Our mouth experience so many pleasurable activities: kissing, tasting, talking, laughing. But they can also be a site for excruciating pain, from toothaches to gingivitis to those pesky, stress-related cold sores. Here’s the good news: Ayurveda offers simple, natural oral remedies and hygiene tips that you can try at home today. They’re easy to do and they’ll always leave a smile on your lips.
5 AYURVEDIC ORAL HYGIENE TIPS
1. GARGLE WITH WARM SESAME OIL
To beautify your teeth and gums, gargle with warm, organic, unrefined sesame oil (organic like this one ideally), then hold it in your mouth for one minute before expelling it. Next, apply some oil to your index finger and gently massage your gums. This whole process (the swishing and massaging) is called kavala. It can prevent cavities and soothe an impacted wisdom tooth, receding gums, and sensitive teeth.
2. USE A TONGUE SCRAPER
In ancient ayurvedic literature, the tongue is called the organ of taste, speech, and cognition (karmendriya). Tongue scraping is called jihva nirlekhana and it provides a host of benefits. To begin with, your tongue contains hundreds of taste buds that process six different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Gentle tongue scraping activates all of these taste buds and releases the six different tastes in your blood. (And that’s a good thing.) In addition, the tongue is associated with the thyroid, lungs, heart, kidneys, stomach, and colon. By scraping the tongue, you not only maintain a healthy mouth, but on a subtle level, you also maintain healthy viscera. Plus, jihva nirlekhana removes ama (toxins) and dead bacteria, improves the flavor of your food, reduces bad breath, and clears your mind.
So, how do you do it? Using a stainless steel tongue scraper, gently scrape the entire tongue from the back forward for 7 to 14 strokes every morning, and observe the benefits for yourself.
Also Read: EAT YOUR WAY TO DEWIER AND GLOWING SKIN
