We all know spices add a unique flavour and taste to our food. But have you ever thought that these common kitchen ingredients can come to your rescue in dealing with common oral problems! Here’s how:
1. Toothache
Toothache can be caused due to various reasons like cavities, infection or gum disease. Although a visit to dentist is a must, here are some quick natural aids to attain relief.
Cloves (laung): The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of this spice make it an effective natural remedy to combat tooth pain. Put a whole clove on the affected area and hold it between your teeth for some time. This will cause release of chemicals from clove, thereby alleviating pain. Read about more ways to combat toothache with cloves.
Nutmeg: Known for its potent anti-inflammatory action, nutmeg is an excellent remedy for relieving toothache. For attaining its pain-relieving benefits, apply nutmeg powder on the tooth in pain and wash your mouth after a while.
Cinnamon (dalchini): This spice is extremely good for gums and teeth because of its effective antibacterial activity. For quick relief from toothache, chew a small piece of cinnamon and slowly swallow its juice.
2. Bad breath
For many people, bad breath is a big hurdle in starting any equation or relation with people around them. However, spices that you consume daily and are easily available can work wonders in bridging this gap.
Cardamon (elaichi): Packed with strong flavour, pleasant smell and antibacterial properties, cardamom is a perfect remedy for bad breath. You can either chew a pod of this spice after your meals or drink cardamom tea every morning to weed out your problem. Here are top seven ways to fight bad breath.
Clove (laung): The presence of eugenol, an antibacterial compound, in cloves helps in combating bad breath. This is the reason, why people with bad breath are advised to chew or keep a pod of clove in their mouth. Read more about how to beat the ten bad breath monsters.
Cinnamon (dalchini): Cinnamon also has antibacterial property and helps reduce bad breath. You can either chew on the stick or add it to your cup of tea. You can also boil a few sticks in water, allow it to cool and then use as a mouthwash! Read about more health benefits of cinnamon (dalchini).
Fennel seeds (saunf): Commonly consumed after you finish your meal, fennel seeds are also quite popular as a mouth freshener. They not only help in secretion of saliva but also help to fight bad breath by attacking the bacteria in the mouth.
3. Whiter teeth
Who doesn’t like to flaunt their white pearl-like teeth? While practising dental hygiene and care is important for white teeth, spices can also help you in achieving this.
Sesame (til): Sesame seeds help in removal of plaque on teeth when used as a scrub. Another way to whiten teeth is rinsing your mouth with sesame oil. Gargle with this oil for 15 minutes and spit it out. Rinse your mouth with water. Do this every morning for sparkling teeth.
Nutmeg (jaiphal): This wonder spice prevents dental plaque by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Take a pinch of nutmeg powder and scrub over teeth. Rinse your mouth with water and brush your teeth. In this way, plaque built-up is inhibited, thereby whitening your teeth. Read about top 7 health benefits of nutmeg or jaiphal.
4. Gum problems
There might numerous factors predisposing you to various gum problems resulting in inflammation and swelling. All these gum diseases can be effectively dealt with using commonly available Indian spices.
Dried ginger powder (soonth): Apply a mixture of dried ginger powder on swollen gum to attain relief from gum pain and swelling. Because it contains anti-inflammatory compounds, it soothes gum pain and provides relief.
Nutmeg: This spice works best to prevent various oral problems including gum pain, swelling and gingivitis. Add few drops of nutmeg oil on cotton swab and dab to the affected area.
Cloves: This is one of the widely used natural remedy to treat gum disease. It contains eugenol that acts as analgesic and an antiseptic agent. To get rid of gum pain and inflammation, apply clove oil on the infected gum tissue.
Read about 5 herbal remedies to treat gum disease.
Cinnamon: In case you are suffering from gingivitis or any other oral problems like toothache and bad breath, chew a small piece of cinnamon to get relief. The antibacterial properties of cinnamon make this spice work well for teeth and gums.
5. Mouth ulcers
Although there might be various causes of mouth ulcers, the fact that they pose a great problem for everyone cannot be denied. Simply staying away from spicy and sour foods won’t help. Here are few spices, easily found in your kitchen that can do the trick for you.
Poppy Seeds (khus khus): Mouth ulcers are caused due to excessive heat in the body and hence, poppy seeds that are known to exert cooling effect on the body are the best bet. Suck a candy made from poppy seeds, grated coconut and sugar to attain quick and painless relief from mouth sores. Read more about how can you actually use poppy seeds to treat your ulcers.
Turmeric (haldi): It is well-known fact that turmeric acts as a potent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. It is this property that helps in fighting mouth ulcers and prevents them from recurrence. Apply turmeric paste (pinch of turmeric powder with water) on ulcers for relief.
