Healthy teeth are not only crucial for a lovely smile, but they are also necessary for eating to be enjoyable! Most importantly, unhealthy teeth can lead to pain, infection, and tooth loss.
Natural remedies to improve dental health and regrow lost tooth enamel include dietary changes, excellent oral care practices, and herbs like black walnut and horsetail.
Black Walnut
Black walnut contains iodine, natural fluoride, sulfur, copper, silica, selenium potassium, and magnesium. Tincture of the black walnut hulls is often used to rebuild tooth enamel.
Instructions:
A dropperful black walnut tincture is added to 1 ounce of water, swished in the mouth for 1 minute, and then swallowed.
Do this twice a day for three weeks. Then a three-week break is taken. The process can be repeated if needed.
Black walnut hull powder can be taken orally in capsules, made into a tea, or added to tooth powders. Gentle toothbrushing with black walnut hull powder can reduce tooth sensitivity.
Horsetail
Equisetum or its common name, Horsetail, comes from the Latin words for horse (Equus) and bristle (seta). Horsetail is high in silicon, iron, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin A, making it an excellent herb to regrow tooth enamel.
Horsetail can be added to powders for brushing the teeth or taken orally as a supplement.
Toothpaste Alternatives
The majority of toothpaste sold contain all kinds of ingredients that are harmful to the teeth. Even many “natural” kinds of toothpaste are not so “natural” or beneficial. Excessive fluoride from toothpaste and fluoridated water supplies can harm teeth. Trace amounts of fluoride, like that found in black walnut, can be helpful, but over fluoridation is common.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate, the agent in toothpaste that causes them to foam up, is hard on the mouth and can even cause skin reactions on the face.
Glycerin is a common ingredient in “natural” toothpaste. Unfortunately, this leaves a coating on the teeth, keeping the saliva from touching the teeth. Saliva is an essential part of remineralization.
Because it can be so challenging to find a toothpaste that does not contain harmful ingredients, the safest and the best solution is a homemade tooth powder or castile soap.
Pure baking soda was used to effectively clean teeth long before the advent of modern toothpaste .1
An advantage of baking soda is that it leaves your mouth clean and in an alkaline state, making it difficult for bacteria to grow.
Watch this Earth Clinic video to see how to make an effortless baking soda tooth powder.
Remineralizing Tooth Powder Recipe
- 1 teaspoon black walnut hull powder
- 1 teaspoon horsetail powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Xylitol
- 1 drop peppermint essential oil
Mix these ingredients. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon onto a wet toothbrush and brush gently twice daily.
Xylitol
Xylitol chewing gum appears to prevent cavities.2
Xylitol reduces the number of strep bacteria in the saliva and plaque.
Chewing xylitol gum increases the amount of saliva in the mouth. Saliva plays a part in remineralization as it delivers calcium and phosphates to the teeth.3
Xylitol can also be added to homemade toothpaste, or xylitol gum can be purchased. This is particularly useful as it can be used when you are on the go during the day, and there is no opportunity to brush teeth.
Alkalize the Mouth
Acid breaks down the enamel on your teeth. A highly acidic diet is hard on the teeth. Using baking soda tooth powder or a baking soda mouth rinse can restore your mouth to a pH that is unfriendly to harmful bacteria. This is especially important at bedtime.
Alkalizing Mouthwash Recipe
- 2 cups pure water
- 1 Tablespoon xylitol
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 drop peppermint essential oil
Combine all of these ingredients in a pint mason jar. Shake well. Pour an ounce into a small cup and swish around in the mouth for 20 seconds. Spit out the rinse. This can also be used as a sore throat gargle.
Avoid Sugar
Bacteria feeds on sugar. Dietary sugar and simple carbohydrates give bacteria a foothold in the mouth, resulting in an increase in acid, which breaks down the teeth enamel.
Sugar and simple carbohydrates are not found only in crackers, cakes, cookies, candies, and white bread but also in soda pop and juice. Sucking on hard candies or sipping on soft drinks all day give the bacteria in the mouth a continual feast.
Switch to herbal tea and water for the majority of your liquid consumption. Keep sweets and simple carbs to a minimum. Use a baking soda rinse after consuming sweets to help reduce bacteria and alkalize the mouth.
Treat Dry Mouth
Saliva promotes the remineralization of teeth. It protects the teeth. Dry teeth are unprotected and at higher risk for cavities and enamel loss.
Consider remedies for a dry mouth to reduce these risks.
Do you have a natural remedy to heal tooth enamel? Please send us some feedback or continue reading below for tips from Earth Clinic readers.