Cavities and Natural Oral Care at Home

Looking for natural ways to care for your teeth at home? You can enhance your daily dental care with a few natural ingredients, while leaving cavities themselves to your dentist.

The treatment to eliminate this uncomfortable and dangerous problem is usually done through a restoration, which is carried out by the dentist and consists of removing it and all infected tissue, and then covering the tooth with a substance that can be composite resin, ceramic or amalgam.

Currently, there are 3 ways to carry out this treatment with anesthesia and a drill, to scrape all the compromised material, with laser or with a papain dental gel called, which manages to soften the caries and eliminate all the injured tissue, simply, quickly and without pain, being an excellent option for those who are afraid or simply do not like to go to the dentist.

However, in cases where the decay is very deep and reaches the pulp of the tooth, it may be necessary to perform a root canal treatment, which is more invasive and requires more sessions at the dentist.

So, in order to avoid going through all this process, you can keep an eye open and inspect your mouth carefully sporadically. If you are able to detect any signs of tooth decay in early stages, the more likely it is that your dentist can use simpler solutions.

In order to understand if everything is alright in your mouth, and therefore to know how to protect your teeth, it is necessary to understand how this problem arises in the teeth.

Caries is a disease caused by the action of some bacteria that can cause partial or total destruction of a tooth. The presence of these bacteria in the mouth is associated with inadequate nutrition and poor oral hygiene.

Dental caries arises well before the deterioration of dental enamel occurs. It happens due to the accumulation of food residues and also due to unfavorable conditions for the health of the mouth.

One of the biggest causes of caries is the consumption of sugary foods and drinks, because the cariogenic bacteria that decompose these foods, produce acids that cause the dissolution of the mineral content of the teeth, and consequently the appearance of lesions called caries.

Natural oral care at home

There are natural ingredients that can be part of a daily oral care routine. However, it is important to remember that if the problem has already developed it is necessary to seek professional help.

The suggestions given in this article support healthy teeth and gums, but they do not replace your dentist, and a cavity needs professional care.

There are some foods with properties that are good for the health of the mouth. Check out the tips below.

• Oregano oil: It has a long history in natural oral care. To try it, you can brush your teeth with oregano oil after brushing with toothpaste.

• Xylitol: Because it is a natural sweetener, it helps keep your mouth at healthy pH levels. Xylitol helps to reduce the formation of plaque on the teeth.

• Clove oil: It has been used in oral care since ancient times. You can use this oil by mixing 1 drop of clove oil with a teaspoon of coconut oil and rubbing it on your teeth after your usual brushing.

• Hydroxyapatite: supports remineralization of tooth enamel and helps keep enamel strong and healthy.

• Neem oil: In India, neem twigs are used as chewing sticks to clean and whiten teeth and freshen breath.

To use neem oil, mix 1 drop of this oil in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, rubbing it on your teeth after routine brushing.

• Green tea: Drinking it sugar-free every day can be part of a tooth-friendly diet. You can even use green tea as a mouthwash and to gargle, after daily brushing.

• Salt water: It serves as a simple mouthwash after brushing your teeth. You can do this once a day.

• Sodium bicarbonate: Sodium bicarbonate has a neutral pH and a cleaning action. You can mix 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate with 1/2 teaspoon of water and brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with a solution of 3 teaspoons of bicarbonate in 1 cup (tea) of water.

Attention: As sodium bicarbonate has a very cleaning and abrasive action, it should not be used excessively, as it can cause damage to dental enamel.

• Sesame oil: Sesame oil mouthwash helps clean teeth and supports gum health. This is an ancient practice, used by Indians, which consists of rinsing your mouth with an oil, such as sesame, olive oil or coconut, for about 20 minutes and then spitting it out.

The purpose of this natural practice called oil pulling is to clean the mouth.

To try it, rinse your mouth with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for 20 minutes and then spit it out.

Nutrition for healthy teeth

To support healthy teeth, you can give them a boost of nutrients while you limit the conditions that let bacteria thrive.

You will need to change your routine during the process and track the results. You can start by implementing or increasing doses of the following elements:

• Consume more vitamin D: It is beneficial for bone health as it supports calcium metabolism. It is fat-soluble and is not easily obtained from the diet, even though fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna and mackerel) are a great source of it.

  During the winter, when the sun may be weaker or hidden behind many clouds, take vitamin supplements if necessary;

• Consume more foods that contain vitamin K2: This natural component similar to vitamin K is very important in the development of facial bones, including teeth. The modern diet is deficient in vitamin K, so make a conscious effort to consume it more often, which can contribute to the health of your teeth.

Find it in fermented and animal foods like: animal entrails (mainly crab and lobster); liver oil; bone marrow.

• Try fermented cod liver oil for fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamins such as A, D and K support healthy teeth, and the modern diet is often low in them. Fermenting cod oil, rather than distilling it, causes it to retain the whole vitamins that support tooth remineralization.

If you can’t find, or don’t want to try, cod liver oil, add vitamin A to your diet by eating large amounts of chicken liver, goat cheese, or whole milk. Just know that you will need 50 g of liver, 480 g of cheese and 7 L of milk to replace 1 teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil.

You can also add more vitamin D to your diet by consuming large amounts of eggs, salmon and whole milk. To achieve the vitamin content of 1 teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil, you will need to consume 500 g of salmon, 60 eggs and 80 L of whole milk.

• Use a mineralizing toothpaste: Look for fluoride-free toothpastes that help remineralizing and strengthening your teeth. These products can be more expensive.

If desired, make your own toothpaste. Mix 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of xylitol (or 1/8 teaspoon of stevia), 20 drops of peppermint oil and 20 drops of trace elements or calcium or magnesium powder.

Now you know that natural oral care is not only an option but also easy to implement in your routine. Now you can have better oral hygiene and support healthy teeth and gums.

If you have pain, a visible hole, or bleeding gums that do not settle, see your dentist.