I’ve been focused on holistic dental care for a while now, as it becomes more apparent to me all the time that our dental health has a huge influence over the health of our body as a whole. Last year, I had a mercury amalgam filling removed, which was a huge step in healing my whole body. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with a tooth powder recipe to help with tooth remineralization and whitening.
I’ve been obsessed with turmeric again lately. For a while, I was making turmeric capsules and taking them to fight inflammation, but it got to be kind of a hassle (as is making most things yourself).
This past week I discovered how to use it to instantly relieve headaches, which you can read about soon. Here, I’ll share why turmeric, along with a few other key ingredients, is good for your oral health, and why I’ve included it in this tooth powder recipe.
Tooth powder recipe ingredients: the why
In this tooth powder recipe, you’ll find turmeric, activated charcoal, bentonite clay, and Celtic salt. Here’s why:
Turmeric
I’ve written about the health benefits of turmeric for systemic health.
Turmeric has been extensively studied and found to be beneficial in relieving respiratory illnesses, including asthma, and is a powerful anti-mucosal.
It is a cholagogue, which means it stimulates bile production in the liver and encourages excretion of bile via the gallbladder, which improves the body’s ability to digest fats.
But what about using turmeric for oral health? One study found that:
- massaging teeth with turmeric eliminates pain and swelling
- applying a turmeric paste provides relief from gingivitis and periodontitis
- a turmeric mouthwash reduces microbial count and plaque
Not only is using turmeric an obvious power play for oral health, but turmeric helps to whiten teeth, though its ability to do so is less understood.
Get organic turmeric powder here.
Activated charcoal
It’s pretty well-known that activated charcoal helps to whiten teeth.
Activated charcoal works like a sponge, absorbing everything it comes into contact with. It’s why it’s recommended when you have food poisoning or ingest something you aren’t supposed to.
That’s also why it works so well to whiten teeth, by absorbing stains, as well as polishing teeth with its gentle scrubbing texture.
It also helps to support overall oral health due to its ability to attach itself to a number of unwanted oral invaders, and carry them safely from your mouth.
Charcoal can also help balance the PH of the mouth as well as prevent cavities and help teeth to remineralize.
There have been concerns that activated charcoal may damage tooth enamel, and a little research leads me to believe we should be cautious but not worried. Conventional dentistry says that teeth cannot remineralized and cavities cannot be healed.
A holistic perspective tells us this is not true. Cavities can be healed without drilling. So, my opinion is that, especially since this tooth powder recipe contains additional mineral-rich ingredients, we shouldn’t worry too much about wearing away our enamel.
Get activated charcoal here.
Cute picture of me using this tooth powder. You’re welcome.
Bentonite clay
Harvested from naturally-occurring volcanic ash, calcium bentonite clay (the kind safe for internal use) is a mineral-rich substance helpful for a variety of health concerns.
Because it is absorbent like activated charcoal, I put it in my detox baths several times a week to help draw out toxins.
It’s also useful to take internally as a supplement to help absorb unwanted pathogens in the digestive tract.
I put it in this tooth powder recipe for the same reason, as well as its ability to impart minerals.
Bentonite clay contains high levels of trace minerals including silicon, magnesium, calcium and potassium, which make it the perfect ingredient for tooth remineralization.
Get calcium bentonite clay here.
Celtic salt
We’ve talked about the benefits of Himalayan salt, and I’ve told you all about sole water. I’m a pretty big salt fan.
But not just any ol’ table salt, which is devoid of nutrients and may even contain contaminants. I love using mineral-rich salts like Real Salt, pink Himalayan salt, and gray Celtic salt, all of which contain differing amounts of trace minerals.
Celtic salt is a good source, particularly, of magnesium salt. While we hear frequently that calcium is the most important mineral for dental health, the truth is that calcium is not effective without co-factors such as magnesium:
Both calcium and magnesium make up very important structural components of teeth and bone. As in the building of bone, magnesium is required for calcium to be incorporated properly into the structure of teeth. Older research has even found that the greater the magnesium content of tooth enamel, the less susceptible teeth were to decay and caries formation. (source)
It’s why I use high-quality salt in as many ways as I can daily for my health, and it’s why adding Celtic sea salt to this tooth powder recipe is a no-brainer.
Get Celtic salt here.
Tooth powder recipe: the how
In a small bowl, combine the following:
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp activated charcoal
- 1 tbsp bentonite clay
- 1 tsbp Celtic sea salt
Update: I later added about a tablespoon of MCT oil (also good for oral health!) to make more of a paste, as well as clove and peppermint essential oils to freshen breath and kill germs. I really love the updated version!
I’m an equal opportunity employer of beneficial ingredients, so I just eyeballed them and put about the same amount of each one.
- Stir gently with a wooden spoon to combine.
- A few times a week, or as often as you’d like, dip a damp toothbrush in the bowl and give your teeth a scrub for a few minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
- Be careful not to spill on floors or counters, because this tooth powder will stain grout. And clothes. And everything else it touches, except your teeth, which it will have the opposite effect on. Because science.
Enjoy whiter, healthier teeth!
Update!
Since using this tooth powder, tooth pain has eased and the gum bleeding I had at every brushing is gone. Even better is that my little sister has reported whiter teeth AND her constant tooth sensitivity is gone! This stuff works, y’all!
Read more about healing cavities here.
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