In 1990, the World Health Organizatin conducted a survey regarding the dental and oral hygiene of people in Asia and people in western countries. In this research, studies concluded that people of rural and rban cities in Asia, who use twigs from tender herbs and trees to clean their teeth, have better hygienic conditions than those who use chemical toothpaste’s. Until now, it was thought that tooghpaste’s containing substances lke chlorophyll or anti-tartarchemicals have better effects on dental hygiene. But this report revealed something different.
The research findings of World health organization are exactly according toAyurvedic principles of dental and oral hygiene. The mouth is place of kapha and to keep it clean requires bitter, pungen, and astringent tastes. These tastes have anti-kapha effect. Twigs of neem azadirechta indica, acasia Arabica, acasia catechu, barleria prionitis, and mimusops elangi have all these tastes. Chewing fresh and tender twigs of these herbs in the early morning not only benefits th teeth, but also the gums and mucous membrane of mouth. They have an excellent astringent and anti-kapha action on the mucous membrane of the mouth.
Western astringent hers like golden seal, marshmallow, nettle, white oak, yarrow can be used for this purpose.
Improper dental hygiene associated with vitamin C deficiency and vitiated Pitta disorder is the main cause of this disease. There is pus formation in gums leading to bad odor.
Treatment
Apply mixture of honey and curcuma to the gums forrelief. Toothpaste ontaining pungent, bitter herbs like clove, golden seal, bayberry, and bark of pomegranate are bet to treat this condition. Patient should be asked to carry out gargles with the decoction of these herbs and should use viccovajradanti tooth powder or tootpaste for cleaning the teeth.
For the treatment of inflamd gums, tab. Triphala guggulu 250 mgm, with tab. Guduchi 500 mgm.should be given 3 times aday for 15 days. Vitamn C in natural forms like juices of lemon, oranges, with chyavanaprasha jam 1 teaspon, twice a day for 1 month is also useful.
In this disorder the gums become thick.
Treatment
Use plenty of green leafy vegetables and sour fruits like lemon and oranges in the diet. Apply powder of triphala with honey to the gums or mixture of til oil with triphala, alum and catechu is also beneficial.
Tab. Triphala guggulu 250 mgm, 3 times a day, should be given with warm water for 1 month. Regular massage of the gums with jatyadi oil is useful.
Halitosis means bad breath. It is complaint due to improper dental hygiene. Causes include pocket formation in gums, cavities in teeth in which food debris gets lodged, inflammation in nasal sinuses. Other causes can be bad digestion and vary rarely inflammatory conditions of lungs may produce this condition. Vitiated pitta gives rise to halitosis.
Treatment
Treat the underlying cause first. Remove the plaque from the teeth and clean the teeth. Use heral toothpaste that has slightly bitter, atringent tste. Internally for pitta palliatonhes lik santalum album, cardamom, acasia catechu and clove should be used.
For refreshing the mouth, one can use tab. Hadiradi, tab. Eladi or tab. Lavangadi can be used fr chewing 3 to 4 times a day for 15 days. Give proper massage to the teeth by a mixture of honey and fine powderof charcoal. Correct the digestion and see that the bowels are moving properly.
Western herbs like mint, camphor and cinnamon can be used.
Vitiated pitta and blood gives rise to this condition which results in halitosis, pain, bleeding gums, and burning sensation.
Tratment
Gargling should be done with mixture of decoction of triphala and cyperus. Apply paste of mixture of licorice in ghee and honey. Give tab. Gduch 250 mgm, 3 times a day with tab. Maukti kamadugha 125 mgm, twice a day for 15 days. Applicationof irimedadi oil twice a day for 1 month gives good results.
This is a common problem for the elderly. Due to increased pitta, it can be found in young age also. The teeth become so sensitive, that simple touch of cold or warm water or tastes like sour, salty anpungent are not tolerated at all.
Treatment
Gargling with a mixture of warm water and sesame oil twice every day is indicated Apply mixture of honey and curcuma to the teeth. Use herbal tooth powder of vicco vajrandati or its paste or any other good herbal toothpaste
Causative factors
This is common problem due to improper oral hygiene and not tking proper care of teeth. It is due to vitiation of all doshas, especially due to vitiation of Vata. Usually Vata constituton persons suffe from this disorder. When the enamel is destroyed, giving rise to black spots, discoloration, and appearance of holes or cavities in the teeth. Food material then accumulates in the cavities, in which germs proliferate. When ths process reaches nerve endings in the pulp of teeth, the patient suffers from severe pain.
Treatment
The best Ayurvedic herbs are calotropis procers, embelia ribes, lacifera lacca, acorus calaus, axadirechta indica, piper longum, curcuma, achryanthus aspera, vitex negundo, asafetida, and cloves. Prepare powder of equal parts with these herbs, which can be used as tooth powder.
For relieving pain, local application of powder of sesame oil, cloves, and ricius oil is best. Regular application of irimedadi oil is also useful.
In this condition, the teeth become loose and he patient sffers from severe pain when eating.
Treatment
Gargling with medicated oil is very useful in this condition. Or one can use ahacharadi oil and dashmoola decoction or decoction of catechu for the same purposeGargling should be done at least twice a day for 1 month.
Application of clove oil to the affected tooth is helpful.
