Turmeric is known for its medicinal properties, but what good does it do for your teeth and gums?

Turmeric contains Curcumin, an organic, nontoxic chemical compound that not only gives it its bright yellow colour, but also its potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties among many others.

It is because of these properties that turmeric became a perfect ingredient for the treatment of periodontal diseases and even oral cancers.

Turmeric is not only popular as a superfood it’s also useful in dentistry. It is an important ingredient for mouthwashes, teeth whitening treatments, and it’s also used as pocket irrigation for cleansing plaque, and as a dental sealant to prevent tooth decay.

By using turmeric, you prevent gum disease, gum pain, gum inflammation, and reduce the risk of cavities.

The best thing about Turmeric is that it is food and it’s available everywhere, so you can easily add it to your oral care hygiene at home.

How To Add Turmeric To Your Oral Care Routine

There are many ways you can add turmeric to your oral hygiene. You can make a turmeric-based toothpaste to prevent gum disease or a homemade whitening toothpaste if you want. They’re both easy to do!

Here are few turmeric-based homemade items you can make to achieve healthy teeth and gums.

1.   DIY Turmeric Toothpaste
2.   DIY Turmeric-based Whitening Toothpaste
3.   DIY Topical Turmeric Paste for Gingivitis
4.   DIY Turmeric Mouthwash
5.   Buy a Turmeric-based Tooth Whitening Powder or Toothpaste

Before you do this, it’s important to take note of two things; (1) Turmeric has a certain taste that may not be enjoyable for everyone, and (2) adding it to your tooth-brushing regimen may make your toothbrush bristles yellow.

You can easily fix the taste problem by adding other ingredients such as mint and you can just use a separate toothbrush for this.

DIY Turmeric Toothpaste

A turmeric toothpaste is really just thick turmeric paste, you may also add one to two drops of peppermint to help with the flavour.

Peppermint is found mostly in any toothpaste brand and it’s safe to ingest in small amounts. And just like turmeric it also has pain-relieving properties, so if you have a toothache, you just can’t shake, this will help eliminate the pain and swelling. It’s also a potent means of countering bad breath.

There are two ways to do this, (1) you can mix turmeric powder with water to make a thick paste or, (2) you can just dip your toothbrush to the turmeric powder.

Either way, you just wet the bristles of your toothbrush and dip it to the turmeric. Brush your teeth like you normally would and let it sit on your teeth for 5 minutes.

After that, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water and brush it with a regular toothpaste to get rid of the remaining turmeric powder.

DIY Turmeric-based Whitening Toothpaste

Commercial teeth whiteners may contain harmful ingredients that increase the risk of gingivitis, gum pain, gum recession, and tooth enamel erosion. If you are looking for a nontoxic, organic and safer alternative to teeth whitening products, you can use turmeric.

Moreover, it’s very easy to make a turmeric-based homemade whitening toothpaste.

To make your own turmeric toothpaste, the homemade toothpaste ingredients are:

1.       ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2.       1-2 drops Peppermint extract (for flavour)
3.       1/8 teaspoon melted Coconut Oil
4.       Optional: ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Turmeric had been recently recognized as an effective teeth whitener but you may not be able to see visible results as fast you as you would with commercial teeth whiteners.

Nonetheless, you can improve its effectiveness by adding baking soda. Baking soda is found in almost every toothpaste you can find, and it’s a mild abrasive ingredient that will scrub the surface stains on your teeth.

Again, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water and brush it with a regular toothpaste to get rid of the stubborn turmeric powder.

DIY Topical Turmeric Paste For Gingivitis

If you want to prevent gum disease or find relief from gingivitis or Periodontitis, you can make a topical turmeric ointment that you can rub on your teeth and gums.

To do this you need to mix:

1.   1 teaspoon of turmeric
2.   ½ teaspoon of salt and
3.   ½ teaspoon of mustard oil.

With the combined effects of turmeric, salt, and mustard oil you will remove plaque on your teeth and prevent further gum bleeding. Rub this paste to your teeth and gums twice every day to achieve the best results.

DIY Turmeric Mouthwash

If you want to maintain normal healthy gums, gargling this turmeric mouthwash every day will help you! It’s easy to make. For this homemade mouthwash you’ll need:

1.   1 cup distilled water
2.   1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3.   1 teaspoon cloves
4.   2-3 drops of peppermint (could be more if you want a stronger scent)

To make it a mouthwash, put all the first three ingredients to a cooking pot and bring to a boil. Low boil for 15-20 minutes so their properties infuse. Strain. Add peppermint oil (optional) and put it in an airtight jar.

Gargle this for about 1 minute and then spit it out. Do this at least once a day and you’ll have a fresh breath and healthy bottom gums always.

Buy a Turmeric-based Tooth Whitening Powder or Toothpaste

If you just had professional teeth whitening treatment and don’t want to run the risk of staining your newly whitened teeth with turmeric, there are many turmeric-based tooth whitening powder and toothpaste available that do not have the yellowish colour.

You may not get as much turmeric compared to homemade toothpaste, though, but it will surely remove the hassle of yellow-stained toothbrushes.