5 Natural Remedies for Sore Gums

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Are you troubled by sore gums? These Natural Remedies for sore gums really do work and you can use things you likely have handy in your home.

Woman holding her cheek

Today, I am sharing with you a bunch of ways to soothe sore gums that have been a HUGE help to me personally over the years.

Over the years, I've had different issues with my teeth. My parents had horrible teeth -- so it's been an uphill battle for me, made worse, apparently, by "primitive" orthodontia work in my youth.  The traditional "four on the floor" orthodontia where the orthodontist pulls 4 teeth in order to make room for other teeth.

These days, the way to deal with that is to expand the jaws, leading to an expanded airway and better breathing, etc.  So glad we had this option for my sons, but I so wish my orthodontist had done it for me.

In any case, I have what I have and I need to deal with it.

Overall, my teeth are doing quite well, considering, but on and off I have issues with a few gum pockets that I need to deal with.

The pocket gets inflamed and I need to address it before they progress to anything more problematic, and over the years, a few times, I have had sore gums.

I'm so thankful that I have found a way to deal with them naturally, without getting antibiotics or going in to the dentist's office.

Saves me money (a lot!), saves my gut health (taking antibiotics is always something I try to avoid unless absolutely necessary, due to their negative effects on gut health and conditions such as candida), and it helps keep my immune system stronger.

Causes of Sore Gums

While there are many reasons that one might get sore gums, the most common one is likely getting debris or bacteria, or plaque or calculus caught under the gum line. When you have gum pockets that are deeper, it's harder to clean under there, even with floss, so inflammation is more likely.

So the way to after the problem is to address the inflammation under the gum line, whether using something under the gum or something internal.

How to Avoid Sore Gums

Of course, though it's nice to have natural remedies for gum aches around, avoiding getting swollen gums in the first place is the best way to go. And the way to do that is primarily to have a healthy mouth.

Good Oral Hygiene

There are lots of ways to approach good oral hygiene. Here are a few things that I have done that have worked well for me.

If you like an electric toothbrush, the Sonicare is the way to go. Follow the directions in the manual and your teeth will feel amazingly clean.

Orawellness is company with a natural approach to great oral health. I personally met Will Revak years ago and his passion for healthy living and for healthy mouths, was clearly evident.

If you want to dig deeper into having a healthy mouth, this Free 5 Steps to a Healthy Mouth from Orawellness is a great place to start.

 

Their products are fantastic. Their bass toothbrushes are just great for dental health, if you like using a manual toothbrush. I plan to try their remineralizing tooth powder soon.

I personally love my Sonicare and this remineralizing toothpaste. I just use a small amount to make it last longer.

Coconut Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is a GREAT way to have better oral hygiene. The oil attaches to the biofilm in the mouth as you do the swishing action, helping to remove the offensive bacteria before it can do its damage.

My personal oil pulling experiment validated that it works!

Oral Probiotics

Another way to keep your mouth healthy is with an oral probiotic like this one. It's a great way to keep your mouth populated with the "good guys" to keep the "bad guys" at bay.

Sooo much is related to having healthy bacteria. Not just in the gut, but in the mouth as well! When you're doing a lot to kill the bad bacteria, then putting some good bacteria in is important as well.

Dental Tonic

One other thing I have my eye on is this Tooth and Gum Tonic.  My homeopath recommended it to me so I will be trying it out and will share what I think later.

Clean Your Mouth

Of course daily brushing and flossing is of utmost importance. In addition, a tongue scraper is a great way to remove bad bacteria from your mouth for better oral health. These plastic tongue scrapers are very similar to the ones that I have used, and this metal one is another one that I like as well.

The benefit of the metal one is that you can safely place it in the dishwasher for cleaning anytime. I prefer the above metal scraper to others due to its compact size for ease of storage.

woman with sore gums

 

5 Natural Remedies for Sore Gums

Here are the natural remedies for swollen, aching gums that I have used that have worked for me. I hope that these suggestions are a help for you.

Supplies Needed:

Dental syringe (like this one or this one)
Water (use filtered water, please)
Natural Salt (I use RealSalt but this sea salt is a great choice as well)
H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide)
Helichrysum oil (See this series about my choice for "best" essential oils
Bentonite clay
Activated Charcoal
Vitamin C (I use sodium ascorbate for availability)
Oregano oil (optional)

Note about essential oils

Yes, just like everything else you can get the oils on Amazon as well and here are the links.

