Instant Tooth Cleansers
• Rub a sage leaf over the teeth and gums to
make them feel polished and clean.
• Peel a twig of flowering dogwood, chew the end
to create a brush and rub on the teeth and 
gently
on the gums.
Peppermint Toothpaste
To make your own cleansing paste, take 1 tsp (5 ml) bicarbonate of soda,
charcoal or powdered strawberry roots and 2 drops of essential oil of peppermint.
Add enough drops of water to create a paste. Mix and use as commercial products.
Stain Removers
• Strawberry: rub half a strawberry (alpine
is best) over the teeth.
• Lemon Peel: rub the wet side on the teeth. The
blanching property of lemon is good for
removing tea and other
brown stains.
Mouthwashes
Commercial mouthwashes are often so powerful that they damage the proper
balance of digestive juices and can irritate the lining of the mouth. Seek
further help for persistent bad breath as the digestive system may not be
functioning properly.
To sweeten the breath, chew fresh parsley, liquidized nettle leaves or watercress, which are all high in chlorophyll, a green plant pigment used in many commercial breath sweeteners. For a quick mouthwash, gargle with a peppermint infusion, rosewater, lavender water, or diluted witch hazel (1 part witch hazel to 6 parts water). Alternatively, try mint and rosewater mouthwash.
Toothache
As a short term measure to ease the pain, apply a drop of oil of cloves.
Herbs for Oral Care
| Dogwood | Crushed twig stimulates gums |
| Lavender Water | Sweet-smelling mouthwash. |
| Nettle Leaves | When liquidized, they sweeten the breath. |
| Cloves | Oil of cloves gives relief to sudden toothache. |
| Parsley | Sweetens the breath. |
| Peppermint | An infusion makes a popular mouthwash. |
| Rosemary | Use an infusion for a soothing gargle. |
| Rosewater | Refreshing as a mouthwash. |
| Sage | Polishes teeth, leaves a "clean" feeling. |