Essential Oils for Oral Health: DIY Applications & Safety Tips

People all around the globe can testify that using essential oils for oral health is one of the best decisions you can make for your body. Not only are they extremely effective at managing mouth pain and gingivitis, but when used properly, essential oils can help reduce your risk of dental diseases.

You may be surprised to learn that some experts claim that 80-90% of all diseases are linked to oral health, so maintaining total health can start with a clean mouth!

Essential Oils in Dentistry

We know from childhood visits to the dentist that bacteria in the mouth cause all sorts of dental diseases and other problems, but with the growing interest in holistic oral health, we are learning not to over-sanitize our bodies. Mouthwashes with strong antiseptic properties that kill everything on contact may not provide the best option for natural dental health.

Natural products are, thankfully, much less concerning than man-made, over-the-counter products, so essential oils give us little reason to be concerned about the broad elimination of oral bacteria. For example, in the words of Robert Tisserand: “Whether [essential oil] constituents might then negatively affect the bowel flora is pure speculation.” (1) In this same regard, we cannot assume that all oral flora are negatively impacted by exposure to essential oils. Their applications in oral health tend to work to maintain balance rather than upset it, making them a much more reliable choice for controlling oral pathogens than harsh commercial formulas.

One recent example comes from a 2014 study published in the Journal of International Oral Health entitled “Possible Use of Essential Oils in Dentistry.” This review provides an overview of research that demonstrates essential oils’ potential to help maintain dental health. The full text is available for free, but there are a few key points about essential oils for oral health use that I will highlight here: (1)

• Supports oral hygiene and gum health. A solution of essential oils and ethanol achieved better results in inhibiting the growth of subgingival periopathogens (a cause of gingivitis) than a rinse with essential oils without ethanol or saline control. As a bonus, the essential oil solution won’t stain teeth as other options, such as chlorhexidine rinses, have been known to do. (2)
• Relieves anxiety. Lavender essential oil has been shown to lessen mild anxiety and calm heightened emotional states. Utilizing it in dental waiting areas has been shown to calm nervous patients from dental anxiety and even lessen perceived pain during needle insertions. (3,4) Orange oil is another essential oil with anxiolytic properties. It can be useful for anxious children, with inhalation reducing cortisol levels in saliva and slowing anxious pulse rates. (5)
• Benefits in wound care. Wound dressings that include protective essential oils, clove, in particular, were shown to improve healing time and therapeutic effects in one prominent study. (6)
• Aids in dental implants. When essential oils for oral health, notably melissa and lavender, are applied to dental implants, they have been shown to limit the amount of biofilm produced. (7)
• Antimicrobial activity. One study demonstrated the ability of some essential oils to exceed the antimicrobial properties of methylparaben – a substance typically used to preserve various cosmetics. While essential oils may not replace commercial preservatives, we do have reason to believe that they may serve a supportive role as antibacterial agents. (8)

Easy DIYs for Oral Hygiene Routine

So, how does one use essential oils for oral health and to clean their prosthetic devices of biofilm? Quite simply really!

• Make a cleansing solution. Add 25 drops of essential oil to 1/4 cup of 190-proof alcohol and stir. Slowly add in ¾ cup distilled water. Add your oral prosthetic and allow it to soak for 15 minutes to inhibit bacterial growth. Dispose of the solution after use.
• Brush. Using your homemade toothpaste, rub/brush dental implants and allow them to receive the same TCL you’d give your God-given pearly whites! And, of course, the same strategy can be used for people without implants.

Here’s a rundown of some essential oils for oral health facts that will help you apply them in holistic dental treatment preparations:

• When brushing is contraindicated – as can be the case with severe fever, indigestion, asthma, coughing, vomiting, and mouth ulcers – you can achieve a deep clean by oil pulling with essential oils blended in coconut oil, preventing bad breath and gingivitis. (2,3,4)
• Hospice patients diagnosed with terminal cancer have been helped with peppermint, lavender, geranium, and tea tree oils blended for oral health care needs. (12)
• Clove essential oil is an antimicrobial standby. (13)

When filling your natural medicine cabinet, you have several essential oils for healthy teeth to choose from.

Three of the most effective and commonly used essential oils for oral health are peppermint, orange, and clove oils. Combinations often found in traditional remedies utilize these oils heavily, with others added for synergy and added benefits. Here are some blends of the best oils to use for a natural oral care routine:

