If I asked you if good oral health is important. I’m betting that 99/100 of you would tell me, “Well of course it is!” or “Duh, yea.” or some other creative affirmative response. Now if I asked you WHY good oral health is important that is something I think you might struggle to answer with something other than with, “So my teeth don’t rot out.” And yes, while teeth rotting out would be very bad, it’s not the biggest reason that you should be concerned with oral hygiene.
I live in Illinois, but I have an osteopathic doctor in Kansas City, MO. We had some concerns about my heart (my dad had open heart surgery at 51) and I’m not slim…..by any means. Add to that my difficulty losing weight, and I have a lot of factors that could contribute to heart disease. What does this have to do with oral hygiene, you ask? I’m getting there! Hang in there another paragraph or two.
I went out to KC was evaluated, and sure enough, I had the beginnings of heart disease. They treat heart disease totally different than any other clinic I’ve ever been to, and I have since been given a clean bill of health without open-heart surgery or stints or anything more invasive than an IV. But that’s a story for another day.
One of the things that my doctor in Kansas City told me was to get into see a dentist! Get into see a dentist?!? Really? Yes because there is a link between gum disease and heart disease! Other doctors and dentists seem to agree with her. You can check out this article here.
Wow. That was a HUGE eye opener for me! So when I tell you that oral hygiene is important, it’s more important than just so your teeth don’t disintegrate in your mouth.
So what should we do about it? I already gave you the awesome recipe that my family uses for toothpaste in this article. So what about mouthwash? Brushing and flossing get most of the gunk, but there are areas that really only liquid can get into. That’s where mouthwash comes in. We’re going to use a lot of the same ingredients that we used in our toothpaste.
DIY Mouthwash
1 T + 1 tsp baking soda – this really needs to be non-aluminum
1 T + 1tsp salt – I highly suggest using either sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
1 T + 1 tsp xylitol
80 drops Concentrace mineral drops
10 drops tea tree oil
20 drops peppermint oil
3 1/2 C distilled water
Directions:
1.) Put 1/2 C distilled water in a quart mason jar (or another glass container) add the baking soda, salt, and xylitol, and stir well.
2.) Add the Concentrace mineral drops, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil.
3.) Pour another 3 C of distilled water into the jar. Put the cap on and give it a good shake before each use.
Information on some of the ingredients
Baking soda is a great component is for this because it is very alkaline and helps increase the pH in your mouth. An acidic mouth where the pH is low becomes a breeding ground for germs, viruses, and bacteria.
Salt has been used for medicinal purposes after dental surgeries – like when I had my wisdom teeth out AGES ago. Salt is cleansing, healing, and anti-inflammatory when used in this way. Also, I should reiterate, that table salt isn’t the best thing to use here. Celtic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan salt is the best choice.
Concentrace Mineral Drops help in the remineralization of teeth or aid to keep teeth strong in the first place. We’ve been using these drops for about 5 years and will never go back. None of my children have had any cavities to this point in their lives.
While xylitol sweetens the mixture, it’s also a huge factor in oral hygiene. This website lauds xylitol’s properties which are immensely helpful in oral hygiene. I should caution you though, if you have a dog, do be careful not to drop any around it. Xylitol is poisonous to dogs.
Tea tree oil is an essential oil known for its antibacterial properties. Because I believe the quality to be better than cheaper alternatives, I use Young Living. If you are looking for another alternative that’s less expensive, I’d look into Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils. The same would hold true for the peppermint below.
Peppermint essential oil increases oxygenation to the mouth and just makes the whole thing taste better.
What about you? Do you use mouthwash on a regular basis? Why or why not? Is this something that you would try once to see if it was as effective as you hoped?
