Oral Bacteria: Understanding Mouth Flora

In a recent blog we emphasised the importance of taking care of our teeth. However there is another, less obvious aspect to oral hygiene about which Ayurveda has long been aware. The mouth is home to a complex, diverse and abundant colony of microflora which adhere to the tongue, cheeks and gums as well as to the teeth. While many of these species are essential to our bodies others can be highly toxic. Ayurveda teaches us that ama is being produced continuously and if there is any blockage in lymphatic flow the salivary glands can become clogged and cause a loss of acid-alkaline balance. This can encourage an overgrowth of bad bacteria and fungi which initially causes bad breath (halitosis) or gum disease (pyorrhoea). The taste buds also become blocked and nausea can result from the constant bad taste in the mouth. As the situation worsens this toxicity can spread to any part of the head, including the throat, the sinuses and even the brain, as well as being swallowed into the digestive tract. It is therefore important to find a way to detoxify the oral flora and prevent this invasion.

Ayurveda has provided us with an effective way to achieve this, through developing herbal mouth cleansing oils. These are swished around the mouth for between 5 – 20 minutes then spat out into the sink. These oils have a strong antibacterial and antifungal effect, but unlike some of the better known mouthwashes, many of which contain alcohol, they do not kill off beneficial bacteria at the same time and they do not cause hypersensitivity or irritations such as mouth ulcers. Furthermore, they have a very superior penetrative capability when compared with the much simpler oils but at the same time do not draw out the good saliva. Yet another benefit is their ability to form a protective coating which prevents further bacterial growth.

At the YATAN Holistic Ayurvedic Centre we have developed our own  herbal gum massage oil, obtainable from our online store. It is also one of the items we have included in our lifestyle kits.

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