Receding gums is a common problem amongst adults over forty, but I have also seen teenagers and young adults with this issue from time to time. When the gums recede, the roots of the teeth become exposed and cause hypersensitivity to touch, temperature, and to sweet, salty and sour substances.
There are several possible causes for receding gums, including poor dental hygiene, accumulated plaque, bacteria, dental occlusion, grinding the teeth, poor dental work, over flossing, and mental stress. Below are some simple Ayurvedic tips for maintaining and restoring the health of the teeth and gums.
It is important to brush your teeth regularly and in a gentle circular fashion. Do not scrub them like a dirty pan! Flossing 3-5 times a week is sufficient. One of the best antimicrobial herbs used to cleanse and purify the mouth is neem. I recommend my clients to brush with a neem bark tooth powder, which also contains cloves and cinnamon, as well as to use a neem bark mouthwash.
In Ayurveda, swishing or gargling with medicinal substances is known as kavala or gandusha. One of the most popular and simple methods of kavala is to swish with sesame oil. This treatment has been recommended in Ayurveda for more than 3000 years to strengthen the roots of the teeth and gums. This is performed by tilting your chin back slightly while swishing with a small amount of sesame oil and pushing it back and forth through the teeth for several minutes. Then spit out the oil and massage the remaining oil into your gums with a finger and rinse your mouth with water. You can do this daily for a period of several weeks or until your gums improve.
Tea tree essential oil is also a great remedy for overall oral hygiene. A few drops can be applied to your tooth brush or smeared onto dental floss. Putting a few drops in a cup of water can also be used as a swish or gargle. It effectively treats receding, puffy, or bleeding gums, as well as gingivitis, pyorrhea, plaque, and bad breath.
Also, chewing a rounded tablespoon of white hulled sesame seeds in the morning is a good source of calcium and helps to nourish your bones and strengthen your teeth.
Furthermore, reducing stress with activities like yoga, meditation, tai chi, and nature walks can help to process unresolved thoughts, feelings, and emotions, thus helping to release chronic tension in the head.
respected sir,
i am a dental student doing my masters in periodontology. i am deeply fascinated by the prospect of ayurvedic treatment for gum problems and disappointed by the lack of the research and developement aspect for the same. would you kindly suggest whether any research work is being done in this aspect? it would be heartening to see these remedies appear in textbooks of periodontics.
thanking you
dr rucha shah
Thanks for your interest. I am not sure about any research being done on a large scale by the medical community. I am sure that some research is being done, but the benefits are experienced by many alternative health practitioners and herbalist in clinical practice. Good luck with your studies. I will let you know if I come across any research on the subject. Regards, Vishnu Dass
Nice and very useful information for the patients having toothache or gum problems.
thanks a lot to Vishnu Dass ji.
Hi Anonymous, I have been out of touch with my blog, but am back and wanted to say thanks for your response. Do stay connected for upcoming posts. Do you go by anonymous on the Aya forum???
Dear Vishnudasa, I think I suffer from receding gums.. and i know the reason is most probably brushing my teeth like “dirty pans”
I will try the remedies suggested and keep you posted 
Good luck, Brush with a soft brush with a gentle circular motion.
hello sir, it is great to learn about ayurvedic medicines for good health avoiding surgeries and hospital visits.thank u
Thanks
Vishnu Das Ji, Namaskar. I am 45 – M. I was diagnosed with the problem of receeding gums. Local dentist said it was on account of severe tarter formation over a period of time. Most of the teeth are mobile now. Dentist says that all of them need to be removed and that I should go in for dental implants. I was never comfortable with english medicine – even now. Can you kindly suggest a way forward. Chandra
I would suggest a second opinion by another dentist before rushing for removal or implants. Find one that is more holistic. Are the teeth decaying, or just loose? If they are just loose on account of the gums receding, swish twice daily with sesame oil (unrefined). Hold the oil in the mouth for several minutes. The spit out and massage the gums with the remaining oil on them. Do tea tree gargle as well. Gum surgery to repair severely receding gums may be possible to help reduce loosening of the teeth, that would be the better option over removal, and implants if possible.
I would suggest a second opinion by another dentist before rushing for removal or implants. Find one that is more holistic. Are the teeth decaying, or just loose? If they are just loose on account of the gums receding, swish twice daily with sesame oil (unrefined). Hold the oil in the mouth for several minutes. The spit out and massage the gums with the remaining oil on them. Do tea tree gargle as well. Gum surgery to repair severely receding gums may be possible to help reduce loosening of the teeth, that would be the better option over removal, and implants if possible.
Vishnudass Ji Pranams
Thank you for your kind support and guidance. I could not understand what is meant by “tea tree” .. can you kindly give me alternative names for the same
Tea tree oil is an essential oil, widely available. You can source it on-line very easy.
Vishnudass Ji
Pranam. Thank you for your guidance and support. I could not understand what “tea tree” means – are there any alternative names- kindly suggest.
