A reader asked this question: What Do You Mix in a Water Pik for gums?
I have read and used a formula from Dr Schulze, maverick herbalist from the American Botanical Pharmacy.
You can buy the formula (tooth and gum formula $20) on the above website, or your can make your own.
The ingredients in this formula are designed
- stop the bleeding
- tighten the gums
- disinfect and reduce inflammation of the tissues
- the hot hot habanero pepper is added to the mix to increase circulation for healing and stop the bleeding
Ingredients: White Oak bark, bayberry root bark (these are the astringent herbs to stop the bleeding and tightening the gums), tea tree oil (makes the hot flavor of the pepper seemingly disappear, also is a strong anti-fungal, anti-bacterial), echinacea angustifolia root (for antiseptic), habanero pepper and peppermint oil (for taste and for antiseptic). Make a alcoholic tincture with the ingredients. Ingredients: equal parts (volume, not weight)
mix the above into a fully filled water pik, and use it at least once a day.
The oils in the tincture will eat away on the rubber parts (washers) of the water pik if you don’t rinse it thoroughly after each use with at least half a container of clean water.
If you can’t find all the ingredients: use what you can find.
I have found that even a q-tip dipped in just tea tree oil does an extremely good job at fighting gum disease. Do it after using the water pik… and don’t rinse after the tea tree oil.
Tags: bleeding gums, gum disease, herbs for gum disease, water pik, water pik and gum disease, waterpik
March 24th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
UPDATE: I have found a new and quite unusual method to do this. It is cheaper, and you need nothing to buy, really.
If you have hydrogen peroxide in your home, from your grocery store, drug store, you can use it to tighten your gums.
What causes the trouble with the gums is the bacteria overgrowth in the mouth.
Hydrogen peroxide is an excellent all around pathogen/microbe killer. In proper dilution it only attacks bad bacteria, fungus, an virus, and it doesn’t harm normal healthy cells or the good (aerobic) bacteria.
The bacteria in your mouth is anaerobic, i.e. in the presence of oxygen it dies. It is bad bacteria.
You can dilute the hydrogen peroxide with warm water. Put the mixture into your water-pik, or just swish it around in your mouth for a minute or two, after you brush your teeth, two or three times a day. Make sure you do it last thing before you go to sleep.
Expect miracles. It works.