Study after study has shown that having poor oral health can cause you to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease such as heart attack or stroke than those with good oral health.
Yoga and ayurveda practitioners are no strangers to the practices and rituals surrounding dental health and longevity!
To keep my teeth at their best, at night I floss and brush, but in the morning I have a slightly more in-depth oral care routine inspired by Living Libations.
Here is the five-step process:
STEP 1: Salt water rinse.
Every quarter or so, I make a big pot of saltwater solution by boiling water with a ton of Pink Himalayan Seasalt which I store in a large glass jar in my bathroom once it cools. I add a few drops of Living Libations Yogi Tooth Serum, Happy Gum Drops, or Mint + Myrrh Serum, which gives it a nice flavor with the salt, and also adds beneficial essential oils for the gums and mouth microbiome. Pour out a shot glass of the mixture, swish for about 30 seconds first thing when you get up in the morning and spit out.
STEP 2: Scrape your tongue
Scrape your tongue 2-3 times with an Ayurvedic tongue scraper (Living Libations has a few varieties). Nothing has helped me more to prevent tartar than tongue scraping - my dental hygienist was shocked at how little she needed to do when I started tongue scraping. Tongue scraping is also the #1 remedy for bad breath, just sayin’! To make it even more enjoyable, add a drop of Living Libations Yogi Tooth Serum, Happy Gum Drops or Mint + Myrrh Serum to the scraper.
STEP 3: Brush teeth and gums
Most commercial and yes, even natural toothpastes contain glycerin - an inexpensive filler that coats the teeth, blocking the saliva from doing its primary job of remineralizing the tooth’s enamel. There are very few toothpastes on the market without glycerin (and none at all for pets). I like a product called Earth Paste and any of the toothpastes by Living Libations. When you brush your gums, brush from the bottom of the gums toward the tooth line.
STEP 4: Coconut Oil Pull
Oil pulling is an ancient tradition of cleaning the mouth. If this is new to you, start small by putting ½ teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swishing it around for 15-20 minutes while you’re getting ready for the day. Do not swallow it, and make sure to spit it out in the trash can so as not to clog your pipes when it hardens. To make it more palatable and also beneficial for the gums and mouth’s microbiome, add essential oils such as cinnamon, peppermint, myrrh, and clove. Or swish with Living Libations Happy Gum Drops Oil Swishing Serum. Note: I don’t oil pull every day as is sometimes recommended, but I try to do it as often as possible throughout the week.
STEP 5: Final rinse and brush
After the oil pulling you’ll want to get the oil residue out of your mouth and off your teeth. A good swish with the saltwater solution is great followed by a quick once over brushing (not thorough, just enough to get the oil residue off the teeth).
I know this may seem like a lot of extra things to add to your day, but in total with the oil pulling, the whole thing takes less than 20 minutes. And remember you can do other things while you’re oil pulling, like getting your morning tea or breakfast ready, picking your outfit for the day, or showering. My results in terms of better breath, healthy gums, and zero tartar has been worth every second!
How about you? Do you have any morning oral care rituals? Share them in the comments!