Natural Antibiotics for Gum Disease

Gum disease can be a painful and disturbing experience. Fortunately, natural medicine offers many gentle and powerful antibiotic options that can help prevent gum disease, or to cure gum disease in its beginning stages. If you think your gum disease has progressed beyond early stages, you should see a doctor or dentist for medical antibiotics. When used in combination with traditional medical antibiotics, natural treatment can also help heal severe gum disease more quickly, but consult with your doctor or dentist before you mix natural treatments with medical prescriptions.

Sea Salt

• Salt is an age-old treatment for the pain, inflammation and infection associated with gum disease because sea salt, or even simple table salt, packs a powerful antibacterial punch. Combine 1 or 2 tsp. of salt with a quart of water to make a saltwater mouthwash. If you are on a low salt diet, you may substitute baking soda.

Bloodroot

• Bloodroot contains powerful ingredients which help fight gum disease by killing bacteria and fungus and reducing inflammation. According to Holistic Online, bloodroot, also known as Indian paint, contains several antimicrobial ingredients, including sanguinarine, an extract which used to be a component in a toothpaste called Viadent. Holistic Online suggests a dose of 1 tsp. bloodroot in a cup of water, administered three times per day. If you intend to use a larger dose of bloodroot, consult an herbalist to find out the proper dose for your body size. Larger doses of bloodroot act as a sedative, and an overdose can be fatal.

Tea Tree Oil

• Tea tree oil helps kill the fungus and bacteria which cause gum disease. According to "The One Earth Global Sourcebook" by Tillotson et al., tea trea oil is "an effective topical antibacterial and antifungal." Tea trea oil works to remove pus and harmful bacterial cells while leaving healthy cells alone to heal. According to "One Earth," tea tree oil is best used when mixed with other healing oils for gum disease, including neem oil, thyme oil, oregano oil and olive oil. In addition to its antibiotic effects, tea tree oil also has a stimulant effect on the local production of white blood cells when applied topically.

Neem

• Neem is an antimicrobial herb used to fight gum disease. According to "One Earth," it also has anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties that help fight gum infections. Neem is often used in combination with a low sugar diet to reduce the presence of harmful microbes in the body. Neem should only be administered by a qualified herbal medicine practitioner due to its potential side effects. Neem has reported toxic effects on the reproductive system, so "One Earth" recommends that you cease neem treatment after using it for up to three weeks.

Cranberry

• Gentle on your mouth and fierce against bacteria, cranberry has shown proven effects in reducing viruses and bacteria in laboratory tests. According to the Cranberry Institute, cranberries can stop the bacteria that cause gingivitis from reproducing in your mouth. Cranberry also helps stop the harmful bacteria from binding to your teeth below the gums, a building problem which is a significant cause of gum disease.
  Holistic online suggests a dose of 16 oz. of high quality, no-sugar-added cranberry juice per day to treat a buildup of bacteria. If you are using cranberry juice to treat gum disease, do not buy cranberry juice cocktail because it contains large amounts of sugar that contributes to gum disease. Pure cranberry juice should have one ingredient listed on its label: cranberry juice.