How to Treat Gum Disease with Homemade Remedies

How to Treat Gum Disease Naturally 

Red gums. Swollen gums. Sore gums. Gum disease is no fun, and if left untreated, can cause serious dental and system-wide health problems. There are things you can try on your own to treat gum disease, but if symptoms escalate and you experience persistent bleeding gums, visit your dentist immediately.

In the meantime, check out these home remedies for improving the health of your gums – gum problems like gingivitis, periodontitis, and several other problems that need to be taken seriously.

12 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Gum Disease

*How to get rid of gum disease at home:

1. Reduce stress.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), there’s a link between stress and your dental health. People under stress have a compromised immune system that makes it harder for them to fight off the bacteria that causes periodontal disease and makes them more prone to gum infection.

Researchers have also learned that not all stress is created equal. In studies done at three different U.S. universities, participants experiencing financial worries were at greatest risk for periodontal disease.

2. Make a sea salt solution.

Dissolve a small amount of sea salt in a cup of warm water. Swish a sip of the solution in your mouth for 30 seconds and spit it out. Repeat several times. Add this mouth rinse to your twice-daily brushing routine.

Salt water will reduce swollen gums and draw infection out of any abscesses.

3. Apply tea bags.

Steep a tea bag in boiling water, remove and allow it to cool until you can handle it comfortably. Hold the cooled tea bag on the affected area of your gums and keep it there for about five minutes. The tannic acid in the tea bag can work effectively to relieve gum infection.

• Directly applying the tea bag to your gums is more effective than simply drinking the beverage. Plus, drinking too much tea has a dental downside: discolored, tea-stained teeth.

4. Rub some honey.

Honey has natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties, so you can put it to work treating your infected gums. Once you brush your teeth, rub a small amount of honey on the problem area of your gums.

• Given honey’s high sugar content, you want to be careful you don’t over-apply it and do your best to put it on your gums only rather than on your teeth.
• Manuka honey is particularly effective.

5. Drink cranberry juice.

Cranberry juice can prevent bacteria from sticking to your teeth.

Try drinking up to 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice daily.

6. Make a lemon paste.

Make a paste from the juice of one lemon and some salt. Mix it well and apply to your teeth. Let it sit for a few minutes and gargle with warm water to rinse it off.

• Lemons offer a win-win solution for treating gum disease. First, they’re anti-inflammatory, which makes them helpful in treating infected gums. Not only that but lemons contain vitamin C, which can help your gums fight off infection.
• Do not allow lemon juice to sit on your teeth for extended periods of time though; it will corrode your teeth enamel.

7. Eat more Vit C-rich foods.

It’s not just lemons that can help with gum disease, but other foods full of vitamin C. Oranges, grapes, kiwi mango, papaya, and strawberry are good choices, too.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and antioxidants are found to promote connective tissue growth and bone regeneration that can be affected by various gum problems.

8. Increase your intake of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, so be sure you’re getting enough of this vitamin too when you’re trying to heal swollen gums and prevent the condition from reoccurring. Older adults should particularly take note of this vitamin. According to the National Institutes of Health, higher blood levels of Vitamin D seem to be linked to a reduced risk of gum disease in people age 50 and older.

• Get your Vitamin D fix by soaking up the sun at least 15 to 20 minutes twice a week and eating D-rich foods such as salmon, whole eggs, and cod liver oil.

9. Brush with baking soda.

Baking soda neutralizes the acids in your mouth thereby reducing the chances of tooth decay and gum disease, so it’s more of a preventative measure than an actual treatment for gum disease. Add a small amount of baking soda to a bit of warm water and mix to form a paste. Use this paste to brush your teeth.

You can also add it to your toothpaste once or twice a week.

10. Give up tobacco.

Tobacco decreases your ability to fight off infection and delays healing.

Tobacco users are more likely than non-smokers to have serious gum disease that doesn’t respond as well to treatment and that leads to tooth loss.

11.Gargle with hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide can help to kill harmful bacteria that may be causing infection in your mouth.

Use it safely.

12. Brush and floss regularly.

Brushing and flossing regularly is as always one of the best ways to prevent gum disease.

(Adapted from How to Treat Gum Disease With Home Made Remedies.)