Many articles have been written on mouth hygiene and keeping the teeth white – from whitening pastes through baking soda cocktail to lemon juice paste. People every year spend lump sum amounts of money on whitening their teeth, quite often on risk-entailing techniques.
As I have already mentioned in other articles, natural is always best. Therefore, we could simply forget that to have white teeth we need to rob a bank (or two). For a good two-dollar bill, we can simply purchase a small sack of turmeric and brush our teeth to splendid results. And the quantity of turmeric we buy with this negligible amount of money usually is enough for a year (yes, you heard me).
But What Is Turmeric?
One of the healthiest foods, the turmeric is a rhizomous, herbaceous plant of the ginger family, which originates in south-west India. This gorgeous spice has a peppery, warm, and slightly bitter flavour. The orange substance which is inside the rhizome constitutes the source of turmeric medicinal powder. Its wondrous properties were first used in India. In fact, it is one of the most used spices in Indian gastronomy serving as a colourant and as a basic ingredient of curry.
As a natural and non-toxic ingredient, it not only fights the bad stuff, but also gets a lot of great stuff in. According to a study by Mali and Gilda, turmeric mouthwash acts as an anti-plaque agent, has an amazing effect on gingival inflammation, and possesses anti-microbial properties. It is also widely used in the “Ayurveda” (Ayu – life, Veda – science) system of Indian medicine. Another study suggests that it’s useful in fighting oral cancers, may be used as a pit and fissure sealant, and can cure dental pain.
How to Improve Your Oral Health and Have Whiter Teeth by Using Turmeric
- Wet your toothbrush and then slightly dip it into turmeric powder so that around 1/8 of it is covered (those of you who want to use organic turmeric are most welcome, but I use normal turmeric powder). I have heard that the toothbrush can get yellow (mine has not yet). The ye, along with your saliva, would make a paste. Brush for a couple of minutes.
- Spit and rinse thoroughly. After that, you can brush your teeth with your normal toothpaste, but the turmeric also leaves you with a pleasant smell in your mouth. You may notice that your tongue is yellow, but after a certain amount of time, it fades away.
- Clean your sink immediately after spitting because, depending on the surface, turmeric could leave a stain.
Differences can be observed even after the first use, but I suggest waiting around a week to be fully astonished by the results.
Warning: I have noticed that my teeth got a little sensitive because I used this wondrous condiment every day in the first week. Therefore, I reduced the brushing to around twice a week and I will gradually increase it according to how my body reacts. In this regard, I have two suggestions:
- Since each person is unique in itself, so is his or her body. Thus, consult your doctor before embarking upon the “turmeric journey” if you happen to have any allergies or conditions that may be severely worsened.
- Start with brushing your teeth once or twice a week and see how your body responds to that. Whitening will surely occur, but beware that extra sensitivity, as was the case with me, could accompany that. Be patient and you will see the results quite soon.
The Simple Yet Effective Turmeric Toothpaste
If plain turmeric sounds too exotic and/or spicy for you, you can make yourself a toothpaste by combining:
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder;
- ½ teaspoon of melted coconut oil
Turmeric’s wondrous properties could be used for other things too. Regardless of whether you prefer to have breakfast as scrambled eggs, cereals, porridge, pancakes (crêpes), waffles or French toast, adding just one tiny gramme of the yellow condiment could boost memory of people who are in the early stages of diabetes.
And, as a final, let me hit you with a recipe I stumbled upon recently. Turmeric, as ginger, Aloe Vera, and garlic, is a panacea.
Do you consume this condiment on a regular basis? Do you have any suggestions for delicious recipes with it? 🙂
