Mouthwash has become an essential ingredient of one's oral hygiene kit. Though not a substitute for flossing or brushing, it offers additional oral protection. Due to a host of ingredients, such as alcohol,
Chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, menthol, methyl salicylate, fluoride, antibacterial enzymes, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils, zinc chloride and other herbs and "natural" ingredients mouthwash has a number of benefits.

Alcohol is the basic ingredient in all of them. While fluoride protects against decay, chlorhexidine protects against gum diseases. Hydrogen peroxide produces a mild bleaching effect. Herbs and essential oils produce a freshening effect.

Benefits of using a mouthwash

1. Reduces formation of tartar and plaque.
2. Protects from oral problems like gingivitis and periodontal disease, especially if it contains cetylpyridinium or essential oils. Chlorhexidine is also effective in protecting plaque formation and gingivitis.
3. Kills bacteria in the mouth and prevents cavities or decay, especially if it contains fluoride.
4. Mouthwash, to some extent, covers up bad breath due to oral hygiene or oral disease and produces a fresher breath.
5. Certain mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc chloride produce a better breath freshening effect.
6. Helps manage dry mouth, especially if containing biotene.

Types of Mouthwash

1. Cosmetic
2. Therapeutic

The cosmetic one is usually for freshening up the breath and is not regulated by the FDA. The therapeutic ones contain active ingredients aimed at addressing one of the issues like plaque formation, bad breath, dry mouth, or decay. They kill bacteria, reduce plaque, fight gingivitis, and control decay. They are not a substitute for brushing or flossing but supplement these two very well. These are approved by FDA and are proven in terms of safety and efficacy. Rinses with zinc chloride are effective against bad breath, those with fluoride are useful in people who are cavity-prone, and chlorhexidine helps prevent gum disease.

Choosing a mouthwash: This depends on the oral health condition, and it is always advisable that the dentist prescribes the right rinse for you.

When and how to use mouthwash: When you are done with your brushing and flossing, rinse your mouth with a capful of the mouthwash liquid. Swish it around your mouth for about 30 seconds and spit it out. Avoid brushing, drinking water, or rinsing your mouth after using a mouthwash for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will give sufficient time for the active ingredients in the mouthwash (especially if it is a therapeutic one) to act in the mouth. Brushing after mouthwash removes all the effect of the rinse.

Mouthwash: All You Need to Know About it

Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil is the Best Oral Hygiene Treatment

Oil Pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic way of removing all the harmful bacteria, plaque and decay causing microbes from your mouth. All you have to do is squish oil in mouth for 10-15 minutes and spit it out. The best oil for oil pulling is coconut oil, although it can be done with sesame, sunflower or mustard oil.

Coconut oil has antibacterial and antiviral activity which makes it ideal for bacteria heavy oral region. The antimicrobial power of coconut oil combined with goodness of oil-pulling technique makes your oral health concrete - it can’t get better. Besides, coconut oil tastes good too.

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Best and Cheapest Oral Hygiene Therapy: Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil 

Did you know that your tooth brush could be home of over a million bacteria including the flu virus, E coli, staph and yeast fungus? But, can your tooth brush really make you fall ill? Luckily, our immune system ensures that toothbrushes do not make us ill. However, in rare cases, the bacteria on a toothbrush can get past our defenses.

The problem lies in how a toothbrush is stored. The bathroom is humid and moist making it the best place for bacteria to multiply. Storing a toothbrush near the toilet further adds to the problem. Here are a few tips to make your toothbrush healthier.

Wash your hands before and after brushing. Also rinse your toothbrush well before putting toothpaste on it. Using hot water is better than cold water.
Change your toothbrush every three months or whenever the bristles are worn out; whichever comes first. In addition, also change your toothbrush after recovering from any illness. If you use an electric toothbrush, change the head every 3-4 months. Children s brushes need to be changed more often than adult s toothbrushes.
Do not share a toothbrush and avoid storing toothbrushes together. If the bristles touch each other, germs could move from one toothbrush to the other.
Toothbrush caps may not be as good an idea as they seem as it traps moisture inside and does not allow the brush to dry properly. Instead, keep your brush submerged in hydrogen peroxide or any alcohol based mouthwash.
Do not store your toothbrush horizontally. Your toothbrush should always be stored vertically with the brush side on top.
When travelling, if you use a toothbrush cap, allow the brush to dry completely before putting the cap on.
Store your toothbrush away from the toilet and away from the sink such that it cannot get contaminated form water that splashes when you wash your hands or face.
If possible, store your toothbrush in your medicine cabinet.
Always put the cover down before flushing the toilet. This will reduce the number of air borne bacteria that can attach themselves to your toothbrush,
Along with your toothbrush also clean out your toothbrush holder regularly.
Do not try sterilizing your toothbrush in a microwave. Toothbrushes are not designed to withstand extreme temperatures and hence this could damage your toothbrush.
Use a mouthwash after brushing to rinse out any bacteria that may be left behind form your teeth or your toothbrush.

Can Your Toothbrush Make You Ill?

You look your best when you wear a smile on your face. Everyone prefers a smiling face over a frowned one. Since we are talking about smiles, one can never underestimate the role that teeth play in the beauty of a smile. Dental hygiene and care is mandatory if you wish to secure your beautiful smile for years to come.