Helichrysum Oil
Oregano Oil

BUT, you get amazing customer service at the company that I went with, free shipping all the time, PLUS you can get a FREE bottle of oil when you buy direct from the source. See this post of Healthy Living Deals for more information.

Option 1 - Gum irrigation

  1.  Heat a small amount of water until warm.
  2.  Add a small amount of salt to the water - just enough so the water is super saturated with the salt (when no more salt can dissolve.  If you have extra in there, it's fine.)
  3. Add some peroxide to the salt water solution, making sure that no more than 50% of the final solution is peroxide.
  4. Occasionally, I will make a larger amount with a drop of essential oil in the mix, but if you do decide to try this, be very very careful with it.  The oil, depending on what you choose, can burn.  I have found it to be very helpful when I have a stubborn spot, however.  I personally used oregano oil with success.
  5. Using a gum irrigation tool (like the one in this kit), pull some of the solution into the syringe and deliver to the affected area under the gums.  NOTE! Make sure to rinse the irrigation tool well after using. If using a tool with a metal tip, rinse with clean water and also take some water up into the syringe and squirt it out.  If using a plastic syringe, I was told to rinse with more H2O2, but please follow manufacturer's directions.

Option 2 - Helichrysum Oil

Helichrysum is the essential oil most touted for its healing capabilities.  It's pricey, but since you most likely will only use it on occasion, it's well worth having around the house.

Helichrysum Italicum would be the preferred variety of helichrysum to use in this case, as it is stronger, but if you really need to save money, helichrysum gymnocephalum is a less expensive option.

  1.  Just before bed, apply diluted helichrysum oil to affected gums.

Option #3 - Bentonite Clay

Bentonite Clay is known for it's ability to heal and remove toxins.

Method:

  1.  Just before bed, apply a small amount of bentonite clay to affected gum.
  2.  Rinse and spit in the morning to avoid ingesting the clay as it is best to not take it within at least 30 min to 1 hour of eating / taking supplements.

Option #4 - Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is known for its ability to draw out toxins.  I personally have a large container of it in the home as it can be useful for many applications including food allergies.

Method:

  1.  Just before retiring for the evening, apply a small amount of activated charcoal to affected gums.
  2.  Rinse and spit in the morning to avoid ingesting the charcoal as it is best to not take it within at least 30 min to 1 hour of eating / taking supplements.

Note: Charcoal is very dark and messy - but typically it doesn't stain.  Still, take care when using so you don't end up with a huge mess!

Option #5 - Megadoses of Vitamin C

Once when I had a stubborn gum issue that wouldn't budge, I read about the success that megadoses of vitamin C can have on gum issues.  I took 8,000 mg per day for about 2 days and amazingly, my gum was healed.

I personally choose Sodium Ascorbate for its effectiveness.  And this powder is the more cost effective way to purchase it.

There are other forms of vitamin C that can work--ascorbic acid is one, and natural forms like camu camu or amla are other options. There are some people who think that ascorbic acid isn't the best to use long term so that's one reason I don't choose that for our household.

This is a very interesting form of vitamin C that I just came across recently--it's made from tapioca.

This Homemade Vitamin C Powder is whole food and should give great benefits as well.

Method:

1. Take a total of 8,000 mg of vitamin C split up into at least 3 doses throughout the day. You can take more or less to bowel tolerance (that means, when you get the runs, you've taken too much!)

Option #6 - Clove Essential Oil

Clove is used by even many mainstream dental practitioners due to its known anti-inflammatory qualities.

How I Soothe My Sore Gums

I have used each of the above methods either alone, or together with the other treatments.

Most recently, I had an issue that seemed particularly stubborn, so I threw everything at it.  Here's how I did this.

After irrigating the gums, I do the following:

  • Apply helichrysum oil (diluted 1:1 with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil) on the problematic gums
  • Pack some bentonite clay on the area
  • Pack some activated charcoal on the area
  • Take extra vitamin C throughout the day
  • Did Coconut Oil Pulling on a daily basis

I have had these natural supports work time and time again for me.

Of course, none of this is to be taken as medical advice -- it's just what I did that helped me.   And of course, if you decide to try any of this, please consult with your physician and/or dentist before adding any supplements to your diet, or before using the irrigation tool.

