Long before the advent of modern medicine, people were using the amazing properties of different plants to maintain health and cure disease. However, with the rise of big pharmaceutical companies this reliance on nature has waned and now many people’s first point of call for keeping them healthy is the chemist. However, just because the majority of people do not rely on nature for their healthcare, it doesn’t mean that plants have stopped having the ability to heal. But what has changed is our knowledge of why these natural botanicals can keep us healthy and exactly how to get the best out of them.
Essential oils and their use in aromatherapy and holistic medicine can be a surprisingly effective method to keep us healthy – naturally. Essential oils are so named because they contain the very ‘essence’ of the plant and so contain the most potent and effective parts of the plant. Essential oils are extremely concentrated, for example it takes approximately 100 kg of our fresh lavender flowers to make just 500g of our amazing lavender essential oil, and this is what makes them so potent and able to achieve amazing results without the intervention of chemically synthesised medicines.
But does the same apply to our oral health? Can essential oils help to naturally support this too?
Lavender essential oil has a number of incredible properties that could be very beneficial to our teeth, gums, and mouths. It is naturally antibacterial and cleansing, whilst also having the ability to encourage more rapid healing of sores, cuts, and scars. So how can lavender essential oils be used to support our oral health?
1. Create an essential oil mouth rinse
Rather than relying on expensive mouthwashes that are full of unpronounceable chemicals and mouth-unfriendly nasties such as alcohol, a simple natural mouth rinse can be made by mixing 1 cup of distilled water with 10 drops of essential oils such as lavender, mint, and tea tree.
2. Clean dental implants
Simply apply a few drops of lavender and / or tea tree oil directly to dentures or dental implants and leave overnight for a fresh and natural clean.
3. Relieve anxiety
Many people find going to the dentist a very unpleasant experience. Many dentists have now started to fragrance their waiting rooms with lavender to relieve the anxiety of their patients. However, you can also help with this by carrying a handkerchief or tissue that has been sprinkled with lavender essential oil with you and inhaling the scent if you feel anxious.
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