Chandra SV
Dear Vishnu Dass,
A friend from India visited a few days ago and his 4 year old daughter suffers form eczema. I read that you learnt from Dr. Vasant Lad and got help for your eczema, and I often google and use his remedies but I couldnt find anything on eczema. Could you kindly give any advice please.
Mukesh, I have healed 95% over 20 years. It is a long process for some, others heal quicker. I specialize in eczema because of personal experience. The best thing is to avoid pitta provoking foods such as alcohol, coffee, black tea, sugar, tamarind, chilis, tomatoes and too much fermented foods. I would also suggest that this person consult with me via phine, skype or in person if local. http://www.bluelotusayurveda.com, clinic # 828-713-4266. Good luck
Hello Vishnudass,
I have been having gum puffiness for a few years now, and have seen a periodontist recently who said I have elementary to moderate level of gum disease and that I need deep cleaning which only a specialist can do, and that there is nothing else I can do.
I am very shocked to learn that I have gum disease because I have always taken great care of my teeth. For example I brush after every meal and I floss at least once a day. I am scared to death to receive any dental treatment because everybody in my family has very bad experience with dentists. Once the dentists do something to your teeth they get worse and worse, there are literary no way out of the dentists.
So could you please tell me if there are any home (Ayurvedic) remedies, yoga or breathing process (Pranayam) that can clean and soften hard built tartar from gum (like my stage). I strongly believe in God, and believe there are natural solutions to gum problems like mines.
I thank you from the deep down of my heart and hope you can help me by all means.
Waiting for you reply
sussie
Sussie,
There is a good remedy for the gums at Herb Pharm, I will give you the link:
http://www.herb-pharm.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/53_23/products_id/245?osCsid=c3mobr1vsl50r8j6ms9loeb781
Use as directed.
Also, I recommend using rinsing well with Lysterine 2 times daily, it is better than most other mouthwashes and is essentially a dilution of the best thing for the gums and is one of the strongest anti microbials out there, thymol. Anyone how know how good thymol is, knows about the therapeutic value of this mouthwash. The tonic also has thyme in it, but not the oil. Both together are a one to punch to prevent bacteria from doing more damage to the gums, and will help to restore what has already been affected.
Do meditation and yoga of any kind, and just tryoiing to keep relaxed. The gums can easily get aggravated with stress. High pitta eventually causes the mouth to become more acidic. Pitta types already have this tendency.
Good Luck,
Vishnu Dass
If I do not use the method of swishing and just massage my gums with seseame oil before I sleep do I need to rinse afterwards or leave it to absorb?
if you are oil pulling, than spit and rinse toxins from mouth. if you are doing traditional ayurvedic remedy of oiling, just massage gums with sesame oil and leave in to absorb.
I have been doing oil pulling for a month now. My teeth are no longer loose. Will my receding gums restore themselves?
Hard to say, but they could. Im glad that your teeth are stronger and gums have improved some. Good luck!
Hi, I just wanted to know about the swishing of the sesame seed oil.
How long do you keep it in the mouth for,how many minutes?
Is this oil pulling or is this not as intense I mean is the swishing like 3or 4 minutes instead of 20 minutes which is what is usually recommended for oil pulling. will just massaging the gums with sesame seed oil reverse receding gums? Thanks Sofiya
a few minutes is fine, then rub the remaining oil into the gums.
Please could you advise me on periodontitis. I have been having 3 monthly descaling treatments for years, but still have pockets in my gums. I brush regularly and well, and also floss and mouthwash. I now have receded gums around my front teeth which look awful. I’ve started brushing with salt to reduce the acidity in my mouth. I am also careful about stress and ensure I’m relaxed. I’ve heard oil pulling and brushing with tumeric can help. Is this true? What can I do to kill off these awful bacteria in my mouth? I’m very grateful to you. Thank you so much.
Lysterine contain thymol, one of the most powerful anti bacterials, there are some natural mouthwashes that contain extract of thymol, but they are expensive and run out quickly. Lysterine original formula is awesome, swish twice a day, and don’t rinse out after you spit out the wash. Oil pulling with seasame is great, just a few minutes daily and massage remaining oil into the gums. Triphala mouthwash is also good, make a tea of triphala and rinse well.
Eat less sugary foods, that increases kapha and tarter that results from high kapha. Sugar also weakens the gums.
Check out my website:
bluelotusayurveda.com
I do phone consults if you need further help.
Vishnu Dass
Many thanks Vishnu Dass.
I do use an alcohol free mouthwash. I shall try listerine.
I shall also resume oil pulling, but only for a few minutes, and massage the gums afterwards as you suggest.
I also recently gave up tea and sugar.
Hopefully these things will help.
Thank you for your kind input.
The original lysterine has alcohol, I like that one, but if for some reason you can’t have alcohol, use one without. It must have Thymol.
My mother used to use mayu in til oil. what this mayu is and where can i get it.
Mayu is commonly black garlic, it is often used in cooking sauteed in sesame oil. Garlic is a good anti bacterial and fights infections.