Aromatherapy can be a great help when it comes to maintaining healthy teeth and gums. The antiseptic nature of the essential oils is particularly helpful for keeping your mouth, gums, and your toothbrush clean and fresh.

Your mouth can be – like any living creature – a great place to quietly harbour germs that you can be totally unaware of! If your teeth aren't cleaned properly and regularly (including flossing or you are missing around 1 third of the tooth surface), then these germs can really begin to cause problems.

Here are our “top natural tips” for keeping your mouth clean and healthy

Give your toothbrush a good clean once a week - or you could be growing a variety of extra germs you'd want nowhere near your mouth! Wash it under boiling water and then leave in the following solution: 50ml boiled water mixed with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil and 3 drops Peppermint.

Replace your toothbrush regularly as damaged, bent bristles can harm your gums, as can brushing too hard - a regular problem identified by dentists!

Clean your teeth at least twice daily with an SLS free toothpaste such as Aloe Dent (aloe vera fluoride free toothpaste) and then use a natural dental floss such as Tom's of Maine Antiplaque Flat Floss with Spearmint. You can even make your own natural aromatherapy toothpaste by mixing 50ml warmed coconut oil and 50ml baking soda with 1 drop Peppermint essential oil, 1 drop Spearmint and 6 drops Tea Tree. Mix well and use as normal, taking care not to swallow any.

If your gums bleed it may be a sign of inflammation (see your dentist or hygienist) or a deficiency in iron (anaemia) or Vitamin C – even the old fashioned disease “scurvy” – which can cause teeth to become loose – is coming back with poor diets low in fresh foods.

If you do have inflamed gums, bad breath or a sore throat, gargle with the following solution before going to bed: 1 glass warm water mixed with ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 drop Tea Tree and 1 drop Myrrh. Mix together well and gargle 3-6 times.

Mouth ulcers can often be a result of chewing the side of your mouth when stressed – if so an aromatherapy massage with soothing oils such as Neroli, Lavender, Bergamot and Frankincense can be great for relieving stress and tension. Ulcers can also be caused by a fungal infection when your immune system is low. Take a strong pro-biotic for 1 month (I recommend Biocare's Bio-Acidophilus Forte Plus) and increase your Vitamin C intake. You can also try gargling with 50ml warm water, ½ tsp sea salt and 3 drops each of Tea Tree, Myrrh and Cypress.

Make sure you clean your tongue as well as your teeth as it can create a breeding ground for bacteria, fungus and viruses in an unhealthy /unclean mouth. Stick your tongue out each day and check for any irregularities. If you notice unusual lumps or bumps appearing – visit your dentist immediately for a quick check.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine (the two most ancient forms), the tongue is used as diagnostic tool. Different areas of the tongue relate to different organs or key body systems – the front tip heart, middle front lungs, the central area stomach, small intestines and pancreas, and the edges liver and gallbladder, with the area at the back relating to the kidneys, bladder and large intestines.

The colour of your tongue can tell you masses too if you know what to look for:-

• A very pale tongue can indicate deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and proteins.
• A tongue that is red in the middle and at the edges can indicate a fever, irritability and constipation tendencies, too many stimulants or drug use.
• A purple tongue can indicate poor circulation and muscle spasm, back ache, headaches etc.

If you have a coating on your tongue it can indicate the following:

• A thick white coating on whole tongue – coughs/cold, fatigue, oedema.
• If the white coating is only at the back – poor digestion and an imbalance in your intestinal flora.
• Brownish coating – constipation, smoking, excess caffeine.
• Yellowish coating (often with red tongue) – overheating diet/stress/irritability.
• Blackish coating – high fever, dehydration, digestive problems/infectious disease/fungus infection, over-use of antibiotics.

If you have a swollen tongue with teeth marks at the side this is usually a sign of poor digestion , too little sleep and lack of nutrients especially Vitamin C.

Contrary to what we are told – common “over the counter” mouth washing and teeth bleaching agents can be extremely toxic. They are laden with chemicals such as coal tars, aspartame, fluorides, aluminium and benzene. One of the few exceptions to this is the Dental Herb Company's “Tooth & Gum Tonic”. Another more natural solution is to try oil pulling!

What is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual, using Sesame, Coconut or Sunflower oil. The oils should ideally be organic but this is not essential, as you will not be swallowing the oil.

You take a mouthful (approx 1 tbsp) of the oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes each morning (or at least 4 times a week). The author of an entire book on this practice, Dr Burns Fife, says the oil acts as a cleanser, pulling out bacteria and debris from the mouth. It has an additional detoxifying effect on the body itself too.

Our mouths are full of billions of bacteria, fungi, virus and parasites – plus the toxins they create. The poorer the diet/ lifestyle – the worse these concentrations are. Candida and Streptococcus are common oral residents!

These “residents” can often cause tooth decay and gum disease and will not all be removed by simply brushing your teeth. The germs and their toxic waste products can then affect general wellbeing, by contributing to pressure on the immune system, creating secondary infections, and additional inflammation deleterious to overall health.

When done daily oil pulling can be helpful for:

• Brightening and whitening teeth
• Promoting healthier gums – especially if receding
• Preventing bad breath
• Boosting the immune system
• Decreasing inflammation
• Improving the lymphatic system
• Increasing energy
• Promoting a clearer mind
• Decreasing headaches
• Clearing the sinuses
• Alleviating allergies
• Removal of mucus
• Promoting better sleep
• Promoting a clearer complexion
• Regulating menstrual cycle
• Improving pre-menstrual/menopausal symptoms

The oil pulling process

Simply take a mouthful (approx 1tbsp) of Sesame, Sunflower or Coconut Oil - the latter may have to be warmed first if unfractionated to bring it from a solid to a liquid form. Swish the carrier oil around your mouth in the morning on an empty stomach for approx 20 minutes – the time is key to the efficacy of the process. As you continue swishing, the carrier oil, from being clear and thick, will become thinner and whitish in colour. Swishing activates enzymes that help draw those toxins out. DO NOT gargle or swallow the oil – as it will be laden with toxins. When you have finished spit the oil out and dispose of in your compost/garden or down the loo – to avoid clogging up the sink. Remember to rinse your mouth and clean your teeth as normal afterwards, as this will further remove the last lingering residents!

As this is an unusual sensation initially – you may find it a little uncomfortable – but persevere – the results speak for themselves.