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Herbs for Oral Hygiene
page 143 The New Age Herbalist. (1988 edition) Richard Mabey ed.
Herbs for Oral Hygiene
Many herbs have cleansing and antiseptic properties that make them suitable for oral hygiene. The most important herbs for oral hygiene are:
- sage (astringent)
- cloves
- peppermint
- thyme (antiseptics)
- parsley
- marjoram
- bramble and blackcurrant leaves
- juniper berries.
Chewing juniper berries, peppermint, or parsley will kill the odours of onion, garlic, or alcohol; rubbing the teeth with sage will clean them and sweeten the breath. Strawberries will whiten and clean the teeth, and remove plaque. You can make an effective mouthwash with a normal infusion of sage, mint, thyme, or marjoram. Another useful herb for the mouth comes from the tree Salvadora persica. Its stems are traditionally used in Africa, India, and the Middle East to clean the teeth and gums. Some of the herbs used for oral hygiene should not used under certain circumstances.