Natural Remedies for Gum Disease

1) Vitamin C
The relationship between vitamin C deficiency and gum disease is widely known. Dating back to 18th century, seafarers consumed limes during long voyages at sea to protect their gums from bleeding. A study in the Journal of Periodontology revealed that people with low vitamin C intakes had enhanced magnitude of periodontal disease. Researchers found 12,419 adults in the US. People who took less than the advised dietary allowance of 60 mg a day were at 1.5 times the risk of encountering serious periodontitis compared to those who consumed more than 180 mg Vitamin C are believed to have less gum disease since vitamin C is an antioxidant and is required to repair connecting tissues besides accelerating the bone regeneration.

To improve the vitamin C intake, consume vitamin C-rich foods, like grapefruit, oranges, kiwi fruit, mango, papaya, strawberry, red pepper, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe. It can be consumed in supplement form also. Discourage chewable vitamin C since the acidity may aggravate the wearing away of tooth enamel over time.

2) Vitamin D
Vitamin D is said to contain anti-inflammatory impacts and may decrease vulnerability to gum disease. A study evaluated the association between vitamin D’s status and periodontitis. They analyzed 77,503 teeth from 6700 people in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and observed that people with increasing blood levels of vitamin D were less probable to encounter bleeding gums during gingival probing.

Exposure to sun is one of the most important derivatives of vitamin D, because UV rays from the sun set off the fusion of vitamin D in skin. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 10 to 15 minutes of exposure to sun twice a week. However, the farther away from the equator one lives, the more polluted the city is, and the more the cloud cover, the less probability of sufficiency of the sun exposure. Multivitamin should have at least 200 IU.

3) Stress reduction
Stress induces gum disease by enhancing plaque accretion. A study examined the impact of exam stress on plaque and gum bleeding. Every student had a professional incisor rinsing 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the exams. They observed that students had considerably increased rates of plaque and periodontitis after exams as compared to the group that did not appear for examinations.

4) Coenzyme Q10
There is certain verification concerning gum disease to lower levels of coenzyme q10, an antioxidant produced in the body naturally, found in large scale in foods, and accessible in supplement mode. Coenzyme q10 has been found to require to appropriately repair the gum tissue. A study found enhancement in inflammation after 3 weeks of consuming typical coenzyme q10 toothpaste. Look for toothpaste containing coenzyme q10 at health food stores, grocery shops and online.

5) Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is an effective antibiotic. A typically applied tea tree oil gel was assessed in a double-blind placebo-controlled study relating 49 people with serious acute periodontitis. They were asked to brush twice every day and were evaluated after 4 and 8 weeks. The set that brushed with tea tree oil had a considerable drop in the magnitude of periodontitis besides bleeding. But tea tree oil gel did not decrease the plaque’s quantum. Employ commercial tea tree toothpaste only and not the tea tree oil.

6) Cranberry
Cranberry may aid gum disease by arresting microbe from clinging to incisors. Buy cranberry juice without extra sugar at a health food store. A typical daily dosage is 4 ounces. Consult your physician before taking blood thinner warfarin or if you get kidney stones.

7) Consider an oscillating & rotating electric toothbrush
A Dutch study evaluated randomized restricted trials and observed that the adoption of oscillating electric toothbrushes with rotating heads for 3 months lowered gingivitis compared to manual brushing with a normal toothbrush. Besides there was a certain fall in plaque, although it was not statistically considerable. Another study observed that the Oral-B ProfessionalCare 7000, having an oscillating and rotating head, was more effective in decreasing plaque and bleeding of periodontitis compared to another electric toothbrush.