Natural Oral Care Routine

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook about my Dentist appointment: Went to the dentist today and they were amazed (their word, not mine) at the condition of my teeth and gums and asked what I've been doing - told them about the coconut oil and cinnamon-honey mouthwash and they were really excited! Hardly any scraping and NO bleeding (which they said never happens).
They were really pleased and the hygienist said she was going to incorporate my system at home. Score one for the natural / homeopathic world...

Several people asked what I was doing. I'm not one to give tiny bits of information - I'm the queen of too much information but I like to be through and let people decide what information they need and don't. Also, I don't want to be the reason someone's plumbing gets all messed up...read on, you'll understand.

This was my Facebook response but I thought it was too long to post so I'm blogging about it and then linking it. I hope you find this helpful or informative and really...I hope you try it. It's so great.

Background:

There's something called Oil Pulling where you swish oil (coconut, olive, etc.) your mouth for between 20 and 30 minutes a day. It is supposed to help pull toxins out of your blood, help with tooth and gum health, alleviate oral bacteria and generally help with what ails you. Many believe it's a super-practice that helps cure diseases and illnesses, etc. as the mouth is so susceptible to absorbing what's around us. It's something I tried to do but had a really had time managing it. It’s something that I’d probably get used to doing if I tried, everyday, for a few weeks I’m sure.

Anyway, I couldn't get myself to do the oil pulling so I just began rubbing my tooth brush into a container of coconut oil and brushing my teeth with it.

Coconut Oil: 

There’s a LOT of chatter about this stuff right now and everyone is on the organic, etc. bandwagon. I've done some research and I can’t find a single thing that supports that one would need to use special coconut oil. Everything that I can find states the same thing; 1) Coconuts don’t need to be organic – they don’t really have issues growing or with pests, etc. 2) Food-grade coconut oil is the exact same thing as the specialty oils. If you’re all gung-ho for all organic things in your life and you can afford that, go for it – but it’s not necessary (says me).

Coconut Oil is an interesting oil which solidifies around 76 degrees so you’ll put it on your toothbrush solid, it will melt in your mouth (you’ll learn to brush with your head tilted back a little so you don’t drip oil) and then, you’ll need to rinse your brush with HOT WATER so it doesn't solidify in your drain. I am in the habit of brushing my teeth and then washing my face so the hot water has time to continue to wash the oil away. You can also spit it in the garbage.

To describe it, it feels like the oil is wrapping around your teeth and taking all the gunk off your teeth (like using an oil-based cleaner to get something like permanent marker off wood or your skin). When I spit it out, it’s a gross and dirty color. I also brush my tongue as best as I can – until I gag / until the bacteria are washed off my tongue.

One last note about Coconut Oil is it’s an incredible oil – I’d recommend you check out Coconut Oil The Quick & Easy Guide by ChrisReichert & Joey Cardillo it’s a quick overview. Also Dr.Mercola for people and Dr. Becker for pet information.

I've tried it as: 

• a hair conditioner - my hair is too oily to begin with but it’s a good deep conditioner to use before showering sometimes; for people with dry hair, it may work better for you
• body lotion - too heavy for most parts of my body but legs and arms are ok - my skin is super sensitive
• face lotion - use a TINY amount – it almost doesn't feel  like I’m using anything at first. At night, I put it around my eyes to help with wrinkles and during the day, just in my dry areas. 
• for the dog, too - in her food (about a teaspoon, twice a day - she loves it), on her itchy spots (stopped the redness and itching overnight on a hot-spot she can't lick). 
• we also cook with it (anything we’d use oil for like popcorn, etc.) 
• I pretty much just began experimenting with it and kind of slathered it all over my life until I found how it worked for me or didn't - interesting outcomes but good for the knowledge side of things!

Mouthwash: 

 For the mouthwash, I just took a small jar and added two Tablespoons of honey (from Michigan) and 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon (I purchase my herbs in bulk and keep them in the freezer until needed – mostly, I buy them whole and grind them down when I need them but Cinnamon is really hard on household grinders so it makes more sense to purchase ground for this) – I mixed the two together until they were completely incorporated and then I just take 1/2 teaspoon and stir it into some hot water until the honey dissolves (1/4 cup-ish). It takes a minute to dissolve it all and sometimes I have to use my finger to get all the mixture off the measuring spoon.
I get around two good swishes out of that.

Someone asked if the honey is a good idea (as it's a sweetener around your gums) what I've found in my research (and I AM NO DOCTOR so don't quote me, talk to your own practitioner) is that in small amounts the honey is even ok for diabetics (which I am not).

The mixture of honey and cinnamon is used in several natural remedies ranging from cholesterol and colds to upset stomachs / gas and skin infections. They are both highly respected and used products in the natural world and I think there's something to the bacteria / breath freshening concept here. Like I said though, you'll have to see for yourself how you feel about it.

The order I usually do my teeth is the mouthwash first (there will be a little cinnamon stuck in your teeth afterwards), then flossing (if I have time) and then I brush my teeth with the coconut oil.

If you don't like Cinnamon this is NOT FOR YOU!!! I love the taste and it's strong - it stays with me for a bit afterwards but I can't taste the honey. Wishing you happy dentist visits and healthy gums and teeth...