and full of minerals.

There are many simple herbal tooth powder recipes that are so easy to follow. Just beginning is the hard part. Most health food stores will have all your ingredients or try Mountain Rose Herbs on-line.

​Basic Tooth Powder Recipe:
Mix Equal parts of: Baking soda, Bentonite Clay powder, Myrrh powder, and Sea Salt powder (grind the salt in a clean coffee grinder for a minute to powder so it is less abrasive). I love adding Spearmint, Peppermint, or Fennel Essential Oil to up the flavor and the antimicrobial action. Add 30 drops per 1 cup of mixed powder. Sift the powders through a fine mesh sieve, including the essential oils to break them up because they form little beads of oil in the powders. Once combined well, spoon into a small glass jar, label, and you're ready. When you need to brush, pour a small amount in your hand, wet your toothbrush, and brush as usual. There are times when I add other powdered plants to this mix to up the re-mineralizing and healing properties of the blend. 

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Homemade Herbal Mouth Rinse

This is a strong and effective mouth rinse particularly for those with gingivitis and periodontal disease. Also helpful for toning gums, keeping them tight to the teeth, and for cold sores, sensitive gums and teeth. Those with festering infections up around the tooth roots that actually drain into the mouth will benefit from this used daily. These active situations as well as the low lying infections of periodontal disease, have been linked to bone and tooth loss, heart disease and stomach cancers. Gum flapping has many promises, is very invasive and traumatic, and I have seen dentists unable to tell what quadrant was done once healed. Sometimes we need surgery. But the point of invasive surgeries is to change the situation, yes? Laser treatments and antibiotic injection to the tooth roots are other options. Insurance companies won’t pay for the care needed either, unless we pay more, which completely disturbs me and makes me look honestly at our healthcare system. Treating our gums is far more cost effective than treating heart disease and cancer.
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Yes, we still have options for supporting tooth and gum health. I’ve made this herbal based mouth rinse and given the recipe out for more than 20 years with great reports of great results. You begin by making a full strength tincture. When done, it has a few additions to ease the alcohol content but keep it stable and improve taste and healing properties. Those with alcohol dependency issues cannot use this remedy and so I suggest salt water gargles daily for them, which work great too. We have to tend more to the openings in our body that are more susceptible to microbes from the outer world. Here is another one for tending to the mouth.
 
Ingredients & Instructions:

1. Make your tincture first. Start at step #2 if you're new to herbal medicine making. Easy! Pack a quart sized jar with equal parts of fresh Echinacea root and leaf, Horsetail, Sage leaf, Calendula flower, Yellowdock root (I’ve removed the Elecampane root because children hated the taste but you can add 1 part if your choose) For the more seasoned herbal people, you can start your tincture in the summer with the aerial parts harvested and later in the fall add the roots after fall harvest time. 
2. You can also get dried herbs instead and fill your jar ½ full of dried medicine plants. Buying 1oz. each of the dried herbs is plenty to make this recipe definitely once; possibly twice. 
3. Add vodka 100 proof, cover all herbs and fill the jar. Cap, label, and shake often for two months or more. This is your full strength tincture.
4. Strain your full strength tincture through a fine mesh sieve and several layers of cheese cloth, re-bottle, and label well including what plants are in this plus your finishing instructions, which are the following steps. Place in your 'home apothecary' medicine area in your home.
5. To mix your finished product, measure out 10oz. of Distilled Water (available in pharmacy) into a large measuring cup with a pour spout or a pitcher will do.
6. Add 5oz. of your finished tincture, 2oz of vegetable glycerin (health food stores have this) and stir gently.
7. You can bottle for use just like this or add 30 drops of Spearmint essential oil and 10 drops of Tea Tree Essential oil for increasing flavor and antimicrobial strength. 
8. Save your full strength tincture for making your next bottle of rinse. Store away from light and heat. 
9. Taste and swish! Find the perfect glass bottle to pour into and enjoy! Remember to label. Yes, you can add this to a water pic to get deeper into the gum areas if needed. Suggested use is twice daily after brushing.

Your yield for 1 batch of full strength tincture? I estimate you can make FIVE 17oz. bottles of finished mouth rinse! Maybe six depending on the dried versus fresh herbs you get. Yes, it's Earth and body friendly, effective, and very cost effective too.

May you find simple, powerful healing among the medicine plants like so many have. The plants wait for us and are gifted medicine keepers we have evolved on. Each of us must come in our own time back to some of the simpler ways of tending to our health.

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Interested in learning more about medicine plants?

This is part of one of our recent lessons for the new herbalists coming into the world this year through "Birthing an Herbalist in 13 Moons" , an on-line course I designed for training you to know how to make simple powerful medicines right from your own well-stocked apothecary designed by you, for you and your family. I walk with you through the whole course and it's a good, strong journey together deep into the plant world our ancestors knew well. 

A new group is starting in April and there's a discount until the end of March. See the full description for all the details in the following links. Questions Welcomed.

ElderMoon School xo-Jen

Birthing an Herbalist in 13 Moons On-line Course

Birthing an Herbalist in 13 Moons In-Person

MoonLodge for Women - Synchronizing with the Moon Cycles