What does Holistic mean?
Holistic comes from the word holism, simply meaning, “the whole is better than the sum of its parts.” Holistic forms of healthcare try to treat the "whole person" rather than focusing too narrowly on single symptoms. Holistic health care is an alternative and often complementary form of healthcare when compared to traditional western practices. You can think of holistic medicine as a more natural or green approach to maintaining one's health. The holistic approach to treating oral problems is focusing on all aspects of health, so in other words in holistic medicine your oral health affects the whole body, and vice versa.
If you're up for a fun natural experiment, try these 5 ancient Indian dentistry practices to improve your oral health!
1. Oil pulling
Oil pulling is the most popular and perhaps the most ancient form of holistic oral care.
Studies have shown that swishing oil in the mouth for 15- 20 minutes whiten your teeth, freshen your breath and promote good oral hygiene! The two best oils for this practice are sesame and coconut oil. Both oils contain properties that naturally reduce inflammation and bacteria to promote oral health. This practice is most similar to using a mouthwash. All you’ll need is 1-2 tablespoons of oil in your mouth, swish it around, then spit it out.
2. Tongue scraping
The practice of tongue scraping has been removing built up bacteria in the mouth for over 2000 years! It is best for cleaning the oral cavity and removing all toxins that cause bacterial growth that leads to plaque formation. It is recommended that you tongue scrape daily, and do so first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Start by scraping the tongue from back to front a few times and rinsing the scraper in between. Scrape your tongue several times using copper or stainless steel tongue scraper for the best results! Remember in holistic healthcare the health of the tongue is an indication of the health of the whole body.
3. Chewing Neem Twigs
The neem tree is the most versatile medicinal plant used in ancient indian medicine. Every part of the plant, from roots, stems and leaves are used for medicinal purposes. For oral health purposes, neem twigs are beneficial for its anti-plaque, anti-cavity and antibacterial effects. It is recommended to chew them to release anti-bacterial agents that help maintain oral health. For Best results choose a twig which is as thick as your little finger then chew on one corner to make it like a brush, using your saliva to soften the “natural” bristles. Now use it like you would a toothbrush, brushing it all across the gums and teeth. After you’re done, spit out any remaining twig fibers in your mouth or that may be stuck on the teeth.
4. Herbal mouth rinse
Another holistic way to improve your oral health is by gargling licorice root. It serves as an excellent mouth rinse. Licorice root has been used to prevent the growth of bacteria associated with periodontitis disease, a common inflammatory gum disease that can destroy the bones, gums, and tissue that maintain teeth. The two compounds found in licorice to be the most effective in fighting bacteria in the mouth are licoricidin and
licor isoflavan A. To try this ancient practice, start by boiling the licorice root in water till the water reduces to half the amount. Allow the herbal rinse to cool, then gargle mixture while it is still lukewarm.
5. Yoga/ meditation
Ok, this tip may have nothing to do with whitening your teeth but it is an essential part of caring for health as a whole. Yoga is an ancient practice of movement that comes from the Sanskrit word yuj meaning “union.” It is believed that yoga and other forms of meditation help to calm the nervous system and balance the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga has been classified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a mind-body medicine. Mind-body skills, often called self-regulation skills, can help reframe a painful or difficult experience into one that reinforces your sense of resiliency, self-control, and confidence. Yoga and meditation have been clinically proven to improve one's mind-body connection. So, don't hesitate to roll out that yoga mat in the corner of the room next time you're not feeling your best!
If this all seems a little to complicated or time consuming, no worries, Novashine has your back!
Novashine has integrated many “natural” ingredients into our teeth whitening products! Check out our Natural teeth whitening mouthwash! It contains holistic ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera and dead sea salt! We also created a custom flavor, sweet melon mint that compares to no other mouthwash out there!
Novashine has your back! Our Ultrasonic toothbrush works wonders on removing surface stains and the best part is you won't have to worry about pieces of wood getting stuck in your teeth.