• Lavender to battle canker sores: dilute 3 drops in 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil and apply twice daily to soothe pain and aid in healing.
• Peppermint to temper halitosis: Use peppermint essential oil to make your homemade toothpaste and brush twice a day. Alternatively, you could add 3 drops of peppermint to 1 tablespoon of regular toothpaste and mix thoroughly before applying to your toothbrush with a clean utensil. The rest of this mixture can be saved in a covered container and used within a week. Using hydrosols as an antiseptic mouthwash could also be helpful. Check out the suggestions found here for more information.
• Clove and orange to soothe sensitive teeth: add 1 drop of each in 1 tablespoon of carrier oil and apply to affected tooth and gums.
• Eucalyptus, rosemary, and orange to whiten teeth: pick one or more oils from this list and add 3 drops total to 1 tablespoon of regular toothpaste and mix thoroughly before applying to your toothbrush with a clean utensil and brushing. The rest of this mixture can be saved in a covered container and used within a week. Likewise, you could pick one of these oils or use a blend of them in the homemade toothpaste recipe linked above!
• Lavender and eucalyptus to relieve blood blisters – dilute 2 drops of lavender and 1 drop of eucalyptus in 1 tablespoon of carrier oil and apply twice daily.
• Blend your favorite oils to fight plaque, ward off endodontic infections, and make the most of their antimicrobial effects! Dilute 0.5% – 1% essential oil in your carrier oil of choice and swish it around your mouth as a mouthwash or mix in coconut oil for oil pulling. Alternatively, this is another area where hydrosols can be used as a mouthwash to help maintain oral health. Peppermint hydrosol is an excellent option to try for fighting off germs that lead to oral cavity issues.

Using Essential Oils for Oral Health

While there are many ways in which we can apply essential oils to our oral hygiene routines, it is important to keep a few things in mind. To ensure safe practice and usage that will give you the best chance at having a long-term relationship with essential oils without developing sensitivities, consider the following:

• Use What Works Best for You. While we discuss many ways essential oils can be used, this does not mean there is a need for you to implement everything discussed here. Use what is needed in your life for the appropriate amount of time for the natural ingredients to address the concern.
• Short and Sweet. Long-term use of stronger oils, such as clove, could pose potential risks in developing adverse effects such as skin sensitivities. Go for more strength where more strength is required rather than as a daily regimen.
• Acute or Chronic? Using stronger, hard-hitting oils: depending on your need, the stronger oils – such as clove – are usually best suited for acute needs. Acute needs are addressed in the short-term (in general over about a week), to help gain control of a situation before moving on to lower-impact (but still effective) maintenance treatment.
• The longer your treatment plan requires, the more gentle your approach to essential oil-based dental practices will be. You’re not going to use maximum dilutions of clove over several months when managing oral infections, for example. However, it may be appropriate temporarily to help improve a more intense situation in preparation for a long-term care plan. Hydrosol oral rinses are a perfect example of an extended-use complement to acute treatment.

No matter what oral needs you are faced with, there are a variety of aromatic options available to assist you in your journey toward healing and health!

The Diabetes-Heart Disease Connection

What do diabetes and heart disease have in common with oral health? Yes, they are increasing in prevalence, and yes, they are the top causes of mortality. But there’s more, and you may not have any idea:

All three – oral health, diabetes, and heart disease – are completely intertwined.

It should have been obvious for years, but studies are just now drawing clear lines between the three. Oral health, incidentally, is at the crux of it all. It’s also possible to use essential oils to stop the root causes of diabetes and heart disease.

Atherosclerosis is Rooted in Oral Health

Where we once were told that cholesterol in the foods we eat could dredge through our arteries and clog them like sewage, we now know that dietary cholesterol has very little to do with blood serum cholesterol. On the other hand, researchers evaluated over 600 senior citizens who had no prior incidence of cardiovascular disease and found a definitive link between periodontal bacteria and the thickening of the arteries. (2)

The connections had been made a full ten years prior when a Clinical Microbiology Reviews article explained possible mechanisms for this connection between oral health and heart disease. (2) They explained the connection as one of three metastatic instances:

• Infection
• Injury
• Inflammation

The theory of metastatic infection introduces detrimental bacteria to the bloodstream from the mouth, infecting the entire body. Metastatic injury is explained as the same bacteria producing exotoxins that “are considered the most powerful and lethal poisons known.” And finally, metastatic inflammation is simply the inflammatory response to poor dental hygiene, which has promising implications since inflammation is one of the most prominent – if not the most prominent – causes of heart disease.

Oral Health, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Axis

With these pathways and connections in mind, the leap to diabetes is not unreasonable. In fact, another ten years before these three mechanisms were detailed, researchers from New York were issuing their own concerns. If you are keeping track, these alarms began sounding back in the 1990s!

“Diabetes is a risk factor for severe periodontal disease…In this model, the combination of these 2 pathways, infection, and AGE-mediated cytokine upregulation, helps explain the increase in tissue destruction seen in diabetic periodontitis and how periodontal infection may complicate the severity of diabetes and the degree of metabolic control, resulting in a 2-way relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease/infection. This proposed dual pathway of tissue destruction suggests that control of chronic periodontal infection is essential for achieving long-term control of diabetes mellitus.” (3)

Diabetes and heart disease have long been interconnected, so at this point, you have a good picture of the vast and twisted crisis of chronic illness in our country. The AMA sums it up clearly: (4)

Heart diseases and stroke are the No. 1 causes of death and disability among people with type 2 diabetes. In fact, at least 65% of people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease or stroke. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes.

