The common diseases from which teeth suffer are: toothache, caries of the teeth, inflammation of the gums and pyorrhea. All of them are produced from common causes like improper brushing, not chewing your food properly, dyspepsia, too much of intake of refined sugar and general neglect. Of these pyorrhea is the most common and also the most serious. The regimen indicated for pyorrhea, will relieve other disorders too.

Pyorrhea:

Pyorrhea or periodontal disease is characterized by the promotion of pockets of purulent material round the teeth and loosening of the affected teeth. It is legacy of the modern civilization with too much of emphasis on refined and canned foods, sugar, refined wheat flour and polished rice. In other words, it is the result of too little roughage in the diet and inadequate care of the teeth. Food tends to stagnate between the teeth leading to the excessive formation of tartar. There is a foul taste and also a foul odour in the mouth. A characteristic feature in the later stages is the tendency for the gums to bleed easily.

Our food must include alkalis, which are to be found in wheat flour not passed through a sieve, unpolished rice, unboiled milk, fresh fruit and raw, green vegetables. Lack of calcium leads to decay of teeth and give rise to the various diseases. Refined sugar, which does not contain any calcium needs it to be property digested and takes the calcium from the bones to get assimilated into the system. The worst effect is, therefore, on the teeth. An adult needs ten grains of calcium in his daily diet, which is available in flour, unpolished rice, dates, cabbage, tomatoes, gourds, carrots, cucumber and spinach. It is also found in milk, oranges and sesame.

Exercises:

Like other parts of the body, teeth also need exercise. Hard foods like rusks, raw vegetables and hard-crusted fruits should be chewed in adequate quantities. Wheat soaked in water or maize roasted in sand could be taken in medium quantities to exercise the teeth. Germinated wheat would be still better because it contains vitamin E, the specific for sterility among women, inadequate lactation among feeding mothers and miscarriages and slowly healing wounds.

Foods containing vitamin C like lime and oranges, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, those suffering from swollen or bleeding gums should particularly take garlic, pineapple, grapes and guava. Rubbing of the gums with the finger tips also helps.

Steam Treatment:

Steam treatment should be taken in case of swollen or bleeding gums if nothing else helps. Keep a vessel filled with water on heat and cover it with a lid with a small opening. When the steam starts escaping, expose your gums to its action. Intersperse the steam with rinsing your mouth with cold water. Apply fresh lime juice mixed with coconut or mustard oil after steaming it at night and the glow will be far better than the one given by the any much-advertisement cream or face lotion.

Brushing the Teeth:

The best way to brush the teeth is with a twig of the neem or acacia tree. Brush your teeth in the morning and the last thing before you go to sleep. Remember that most of the mischief is done by the food particles which infest the crevices between the teeth which give rise to putrefaction. Do not use any toothpicks or other sharp sticks to pick your teeth: if you must do it, do with a silk thread. Munch a piece of radish, carrot, cucumber, apple or guava after meals. That would clean your teeth.