A few weeks ago I got mauled by the dentist. Or actually the dental assistant. At one point I thought my jaw was dislocated, but thankfully it wasn’t. That was quite an experience! I felt like I was either being mauled by a bear or the dental assistant was letting out some major frustrations. Thankfully I’m alive to tell about it. 🙂
I have not been to the dentist in several years. And boy have I paid for it these past few weeks. I’ve known for a long, long time that I had teeth that needed dental attention, but I have been the biggest procrastinator about it. I make sure my girls have their regular visits, but who has time to take care of mom? Anyone else have that problem?
So a few weeks ago I finally made an appointment to hear just how bad things were, hoping I could at least save my teeth. I ended up having minor laser surgery on 3 of my teeth because the decay was so deep. The laser surgery did a number on my gums and needless to say, my gums were incredibly raw, extremely sore, and throbbing by the time it was over. The only way I know to describe them was that they looked like white shredded meat. The dentist said that it was like having a scab in the mouth.
Well this “scab” was very painful and put me on a liquid diet for a little while. It was at least 3 days before I thought of how herbs might help. Why I forgot to use herbs right away when I have shelves of dried herbs readily available, I do not know. I suddenly had one of those light bulb moments that perhaps I had some herbs on hand that could speed up the healing process.
And they did just that!
I woke up one morning after using this herbal mouthwash recipe (below) a few times and found that my gums were much less white and were improved greatly. No longer did they look like shredded meat, but were just a solid white and the inflammation was greatly reduced. I did not at all expect to see results so quickly. Each morning after using the mouth wash, my gums were so greatly improved and the white was completely gone in just a few days. I have every confidence that this mouthwash greatly sped up the healing process.
So which herbs did I use? I rummaged through my shelves, and these are the herbs I chose for this mouth wash:
- Calendula – fights inflammation and bacteria; soothes tender gums (Buy here on Amazon)
- Rose Petals – has astringent properties that help mouth sores (Buy here on Amazon)
- Echinacea – antibacterial (Buy here on Amazon)
- Chamomile – reduces inflammation and soothes the nerves (Buy here on Amazon)
- Cloves – kills bacteria and reduces pain (Buy here on Amazon)
DIY Herbal Mouthwash to Heal The Gums
Ingredients
- 1 part Calendula
- 1 part Rose Petals
- 1 part Chamomile
- 1/2 part Echinacea
- 1/4 part Cloves
Directions
- Mix herbs together in container.
- Add 1 tablespoon of herbs per cup of water to pan of boiling water.
- Cover with a lid, remove from heat.
- Steep herbs for 10 minutes.
- Strain
- Swish mouth for a minute or so and spit.
If you wish to only use one herb, I would recommend calendula.
[yumprint-recipe id=’29’]
Jill, thanks for this recipe. I have a couple of questions.
1. How much water for 1 Tbs. for herb mixture?
2. After straining, should it be store in the refrigerator?
3. Do you think this could be used for canker sores?
Thanks so much.
Nancy, thank you so much for pointing out that I did not say HOW MUCH water! ha! You add 1 tablespoon of herbs per cup of water, and I’ve now edited the recipe. 🙂 Yes I would refrigerate what you don’t use right away. And I think it’s a great idea to try for canker sores – especially the calendula and rose petals!
Thanks ! I don’t get as many canker sores as I used to since I rarely eat gluten, but it is good to know this could help if I need it.
You’re welcome!
Jill York recently posted…DIY Herbal Mouthwash to Heal The Gums
reseeding gums…..they say nothing will help….will this work? i have tried alot of home remedies…have very sensitive teeth and brittle…gum gums are reseeding at alarming rate…please advice.
Christa, have you ever tried white oak bark? This mouthwash may help, but I’m honestly not sure. I know it helps with gum disease and injuries. It wouldn’t hurt to try!
Thanks for sharing a such a good natural remedy for the mouth wash which heals the gums, keep sharing such good and result in oriented remedies.
Health and Nature
I’ve been following you since you’ve started your blog.
I like the helpful information you supply to your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check once more here frequently. This give us an idea whats the best herbal to used. I am fairly certain I will learn plenty of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the following! this is exactly what I need about Herbs.
thank you as I hope all your information will definitely help me out. I have to tell you, your blog giving the best and awesome information.
Thanks so much, Sophia! 🙂
Hey Jill,
thank you for sharing the recipe. I’ve been using Aloe Vera gel so far to heal my gums. The results so far are pretty good.
Excited to see how this mouthwash works!
I’m so glad the aloe is working for you! Thanks for sharing!
Jill,
thanks for the gum healing recipe. As a chiropractor in Tucker GA, I have many patients who ask for healthy oral hygiene advice. I will share. Also, I have started “oil pulling”. I’m not yet seeing the benefits but am hopeful.
Thanks again for your detailed and clear post.
Hi Jill,
I’m going to try this one out. I have had gum problems before and I wouldn’t want that to happen again, prevention is better than cure 😉
Thank you for sharing, Jill.
Cheers,
Jessica
I’m so glad the aloe is working for you! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your recipe!
I am looking for some recipes to protect my health. It will help the gums are better.
I’ll bookmark your blog and check once more here frequently
Keep writing the same blog
Thanks for your writing!
I love it so much, I think that I will make it for my family.
I think that it is a good way for people to have good health, they can improve their life.
Thank you so much!