Have you ever had sore gums?
What has worked for you?

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39 Comments

  2. I've had a deep interdental pocket that's gotten infected a number of time (once the infection traveled inward on the palate and perforated the sinus). I've had success (without antibiotics) in getting the infection down to a low but constant issue yet I notice there is a kind of new general discomfort in the area that has me suspecting the problem has migrated to the underlying bone. Just a suspicion but one I can't go long without looking into. 🙁 Just two days ago I bit on a blackberry seed and one of my front upper crowns detached, leaving a much decayed tooth stump that hardly clears the gum at all. There are five more aged upper crowns already past their "due date". I think I'm looking at finally getting an upper denture.

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  3. Great I will be trying some of these remedies today I love natural cures don't like drug affects thanks

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  4. I have spent thousands of dollars at my dentist,i have peridonal gum infection...for the second time.She does a deep cleaning under the gums....she shot me up with novacain,also I did the gas.She recommends these products only...oxyfresh power rinse & toothpaste,& put a capful of the oxyfresh in the waterpik.If this don'help this time I will be trying some home remedies,

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  5. I found that I got bad periodontal disease 7 years ago (every one of my teeth were loose!) Since then, I use coconut oil , baking Soda, and diatomaceous earth-equal parts to brush with. I also oil pull once or twice a day or use my own saliva to do the same thing - this you can swallow when done after 10-20 minutes. The biggest difference, however, was the organic fruit and veggies I now eat. You need lots of vitamin C! My dentist is really only seen for cleanings and checkups. He just tells me to keep up what I’m doing. I have also been doing research on tooth sticks. People say this worked better than any toothbrush for them, so it is worth a try.

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    1. You're not supposed to swallow when you Oil Pull! It contains toxins ...always spit it out!

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  7. Hi everyone, I’ve had good dental health most of my life until now. I woke up one morning with excruciating pain in my front bottom teeth (like they were going to explode from pressure) and a lot of swelling under my tongue and on the wall of my gums. I felt like I was holding a golf ball under my tongue. I saw my dentist immediately which he gave me antibiotics for an infection. He measured a 10mm deep pocket under my gums but only on one tooth. Fast forward a week later and it seems to have cleared up (no pain, no swelling). My pocket now is at 4mm but my dentist seems stumped on why I had this issue given my good oral health and told me to just wait and see now if it comes back. Well folks I must say that method is just not going to work for me. I am terrified for it to come back given the pain I had. I am still seeing some minor milky discharge from the pocket when I apply pressure and I am worried some of the infection might still be lingering around. I’ve been doing salt rinses, increased my vit c and have done colloidal silver rinsing in addition to my daily flossing and brushing routine. At this point I am still not seeing it get worse but I am still getting discharge (I’ve been off antibiotics for a few days now). Has anyone else experience something similar to this? Any advice? Thank you all!

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  8. I had a gum infection that spanned my whole mouth. It was so bad I would regularly have bleeding gums from eating soft food and I could taste the infection she. I swallowed. My gum pockets were 5mm and worse and my teeth loosening.

    I did much of what you mention but didn't see rapid results until I got a waterpik to use with a 50/50 water/h2o2 mix after brushing and before rinsing with a warm essential oil mouthwash (peppermint, propolis, clove, neem, and oregano with pink salt) and then packing with clay before bed.

    I would then rinse, eat, brush with clay paste (no baking soda) and oil pull with coconut oil in the shower.

    I also eliminated acidic, sugary, hard to chew and nightshade foods while I was treating myself and ate mostly leafy greens got a nubby silicone baby toothbrush to use to stimulate blood flow.

    Within 2 weeks my teeth no longer hurt or bleed. After a month I was fine and now I just brush and use the waterpik.

    Reply

    1. Wow - great to hear this! Do you still do the peroxide / water mix? And do you have issues w/ the waterpik getting moldy?

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  9. Hi! I've had two broken teeth in the back of my mouth for almost six years, now, unable to do anything about them due to lack of cash for dental assistance. Recently, all the visible portions of teeth have fallen out of one of them, so only the infected gum is left, and it seems to get worse every day. Which one of these do you suggest?

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    1. Hi there. I'm so sorry you are going through this. I can't medically advise, however, and it sounds like you should see a dentist asap. Is there a place with charity dental work nearby perhaps?

