Essential Oils for Teeth and Gums

by Angela Arnshek

Unfortunately, I inherited terrible teeth from my father.  I have extra roots and nerves in most of my teeth, and so getting something like a root canal done is expensive, complicated and painful.  Needless to say, I try very hard to avoid dental procedures by taking exceptionally good care of my teeth.  I brush, floss, use a Water Pik and experiment with do it yourself remedies that sound like they might be helpful.  

Even so, at one point, I had to have the dreaded root canal, which I was told wasn’t completely successful and would eventually fail, which would lead to a more complex and more expensive surgery, and …well, you get the idea. Painful, pricey, and possibly ineffective.

So, when that tooth started to hurt, and the gums became inflamed, I thought I was done for. Since it was the weekend, I decided to see what I could do over the next two days to keep things from getting worse.

Here’s what I came up with.

I made a mixture of equal parts of:

Oregano essential oil

Lavender essential oil

Tea tree essential oil

I used 5 drops of this mixture in my Water Pik with a ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. The salt and baking soda helps the oil stay mixed with the water. Using the Water Pik I was able to get the solution under the gum line and completely around each tooth.

I couldn’t believe my success!  By Sunday night my mouth felt great and my tooth and gums were pain free with all inflammation gone.  Now, of course, I’m not advocating not going to the dentist.  I go regularly and get my teeth cleaned twice a year.   But I decided that in addition to those things, I’d use this recipe as an overall good oral health aide and preventative.  I use it now once or twice a week, but it could be used daily, or less often, as needed.   If you don’t have a water pik, you can use this combination as a mouthwash or rinse (5-6 drops of the essential oil blend diluted in a cup of warm water are more than enough).   

These oils are anti-bacterial in their properties. Salt and baking soda help to restore the proper pH to the mouth which helps fight tooth decay.  It’s a simple, fresh-smelling, and inexpensive strategy for taking good care of your teeth.  As with all essential oils, these should not be ingested.  Be careful not to swallow the solution while rinsing or brushing. 

Happy brushing!