However, the global statistics for dental care suggests that we do not care enough for our teeth. 60-90% of children who are in school and almost every adult suffer from dental cavities. Dental cavities are pretty common nowadays. And yellowing of teeth can now be seen in almost every other person. It spoils the smile and makes people conscious. By ensuring a few dental care habits in your daily routine lives, you can avoid yellow teeth. Let us discuss the tips and tricks to avoid yellowing of teeth.
 
1. Say no to specific foods: Yellowing of teeth is caused by food choices including coffee, red wine, sodas, juices, sports drinks, white wine, coloured candies and other artificially coloured foods. It will help if these foods are consumed in less quantity and frequency as they are the major contributors towards discoloration of teeth.

2. Water after every coloured drink: Here is a habit that you must inculcate in your routine, whenever you consume any of the above mentioned food items. Post every drink or food intake which can cause tooth-staining, top it up with a glass of water. When you swirl or gargle the water in your mouth, you remove the acids that get accumulated in your mouth. It is one of the simplest preventive measures one can implement to avoid tooth stains.
 
3. Dental Hygiene: Our parents and dentists kept reminding us all the time to brush twice a day and gargle with water post every food intake but did we listen to them as kids? No we did not. Proper brushing, flossing and going for dental checkups at regular intervals are sure shot ways to keep your teeth healthy for majority of your lifetime. One must develop these habits quite early in life to gain benefits from it.

4. Whiten those Yellow teeth:  You might be at that stage of your life where inculcating the above mentioned habits won't do much good. The damage might already have been done. Your teeth are probably yellowish already and you have a history of dental cavities. In this 21st century, there are ways to whiten your teeth artificially with the many alternatives available in the market. One can opt for a solution, which can be done at home itself or go for a laser whitening which is now possible at a dentist clinic.
 
So there is still hope for those who are unable to share that smile with the world due to the yellowing of teeth. Nothing is irreparable here and the health of your teeth lies in your hand.

How to Avoid Yellowing of Teeth

How to heal tooth cavities naturally?

It is believed that tooth decay once occurred cannot be reversed or healed. But the recent studies have proven this wrong. According to the researches cavity can be healed by improved diet. Tooth decay primarily occurs due to bathing the teeth with the foods containing carbohydrates frequently. Bacteria from mouth feed on these foods and produce acids which destroy tooth enamel over a period of time resulting in cavity.

To heal cavities naturally, we need to include the foods rich in minerals like calcium, fat soluble vitamins lack of which cause cavities.

Ways to heal cavities naturally

1. Avoid sugar and phytic acid (phytate)

Sugar is the food for bacteria. So it is better to avoid sugar in your diet. You can replace sugar with pure honey which is much healthier option.

Phytate is mineral blocker found in nuts, seeds, soy products and grains. It does not only inhibit absorption of minerals in your body but also leaches out minerals from the teeth and bones. You can alter the way you eat the phytate containing foods. Prefer sprouted seeds, fermented soy foods, salted bread etc which cut down the amount of phytate.

2. Minerals

Calcium strengthens teeth. Hence increase your calcium intake by consuming milk, cheese and yogurt. With calcium, include phosphorous and magnesium rich diet also to aid calcium functions.

3. Fat soluble vitamins

Lack of fat soluble vitamins also cause tooth decay. Take diet rich in fat soluble vitamins a, e, k and especially vitamin d. Cod liver oil is great source of vitamin a, d, e. Vitamin k can be acquired from spinach, broccoli, skate liver oil, bone marrow etc. In addition to sunshine, milk, eggs and salmon are also rich in vitamin d.

4. Raw dairy products

Raw dairy products are loaded with calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, fat soluble vitamins. We must include raw dairy products in our diet. Raw cheese, butter, milk are the examples of raw dairy foods.

You can also try coconut oil pulling and activated charcoal / dry neem powder to brush your teeth which can prevent cavity naturally.

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How to Heal Tooth Cavities Naturally?

Natural and effective mouth fresheners

Bad breath is a condition in which a stale odor comes out of the mouth. Bad breath can be chronic and serious and a minor issue as well. It usually develops due to germ build-up inside the mouth. When a person eats or drinks anything except water, germ build-up initiates. These germs cause decay of food substances in the mouth, causing the odor. To tackle this problem, mouth fresheners must be used. There are numerous natural mouth fresheners that can be effectively used on daily basis.

1. Fennel seeds-
Chewing fennel seeds helps in eliminating bad breath after meals. You can also chew them whenever you feel that the germ build up has begun and an odor is coming out.
2. Mint leaves-
A spoonful of mint leaf juice can work wonder on neutralizing bad breath. It halts germ build-up immediately. You can also choose the easier option and simply munch onto some mint leaves.
3. Citric fruits-
Have a good portion of orange or sweet lime pulp whenever you experience bad breath. Citric acid in these fruits acts against the germs and the fruit dominates the odor forcing it to disappear.
4. Guava-
Not many people know that guava is an excellent mouth freshener. Don’t just eat the pulpy part of the fruit; consume it with the outer layer. The skin of this fruits effectively fights germs in the mouth, decreasing the bad odor.
5. Pomegranate-
The seeds of pomegranate must be regularly chewed to effectively tackle chronic mouth odor issues. It also works immediately on germ build-up and neutralizes it.
6. Clove-
Clove is an ideal cure not only to your bad breath but also to all your dental and oral problems. Rather than chewing it, it’s better to keep it on your cheek side and sucking it in every few seconds. It doesn’t let any germs to build-up in your mouth, at the same time it ensures better dental and oral health.
If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.

You Can Never Have Bad  Breath If You Have These Natural Mouth Fresheners

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