In the year 2011-2012 Australians spent $8,336 million on dental issues like halitosis (also known as bad breath), common gum disease (bleeding gums) and other ailments associated with oral hygiene. The costs continue to rise far above inflation, and because insurance premiums are prohibitive, around 60% of this huge sum comes from the patients’ own pockets and as many as 30% of people even avoid visiting the dentist at all because of the excessive financial burden! At the other extreme, it is not unusual to find people paying many thousands of dollars only for maintaining oral hygiene. The fact is that if adequate preventative care is taken, a vast chunk of this expenditure is quite unnecessary.

Ayurveda has always emphasized the need for a thorough approach to oral hygiene. In fact no other health system outlines a more complete regime for achieving oral health, although it is a fundamental part of maintaining good overall health. In a number of our blogs we have discussed the far-reaching implications of poor oral hygiene.

Causes/Reasons for bad breath

Most people clean their teeth every day and certainly the most important time to do this is first thing in the morning. While we sleep, many toxins are accumulating on the surface of the teeth as well as in the gums and on the tongue. If the coating of plaque is not removed regularly it will eventually harden to form tartar and cavities will develop along with bad breath. This ultimately develops gum disease symptoms like redness of the gums, loose teeth, swelling of gums and pain while eating hard food.

How to treat bad breath and gum disease?

We recommend the use of Ayurvedic tooth powder as a halitosis treatment, as it is gentle and kind to the thin enamel coating while nonetheless being strongly antibacterial.

Dental floss should be used after eating to remove food particles which can get stuck between the teeth and attract bacteria, which can then cause gum disease such as Pyorrhoea. Far fewer people attend to their gums and tongue. Ayurvedic gum massage oil has powerful anti-bacterial and antifungal properties and its penetrative abilities enable it to achieve a far superior result than merely brushing the teeth, and it does not kill off good bacteria in the process.

The Ayurvedic tongue scraper is a highly effective way of ensuring that the toxins which have accumulated overnight on the tongue are not swallowed and returned to the digestive tract. The tongue tells us a lot about the digestion: a thick white or yellow coating can be a sign of bacterial overgrowth or ‘Candida’. When the tongue is clear an additional benefit is experienced, in that the sense of taste is also greatly enhanced.

It is for these reasons that we have put a lot of thought into developing the YATAN range of oral care products – such as the tongue scraper, tooth powder and gum massage oil  -as an essential part of our lifestyle kits, each item complementing the rest. You can also separately purchase these teeth cleaning powders and tongue cleaner along with our gum massage oil. For a very modest investment all of these problems can be avoided and you can reap the rewards in the form of reduced dental bills and the maintenance of overall good health.

For more information or to seek out help regarding bad breath and gum disease treatment, call the YATAN Holistic Ayurvedic Centre on 1300552260.

Click Image to Buy Featured Products ( Tooth Powder $29.95 / Gum Massage Oil $21.95/ Tongue Scraper $14.95)