Diabetes patients can reduce their risks of heart disease by keeping their illness in check, but it takes more than stable glucose levels. The lines between the risks and results of diabetes and heart disease are blurred, including:

• High cholesterol and fat levels
• High blood pressure
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Overweight and obesity

With diabetes and heart disease interwoven and oral health centered squarely behind each, we clearly see the importance of conscientious and holistic attention to these things. If diabetes runs in your family, see how we use cinnamon oil, alongside other essential oils for diabetes, to help regulate blood sugar levels.

We’ve failed the public and each other by not making the connection between diabetes and heart disease clearer in nearly 30 years of research. It’s time to set our sights on complete wellness and effective disease prevention!

Stop Gum Disease with Essential Oils

It’s a safe bet to assume that most Americans don’t consider oral health problems as one of our major health epidemics. But it is. The most recent data reveals that: (5)

• Half of American adults over the age of 30 have periodontal disease – otherwise known as “gum disease.”
• Nearly all of these cases – 42% of the total adults in our country – have reached moderate to severe levels, risking decay to the point of tooth decay, tooth loss, and even bone loss.
• When we look at older adults, at least 65 years old, the incidence rate jumps to over 70%.

Yet, somehow, the American public remains completely oblivious to the severity of the problem – our health rotting quite literally under our noses without an eyebrow raised. The media, public health officials, and even doctors are strangely silent on the connection between the prevalence of both gum disease and major chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

It’s less a question of what is connected to oral health than what isn’t. It is implicated in many chronic illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis – even low birth weight for premature babies! (6, 7, 8)

The cycle perpetuates itself, with oral health disturbances noted as a cause of chronic, systemic illness and chronic illness causing poor oral health.

Even the most insidious diseases are intertwined with this deterioration, such as cancer, HIV, and pneumonia, which may require ventilators. (9)

Gum Disease Demystified

While gum disease is chronic, infecting not only the gums but the bones beneath them, and can ultimately cause tooth loss and more severe chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, it is widely preventable and hardly complicated. Simple oral hygiene practices can change the course of periodontal disease substantially.

In addition to the inherent adverse effects of conventional oral health treatments, some other risk factors that can increase the chances of gum disease include:

• Genetic predisposition
• Broken or defective fillings
• Tooth decay
• Poor-fitting bridges
• Dry mouth, especially caused by medication
• Smoking
• Stress
• Pregnancy, contraceptives, and other hormonal changes
• Crooked teeth
• Underlying immune deficiencies
• Diabetes

With poor oral hygiene as a significant contributor, however, natural solutions such as essential oil applications can turn it all around.

Simple Gum Disease Prevention

With the list of risk factors in mind and a focus on whole-body health, oral hygiene can become a primary focus for prevention of gum disease. It isn’t complicated or costly to take care of your teeth and gums. Simply build the following habits:

• Brush thoroughly, each time you eat
• Floss each day, preferably at night
• Find and visit a holistic dentist for regular checkups
• Make your own oral hygiene products, incorporating essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties

Even the most natural of oral health care products found on the shelves can be loaded with preservatives and additives that add nothing but risk. Protect yourself and your family by making your oral care products a DIY project.

These are some of my favorite oral health care recipes that are sure to keep your family smiling bright.

This recipe is for toothpaste, but it makes a great toothpaste too! The color of your finished product may vary depending on the color of your clay and the essential oils used.

Homemade Tooth Powder

 

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Author: Mama Z

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup of bentonite clay
• 1½ teaspoons organic powdered stevia
• ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt,ground
• 3 tablespoon carrier oil*
• 10 drops of essential oils*

Instructions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor.
2. In a separate container, add your chosen essential oils to the carrier oil and mix well.
3. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the food processor gradually until well blended. The mixture should be granular and slightly damp.
4. Store in a glass jar with a lid.

Notes

No matter what allergies you may have, there’s a carrier oil that’s right for you. You can use any, or a combination of these: Avocado, Fractionated Coconut, Grapeseed, Jojoba, Sweet Almond.

* Essential oils are great for oral health and these are some of our favorite blends:

*Lime, lemon, grapefruit
*Orange, clove, peppermint
*Cinnamon leaf, clove, orange
*Chamomile, wintergreen
*Frankincense, myrrh

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Homemade Mouthwash With Essential Oils

 

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Author: Mama Z

Ingredients

• ¾ cup purified OR distilled water
• ¼ cup 190 proof alcohol (OR the highest proof alcohol you can find)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 drops of essential oils or a blend of your choice

Instructions

1. Mix your essential oil into a glass with the 190-proof alcohol, and then mix in baking soda.
2. Fill the glass with distilled water.
3. Swish in your mouth and rinse.
4. Store for up to a month before discarding and making a fresh batch of mouthwash.

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