The simplest, most effective and most natural mouthwash ever
The Downside of Common Mouthwashes
The truth about advertising is that there is usually very little truth involved, especially when it comes to dental care products and aides. Ever since the campaign to add fluoride to water, toothpaste and just about everything else, the state of our dental health has plummeted. This is partly why mouthwashes started being produced in mass over the past 50 years.
And it's interesting when you think about it. If fluoride was so wonderful for your mouth, than having it in your water, toothpaste, mouthwash and everything else, should be all you would ever need to care for your teeth unless you experienced a severe mouth trauma. Though it's clear from all the products out there, that toothpaste and fluoride are not as great as the ads say they are. That's why they have mouthwashes, numbing agents, breathing enhancers, teeth whitening products, floss, etc...
Now, while toothpaste and fluoridated water are the two largest culprits in the downturn of dental health in our country, this particular hub targets the defects of Mouthwash. And it's not because of some need to seek vengeance on mouthwash companies or products. Instead, the goal here is to educate. Once you understand the truth about common mouthwash, you'll see it's definitely time learn the fine art of making and using your own natural and organic mouthwash.
The Truth About Mouthwash
Instead of going into great detail, let's simply go over a list of the most common truths about mouthwash and why you should avoid it.
- Mouthwash is Acidic, and acid is one of the most corrosive substances in the world. Even milder acids are extremely harmful to the enamel on your teeth and it also wears down on your gums, leaving you more susceptible to gum disease.
- Most mouthwashes contain Alcohol, which causes serious and negative changes in the pH balance in your mouth with prolonged use. Changes in the natural flora and fauna of your mouth, especially in pH balance, have been known to lead right into the nasty world of oral cancers. Denatured alcohol is also well known for causing dry mouth, one of the leading causes of demineralization in our teeth. Without the right pH balance in your saliva and the added consequence of cottonmouth, your looking at immediate tooth decay. If you're a smoker or a coffee drinker, the effects of
- Two other ingredients which are well known for contributing to cancer, are often listed as main ingredients in most mouthwashes, and they are called: Saccharin, Fluoride and cocamidopropyl betaine (a harsh chemical detergent).
- Lauryl sulphate, a common ingredient in mouthwash, has a habit of deactivating any of the potential positive benefits of fluoride from toothpaste, while it does nothing to inhibit the negative side effects. Coincidentally, neither the toothpaste companies nor the mouthwash brands seem to believe this is important to tell you about, even though it completely defeats any good oral health benefits you may have received from common tooth pastes or mouth washes (including alcohol-free brands)
- If you enjoy coffee, tea. red wine, grapes or the nastiness known as Coca-Cola, you're also at risk of staining your teeth, as the tannin in these common food and beverages have a bad reaction with Chlorohexidine, another main ingredient in mouth washes. This staining starts to happen in less than 10 days and builds up the more you use the mouthwash and consume anything with tannins in it. The only thing that can get rid of this nasty staining: a trip to the dentist (just what you wanted, right?).
These are just a few of the harsher side effects of most common mouthwashes, including alcohol-free versions. Take the time to education yourself about all of the effects of the different kinds of mouthwash. This hub section should easily get you started.
Make Your Own Mouthwash - Ingredients
- 2 Cloves Organic Garlic, Juiced or Blended
- 1 Organic Onion, Juiced
- 1 Cup Water, Reverse Osmosis
- 1 Mug Organic Mint Tea, Iced
Your Own Brand of Organic Mouthwash: Getting Cooking!
- This recipe is super simple, as is the first step. You want to get out your onion, peel off the dry layers and throw the whole onion in a pot and boil it. You might also decide to steam the onion instead, which preserves the juices better. Either way, your goal is to get that onion nice and soft. The onion should be small to medium sized and can be just about any color or flavor of onion you like. Every onion contains antibacterial, anti-microbal, antiseptic and anti-fungal properties that are perfect for cleaning your mouth. Once you've boiled your onion, take it out and place it in a shallow cassarole dish. Cut the onion into four or more pieces and then squeeze the hell out of those pieces until you've gotten every lasy bit of juice you can muster. Sometimes this is easier with a cheese cloth, as long as you remember to squeeze out the onion juice that gets soaked into the cloth.
- Now get out your garlic. You'll want to peel and separate the leafs from the clove. Use a food processor to turn that garlic into puree, or use a garlic press to manually squeeze out the juice into your shallow dish with the onion juice.
- Mix together the garlic and onion juice and then add a cup of water. Mix all three of these ingredients together well and then place them in a bottle or jar with a tight lid.
Using Your Mouthwash
When it comes time to gargle and spit, just use your mouthwash. You can dllute your mixture with more water if the taste of the garlic and onions is too strong. Even when watered down, you'll still gain amazing oral benefits from cleansing your mouth with this mixture.
All that being said, no one can shy away from the fact that onions and garlic are not the most divine smelling veggies in the world. That's one of the reasons so many people get hooked on mouthwash - it masks foul smells in the mouth. Interestingly enough, simply brushing your teeth and tongue with warm water will clear away the smell of the G and O, and then a simple mug of iced (or hot if you prefer) Mint Tea will leave your breath smelling clean and fresh.
