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.

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.

One other thing I'm loving is this remineralizing mouthwash from Immunize Labs–you can get 20% off using this link.

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 coconut 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.

Here's another oral probiotic that my hygienist recommended. She's VERY detail and research oriented like I am….

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.

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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

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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?