Q. Dear Terry, “My husband has some dental issues and I finally convinced him to go to the dentist. He has a gum infection among other things. I want to help him find natural ways to keep his teeth healthy from now on. What should he take?” – Misty K., New York, NY
A. Dear Misty, When it comes to dental health, I highly recommend keeping your husband’s dentist in the loop. With that being said, I think I have some natural options that can help.
To help keep the gums and mouth healthy, I recommend concentrated plant oils of cinnamon, thyme, clove, and oregano. Cinnamon is a great antibacterial and antifungal, and was actually worth more than silver in ancient Rome. One of the most potent compounds in cinnamon, called cinnamaldehyde, has even been shown to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus. Thyme is one of the best concentrated plant oils to fight bacteria. However, this variety of thyme is a different species than you may use for cooking. The variety of thyme I recommend for oral health is Thymus satureioides. Clove has strong antibacterial properties for yeast and oral pathogens like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, which are both linked to periodontal disease. Lastly, oregano is one of my favorite botanicals because it is such a potent antimicrobial for bacteria, fungi, parasites, and more. Oregano is also a great anti-inflammatory which makes it very useful for oral health.
Look for concentrated plant oils that are approved for internal use. Unlike essential oils used for massage and aromatherapy, these plant oils are tested and their identity verified based on specific molecular makeup, species, marker compounds, purity, and safety for internal medicinal use. The extraordinary potency of these tested plant oils allows for relatively low doses, but very powerful health benefits.
I would take these four plant oils internally two to three times a day, or after each meal.
He may also want to consider adding propolis because it is an excellent antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and more. Make sure you use propolis that is purified to remove inactive resins and beeswax. I would take propolis once or twice per day.
Andrographis has been used to safely and effectively fight bacterial infections. I believe that taking andrographis once or twice daily would be an excellent choice. Look for an andrographis standardized to andrographolide content.
Lastly, he could add CoQ10 as ubiquinol or ubiquinone. A chewable CoQ10 may be even more beneficial as the absorption will start in the mouth. I would take CoQ10 once or twice daily.
Healthy Regards!
Terry . . . Naturally
[Connect on Social Media and sign up for my E-Newsletter]
[Choose from topics below to personalize articles fed to your home page]