Contrary to what television commercials and magazine advertisements would have you believe, you don't need the chemicals in most toothpastes, mouthwashes, and other oral health care products to tackle gingivitis, periodontal gum disease, dry mouth, or bad breath. In reality, many of those advertisements mislead you into believing that simply using mouthwash will combat periodontal infection. In fact, the plant soaps, essential oils, vitamins, and herbs in natural oral health care products are often more effective in the treatment of gingivitis, in periodontal disease prevention, in dry mouth treatment, and in the everyday care of healthy teeth and gums.

Although most people don't make the connection, your teeth and gums can have a dramatic impact on your health and well-being. Gum problems, tooth decay, and even mercury fillings can have a negative impact on your health.

The Signs of Healthy Gums

When your gums are healthy, they have a nice pink color, and don't bleed when you brush your teeth. In addition, your gum line tightly hugs your teeth. Unfortunately, however, periodontal disease affects three-quarters of the population. Because it's often painless, most people are unaware that they have a problem.

Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease

The symptoms of periodontal infection range from bleeding in the gum pockets; red, swollen, or tender gums; an abscess on the gum surface; gums that have pulled away from the teeth; and persistent bad breath.

Bad breath is more than an embarrassment; it's a warning sign that unhealthy bacteria are growing in your mouth. If you floss your teeth and the floss smells like rotten eggs, you most likely have periodontal disease that is causing the hydrogen sulfide compounds in your mouth to multiply.

Similarly, dry mouth is more than an annoyance; a persistent lack of salivation can actual accelerate tooth decay and gum problems because saliva helps keep the bacteria and fungi in your mouth in check.

How Natural Oral Health Care Products Can Help

Natural oral health care products address the root of the problem, rather than simply the symptoms. For example, dry mouth can occur as a side effect of many medications, or as the result of a medical condition. Many commercial oral care products contain alcohol or sodium lauryl sulfate, which can further irritate and dehydrate your mouth. A refreshing, natural gel, on the other hand, can actually stimulate the salivary glands to produce more saliva, which in turn will help control the bacteria and fungi.

Similarly, there are many products on the market that advertise a solution to bad breath. In fact, most of these products contain alcohol, which over time dries out your gums and makes the problem worse. Natural oral health care products avoid alcohol and instead use a blend of ingredients that discourages the growth of the organisms that cause bad breath.

Good oral health care is a habit worth developing. And, by using natural oral health care products, you can be assured that you are doing all you can to treat the problems you have, or to prevent the development of gingivitis, periodontal gum disease, bad breath, and dry mouth.