Receding Gums
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Tim
Posted on: March 29, 2002

I don’t know if you provide information on herbs for medicinal uses without actually seeing the requestor but I thought it would be worth a try. I’m searching for some herbal remedies that I could use for receeding gums. Some of my gums are tender and others are receding. The remedies I’ve found so far are comfrey for healing, oak bark for inflammation and vitamin C for gum integrity.

You are right that without seeing the person, I can only offer suggestions that you can research for your individual purposes. It is most important to determine and correct the cause, which could be: excess plaque, refined sugar and refined grains intake, insufficient brushing, flossing and cleaning by a dentist, smoking, too little fibre in the diet, nutritional deficiencies, or underlying problems such as allergies or digestive malabsorption. Teeth should be brushed and flossed daily to remove plaque, and cleaned by a dentist at least every 6 months. The diet should be high in whole, unprocessed food, emphasizing fruit and vegetables.

Here are some suggestions for improving gum health:

Vitamin C (1-2 grams daily) should be taken with bioflavonoids – rutin or quercitin – for best benefit.

Citrus fruit is especially beneficial in preventing gum problems.

Eating vegetables helps to prevent plaque build up.

Chewing on foods like carrot sticks or a stick of real licorice root stimulates saliva and the gums, and helps to inhibit plaque.

A Myrrh mouthwash (5-10 drops of Myrrh tincture in a glass of water) three times daily helps to harden gums.

Coenzyme Q10 (60 mg daily) is reportedly helpful for gum health.

Massage the chin, cheeks and gums to improve circulation.

Propolis (5-10 drops of the tincture in a glass of water daily) helps to strengthen gums.

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