Home Remedy For Treating Your Sore Mouth After Having Your Braces Adjusted
If you have sore gums and swelling after having your braces adjusted, you may wonder if there is anything you can do at home to relieve your symptoms. If so, use the following home remedy using ingredients you can find in supermarkets, herbal health stores and pharmacies.
About The Ingredients
This home remedy uses a combination of herbal essential oils and salt. Salt not only cleanses your gums and kills germs, but it also helps relieve the inflammation causing the swelling in the tissue.
The peppermint oil calms your inflamed gums and provides pain relief by numbing the surface. The menthol in the oil also has a cooling effect that calms the swelling.
Clove oil also helps numb the gum tissue to relieve your discomfort. However, it can cause irritation if too much is used, so make sure to use only what is listed in the instructions. If you already know you are sensitive to cloves, you can either half the amount used or eliminate it completely, just to be safe.
The olive oil used in the tincture in the second step is used as a carrier oil to blend and cut the other oils. It also helps the herbal essential oils to coat the gums and teeth so that they adhere to the surfaces better.
Step 1: Rinse Your Mouth With A Homemade Mouthwash
The first step is to rinse your mouth with a homemade solution that includes all of the ingredients above. After you have brushed your teeth, dissolve two tablespoons of salt in a quarter of a cup of warm water for about 10 minutes.
Once the salt is mostly dissolved, add six drops of peppermint oil and four drops of clove oil, stirring the mixture thoroughly after each drop to evenly disperse it. Once you have made the mouthwash, rinse your mouth with it for a minute or two. Then, spit it out, and rinse your mouth with a quarter of a cup of cool water for an additional minute. Then, go on to the next step.
Step 2: Apply An Herbal Tincture To Your Gums
After cleansing and treating your mouth with the homemade mouthwash, this next step involves making a tincture made from the herbal oils and olive oils. After application, you should have relief for a few hours. You will also need a small saucer and two cotton swabs for this step.
Pour a teaspoon of olive oil into the center of the saucer. Then, add three drops of the peppermint oil and one drop of the clove oil. If you are sensitive to the clove oil, you can eliminate it completely. Between each drop, stir the oil using one end of a cotton swab. Once you have mixed all of the oils together, let it sit for about a half an hour to let the herbal oils infuse into the olive oil.
After the time is up, use the clean end of the cotton swab, and saturate it with oil. Apply a thin coat to the gums of your upper teeth. Then, use the end of the second cotton swab to apply the tincture to your lower teeth. Let the oils soak in for at least 15 minutes, then rinse your mouth with cool water. Try not to eat anything for about a half an hour, as the residual oils will continue to work even after rinsing.
Using the above treatment two or three times a day for a couple of days after your adjustment should relieve some of the soreness and swelling in your gums. However, you may want to discuss your symptoms with an orthodontist at a clinic like Reed Orthodontics after you next adjustment to see if there are any other options for relief.