Dental health benefits of Peppermint
Peppermint is an aromatic plant that is used as a natural remedy for ages to beat bad breath. Due to the medicinal properties the plant holds, its extracts like oil, tea also have health benefits like cooling effects on the skin, managing gastrointestinal problems, combatting bacteria infections, and much more.
Likewise, the plant and its extracts like peppermint essential oil have numerous benefits on our oral health. Keep reading to apprehend them.
What is the nutritional value of Peppermint?
Here is the nutritional breakdown of Peppermint:
- Calories
- Proteins
- Fat
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Antioxidants
- Calcium
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Vitamins A and C
It shows that adding mint leaves to your food can do more than make the dish fresh and tasty. It will benefit you in several ways.
How do peppermint and its extracts benefit your dental health?
Besides using as a flavoring agent in candy, gums, peppermint extracts like essential oils are used as an ingredient in oral hygiene products like toothpaste, mouthwashes, etc. It is because the antibacterial agents in peppermint take care of keeping the mouth free from oral microbes.
Here are some dental health benefits of peppermint and its extracts:
- The nutritional compounds such as potassium, calcium, iron, and phosphorous in peppermint leaves render their support to fortifying the bone density in teeth and jaw.
- Similarly, the mineral compounds take care of strengthening the enamel.
- Chewing peppermint leaves stimulates saliva thereby it can keep your mouth fresh and clean.
- Swishing your mouth with peppermint oil is considered as an effective home remedy to address various dental ailments, especially infections in gums. For instance, this practice would mitigate the acidic environment in your mouth. Likewise, it removes bacteria, prevents plaque build-up, reduces nasty odor coming out from your mouth, etc.
- Applying peppermint oil around the site of an extracted tooth site would prevent inflammation in the connective tissues. It is also helpful in reducing gum inflammation, toothache, and other minor dental discomforts.
If you are allergic to the chemical compounds in commercial mouthwashes, then you can prepare a DIY mouthwash with peppermint essential oil. It is also efficient in curbing the growth of bacteria inside your mouth.
How to prepare DIY peppermint mouthwash?
The refreshing, toxin-free mouthwash can be prepared easily with the ingredients in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of water
- Coconut oil – 2 tsp
- Rocksalt – ¼ tsp
- Peppermint essential oil – 3 to 4 tsp
Add all these ingredients to a jar and shake it well until the salt dissolves thoroughly in the fluids.
Rinse your mouth with this solution for 30 seconds in the morning. It will eliminate the harmful microbes to cleanse & freshen your mouth. It is also helpful in preventing cavities and other common oral complications.
All the ingredients in this mouthwash are natural dental hygiene protectors thereby the mouthwash prepared from peppermint extract will safeguard your oral cavity. Meanwhile, if you use peppermint oil excessively, it will become problematic and stimulate various problems.
Do you want to know more about peppermint’s dental health benefits? Contact our dental doctors. We are ready to help.
