In previous blogs, I talked about digestion according to Western, Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. I will now get on with, sadly, common ailments in the digestive tract from mouth to butt.
Digestion starts in the mouth, with chewing well. The more you chew your food, the more your help your digestive tract with the digestion process.
So, a healthy mouth/teeth are important. A disease of the mouth, or more correctly, of the gums, which is becoming more common, is gingivitis which can lead to periodontitis.
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis is advanced gum disease. It occurs when bacteria accumulate on teeth and molars and form dental plaque along the gumline. Eventually the gums can withdraw and the jawbone can also be affected. As a result, teeth and molars will become loose and may be lost.
A bad taste or bad breath may indicate periodontitis. Because periodontitis rarely causes pain, it can go unnoticed for a long time. In addition to teeth loss, periodontitis is a risk to overall health and you are more likely to suffer from heart/vascular disease, lung infections, rheumatism and diabetes. It is therefore worthwhile to have your teeth/oral health checked regularly.
What can be done about it?
- First and foremost: a regular visit to your dental hygienist. He or she will clean out the pockets and will thus try to stop the degeneration process. You yourself can support with:
- A herb that can support is Plantain. You can make a tea of it or chew on a leaf.
- You can use a practice that is called oilpulling, which I will describe in a separate blog.
- You can softly rub your gums with coconut oil. Coconut oil disinfects.
- Gurgle with Solidago. You can make a tea of it which is mild or a tincture that works more vigorously.
- Stop smoking.
- Take good care of your mucous membranes in your digestive tract. People with intestinal trouble are more likely to also have gumtrouble.
- If you take a probiotic, also gurgle before swallowing it.
Feel free to use the comment section to share your experciences!
