Clean Green Teeth: Natural Ways to Achieve a Healthy Smile

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by: Martin Fresh
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Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 Time: 3:51 AM
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Aside from being expensive, commercial oral hygiene products, toothpastes and mouthwashes, tend to be chemical-ridden. According to Dental Health Magazine, these chemicals include an ingredient called triclosan. Triclosan may upset the endocrine system balance and it may generate ultra-strong, antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Triclosan is typically used as an antibacterial agent in a range of cleaning products and it is meant to prevent odour and eliminate fungus. In the production of oral hygiene products, triclosan is included with the intent of eradicating gingivitis and warding against the formation of bacteria and plaque. But, the potentially damaging chemical is so prevalent in society that traces of it can be found in ¾ of our population's urine.

Vitamin and Oil Alternatives

Finding natural and effective ways to care for our smiles has never been more important than now, with the use of chemicals and the prices of such products continually rising. Here are a few home remedies that you could execute to save money and to care for your teeth naturally.

Taking vitamin C supplements will not only aid in the prevention of illness, it will bolster your chances of not developing gum disease. Other vitamins to consider taking for the benefit of your oral hygiene are B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6, which helps to aid in tissue integrity. In other words, vitamin B6 will help to strengthen your gums.
There are proven essential oils and other oils that are effective for a clean and green oral hygiene procedure. Almond, peppermint and spearmint essential oil can be rubbed on the gums to fight infection and to freshen the breath. Using a toothbrush with the bristles dabbed in tea tree oil will help to clean your gums and teeth since it is a natural bacteria-fighting agent.

Natural Chemical Alternative

If you choose to continue using commercial toothpastes as part of you oral hygiene regime, you can sprinkle a few drops of baking soda onto your toothpaste-topped toothbrush to aid in whitening your teeth and helping to freshen your breath.

Herb Alternatives

For a more active approach, try grabbing a few sprigs of peppermint leaves from a peppermint bush and chew. Chewing peppermint leaves helps to freshen your breath while the active nutrients contained in the leaves travel to your bloodstream to prevent and eliminate odours caused by strong-smelling foods such as garlic.
Other herbs to consider using during your oral hygiene procedure include star anise, cardamom, cilantro and cloves.

Star anise tastes like liquorice but has a fresh aroma and has been used as a natural breath freshener for centuries in India. Cardamom has strong antiseptic properties, which can kill mouth bacteria. Star anise or cardamom seeds can be chewed to achieve the desired effects.

Cilantro can be steeped in hot water to make a tea that can be used as a mouthwash for preventing bad breath. Cloves have a long-standing history of being associated with oral hygiene. From as far back as 4 B.C., cloves have been chewed to freshen the breath. In addition, cloves have antiseptic properties.

Maintaining a healthy smile and oral hygiene routine does not have to be expensive and it does not need to have a strong chemical influence. For other methods, and before acting on these methods, consult your dentist.

About the Author

Whether you clean your teeth the green way or the 'normal' way, bleeding gum is a real problem that can affect many of us, so it is best to seek out gingivitis information to make sure your smile is up to scratch.