If you want to refresh your mouth and breath, you may want to try using tea tree oil toothpaste and tea tree oil mouthwashes.

Tea tree oil has natural antiseptic properties. With this in mind, it makes a great natural ingredient for helping keep your breath fresh and teeth clean.

Maintaining proper oral hygiene is important. Your mouth is an open source for germs, viruses, bacteria and fungi to enter your lungs or stomach.

Not only can you reduce your risk for gum disease with good oral hygiene, scientists have confirmed people with peridontitis have almost double the risk for heart disease.

Natural Oral Care for Good Health

Many health conscious people choose to use natural products. Tea tree oil can be a useful product for keeping your gums and teeth clean and healthy.

A recent double-blind study in the June 2004 issue of Australian Dental Journal showed brushing with a gel containing 2.5% tea tree oil reduced inflammation in patients with chronic gingivitis.

Another study looked at the effects of using a tea tree oil mouthwash. Researchers found tea tree oil decreased bacteria for about 1/2 hour, which was similar to the effects of chlorhexidine, a popular medication used in mouth washes.

It should be noted that researchers in this study found no decrease in plaque. Tea tree oil may be used to reduce inflammation and bacteria in the mouth, but you'll need other ingredients in your toothpaste to help reduce plaque.

The important thing to remember when using tea tree oil toothpaste or mouthwash is do not swallow the oil or liquid. After using the product in your mouth, spit out in the sink and rinse out.

Dentists already advise that you shouldn't swallow toothpaste, so the same rule should apply when using toothpastes or mouthwashes that contain tea tree oil.

While there are a few tea tree oil side effects to be aware of, you can safely use this healthy oil to optimize your oral health.

Tea tree oil mouthwashes aren't as popular as the toothpaste, but you can probably find them at your local health food store. I have found toothpastes containing tea tree oil at my local Walmart. You can also look on the Internet for available sources.

Here's a few tea tree oil products for oral health at Amazon.com:

Tea Tree Oil Mouthwashes and Toothpastes at Amazon.com

Research References:

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