6 Natural Dental Care Regimen Tips You Should Be Trying

Natural options for skincare and makeup is a very popular and well-known niche, but one of the most difficult, and arguably the most important things to switch to is a natural solution to your dental health care regimen. You read that right, making the switch to a natural oral care game-plane is one of the toughest transitions, second only to natural deodorant, if you’re accustomed to using commercial products for years.

Making sure your breath is fresh and your teeth are healthy is important, and these six natural dental care regimens tips will not let you down.

Replace Your Toothbrush

First thing's first, throw out your old toothbrush, because it’s probably time to get a new one anyway! Side note; dentists recommend that you replace your toothbrush every three to four months, which is also around how often you should be getting your dental cleanings as well.

Having said that, when looking for a replacement toothbrush, stray away from the traditional plastic ones as they tend to be too harsh and abrasive on your teeth and gums. Instead, opt for a BPA-free nylon or natural Bamboo toothbrush, which often also feature charcoal-infused bristles. If charcoal isn’t your thing, then you can also go for a plant-based bristle solution, like a castor bean oil bristle brush.

If neither of those options seem appealing to you, there’s now something called an Ionic Toothbrush. This toothbrush is great for reducing bad bacteria in the mouth, but new studies have shown that this toothbrush has its own set of unique benefits. These benefits include reducing hypersensitivity, plaque build up and bleeding. An Ionic Toothbrush temporarily reverses the polarity of the tooth's surface from negative to positive, which draws plaque towards the head of the brush. As a result, you’re able to clear more plaque, and because of the reversed polarity, your teeth will reject plaque even in areas that the bristles haven't touched.

Easy On The Paste

Toothpaste is the key to maintaining good oral health, acting as an antibacterial. But what type of toothpaste are you choosing? Detox your toothpaste by eliminating fluoride, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate, triclosan, sodium hydroxide and other junk that you really don’t want to be ingesting.

These chemicals are damaging to the body as a whole, and they can even reduce the healthy bacteria, or probiotics, in the mouth. Opting for a toothpaste that uses natural antibacterial agents and breath fresheners such as baking soda, essential oils and Neem are a safer idea.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can even create your own toothpaste if you’re brave enough.  There’s plenty of in-depth guides out there that can get you started on your DIY-Toothpaste journey.

Oil Pulling

Before brushing, try oil pulling. What the heck is oil pulling, you ask? It’s an ancient Ayurvedic holistic dental care method that simply involves swishing cold-pressed oil in your mouth for a set amount of time. The idea behind this is that when you swish oil in your mouth, it helps “pull” the toxins from your system as you sift the oil through your gums and teeth. The oils typically used are coconut, olive and sesame oil.

To be honest, we’ve tested it out and it seems to actually work! We noticed healthier gums, much less plaque, improved breath and really soft lips. The best part is you can use the oil that’s sitting in your cupboard, or you can find pre-portioned coconut oil packets either on Amazon or at your local grocery store.

Naturally Freshen Your Breath

If you needed a sign to avoid using commercial mouthwash, this is it. Some scientists believe that alcohol-based mouthwashes are partly responsible for the increase of oral cancer. It’s believed that alcohol dehydrates the cells in your mouth, which in turn allows carcinogens to easily permeate the skin, thus promoting cancer.

But fear not, there’s good news. You can still get the disinfecting properties mouthwash offers, all without the alcohol. Like we mentioned earlier about DIY-Toothpaste, there’s also DIY-Mouthwash. This homemade concoction uses peppermint and tea tree essential oils to freshen breath, kill harmful germs, and leave your mouth feeling extra clean.

If DIY isn’t your thing, then no problem. There are tons of options available online, like this Mineral Mouth Rinse, or this CBD-Infused Organic Mouthwash.

One of the problems with traditional oral hygiene products is that they don’t help to replenish the nutrients in your teeth and gums. Check out the products mentioned above and we promise you’ll never go back to an alcohol-based mouthwash again!

Flossing & Scraping

You go to the dentist and they constantly remind you to floss your teeth daily, and like most people we tend to overlook that part of our daily oral care regimen. If you’re feeling guilty about not flossing as often as you should, don’t feel too bad. The New York Times reported that the evidence that flossing reduces plaque and tooth decay is ‘very unreliable’, although there may be more proof that flossing in fact reduces gum inflammation.

If you’re a religious flosser, well done and keep it up! If you’re like me, and absolutely hate it, then a natural floss can make the experience much more pleasant. Research indicates that tea tree oil significantly reduces gingivitis and bleeding gums, even in patients with preexisting gingivitis. Try adding some tea tree oil to your floss next time and see how that works out for you!

Now what about scraping? I’m almost certain most of us ignore this part. The fastest way to get that nasty bacteria out of your mouth is with a tongue scraper. A traditional technique in Ayurveda, tongue scraping cleans bacteria build up, food debris, fungi and dead cells from the surface of your tongue. This helps clean your mouth, improve breath and keep your oral cavity healthy as can be.

Natural Tooth Whitening

Keeping your teeth bright and white is a constant struggle, especially if you’re a coffee or wine drinker. Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, activated charcoal, and sage are all common remedies for at-home whitening techniques without the involvement of harsh chemicals.

Believe it or not, strawberries are also another at-home remedy for tooth whitening. Besides that, they’re absolutely delicious. Strawberries contain malic acid, which works as an astringent to help get rid of stains found on your enamel.

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, removes plaque while polishing your teeth, so the combo of these two ingredients make for a powerful and affordable smile enhancer. Check this strawberry whitening recipe out and you may be pleasantly surprised.

In The End

We hope you enjoyed these six tips on turning your oral care regimen into a bacteria fighting battleground, and we’re certain that with these lifestyle changes, your teeth will be sparkling yet again!