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    2. Go to your state vocational rehabilitation office. They help retrain and keep people employed. This much dental pain can be seen and an imposition on your ability to function and they will likely be able to help find you a sliding scale dentist or give you money or a no interest loan for the work.

      Also many state medicaid programs cover extractions and you can usually find a dentist who will do an extraction for $100 or less if you call around. Many will even do no interest in house financing. I'm guessing your teeth are as you say there is no hope to salvage them.

      Reply

  10. I don’t think I have gum infection but yes, my gums are irritating me since 2-3 weeks. Do I need to visit my dental surgeon of do I make use of Helichrysum oil, as you have mentioned here? This is really confusing. By the way, I recommend this site for better results. *site removed by blog owner*

    Reply

  11. My Doughter has periodontal infected gums. And she is 15. The dentist quants her to undergo surgery. I wold like to tray natural remedies how do I go about your suggestion. All or one at a time. I've started the mega doses of vitamin c and salt with HP and baking soda to brush teeth. We need help.

    Reply

  12. Hi there! I am pretty sure I have a gum infection in between two of my root canal teeth. I have made my own toothpaste which has helped tremendously. I am going to try the bentonite clay this evening as well!! Any other suggestions for this type of problem? Thanks!

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    1. Hi there. I would love to know what your toothpaste is - sounds great! Are you asking for suggestions other than what is in the post?

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      1. read up on colloidal silver for infections of all kinds. Can be used as a mouth wash and hold the colloidal silver in your mouth over the infected area and also swish all around for 10 minutes or as long as you can, then spit it out. Repeat 3 or 4 times a day. (do NOT swallow colloidal silver after swishing around your mouth as it will now be full of nasty stuff)

        Reply

  13. I did have gum disease, but don't anymore. I used hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to brush my teeth.
    After using this for 6 months, my dental hygienist noticed that my gum disease was gone.
    I would not recommend this for children unless you got food-grade hydrogen peroxide and diluted it to 3%.
    Drinking the HP from the drug store is not good. It has unsafe ingredients for ingestion. Food grade HP comes as 35% so you need about 12 drops of water for 1 drop of HP to get to 3% HP. Food grade HP can be swallowed without danger if it is not too strong.

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    2. I just tried a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder in a 5 oz of extremely warm water- poured a small amount in to basically cover the infected area, tiled my head, and held it there for approx 2 min. After that I wiped my tongue, and other areas in my mouth that had a little sensation left, and amazingly the pain had reduced hugely. It is crazy. I know it's there, but now it's totally way tolerable without having to pop a pill. I am sure dipping tiny piece of cotton ball in this solution and placing it on the inflamed area will be a bit more concentrated, and work just as well.

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  15. Great suggestions. +1 for tooth and gum mouthwash, It is great, especially with a irrigator like hydrofloss. Also, you should look into oil-pulling as well as applying ozonated oils / vespers to the gums before bed.

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    1. Thanks! You're saying you like the one mentioned in the post or in the comments? I am oil pulling. Didn't see much of a difference in dental health, but staining was improved. Do you have a recommendation about ozonated oils /vespers? I haven't heard of those.

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  16. I have terrible gum recession that got even worse during my most recent pregnancy and started using Shillington's Tooth and Gum Formula available from Green Lifestyle Market. Have you heard of them? It's mostly essential oils and I like that it can be used as both a mouthwash and toothpaste. It has done wonders for my loose gums. They have a new toothpaste that I was thinking of trying out too. I'm currently using Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Ultra Care toothpaste. Do you have any recommendations for toothpaste?

    Here's the tooth and gum formula: https://www.greenlifestylemarket.com/product/shillingtons-tooth-and-gum-formula/

    Reply

    1. Those reviews look great! Glad you had a good experience.

      Good question about toothpaste. I am using one now but am having some issues w/ the company so I have been wondering what I would do. I think this is where I will turn - they have great reviews about their toothpaste and oral rinse. This is an affiliate link: https://amzn.to/1K0Qszg

      I'd be interested in what you think.

      Reply

    1. Good question. All of it is OK for ingesting (you're just rubbing a little diluted helichrysum on your gums so it's not like you are eating the essential oil) and you are using so little it isn't like eating 1 tsp of the clay or charcoal. Of course, it's possible that some is swallowed, but I find that I have most (if not all) of it still on my gums in the morning b/c you are basically packing it on and not heaping it.

      Reply