Are you suffering from the tedious oral health snag commonly known as Oral leukoplakia? Actually, this is a dental condition, often suffered by adults, wherein some white, unusual plaque-type patches start to form at places on the inside of our mouth. They are normally apparent in the form of these thick, white-coloured and rough-textured legions on the gums, on the surface of the tongue, on the inside of the cheeks, or around the inner lining of the mouth. Although they may take a few days to several weeks to come to notice, but once they do, they cannot be easily scrapped off. Otherwise painless, these may become sensitive and discomforting when being exposed to heat, touch, spicy food etc.

Why Should This Happen?

Of all the other reasons that may contribute to their appearance, a long history of smoking happens to be the most common factor. Smoking tends to increase the growth of bacteria in our mouth. Even chewing tobacco, for that matter, does a great deal of harm to our oral health. Besides, the constant contact of skin with irritants such as broken / jagged teeth or ill-fitting dentures, an over exposure of lips to direct sun, over-consumption of alcohol, lack of oral hygiene etc. could be other reasons behind this problem becoming prominent. Diabetes or an HIV infection may also contribute by reducing our natural defense and making us more vulnerable to oral infections.

Take Care Of The Patches

Although most oral patches usually heal and go away on their own, it is always a good idea to visit a doctor and confirm if it is, in fact, leukoplakia. If it is so, make sure you take appropriate measures so as to address the problem and prevent the patches from spreading any further. While the minor ones may get cured by using antiviral medication, they can be very discomforting if they grow in size and might even require surgery of some sort. Also, these patches have a tendency to reoccur, and therefore, thorough generally treatment is a must. Please note that if ignored for long, oral leukoplakia may increase the risk of oral cancer. At the same time, leukoplakia may itself be one of the symptoms of an oral cancer.

Go In For Natural Turmeric

Turmeric, as we all know, has long been known for its incredible culinary as well as curing properties, and the medical fraternity especially vouches for the benefits it delivers in the area of oral health as well as hygiene. This is mainly because it has high anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, anti-cancer, anti-microbial and antioxidant profile. Turmeric owes its therapeutic powers primarily to curcumin, an active compound found in the raw turmeric, which is what makes it universally suitable to treat mild oral infections and lesions.

 

Varied Uses And Healing Benefits

You could gently massage on the affected area using roasted, ground turmeric.

Alternatively, you could do the same with a smooth paste prepared using turmeric powder, salt and mustard oil.

Prepare an effective yet economical DIY mouthwash at home. Simply boil some 50 grams of ground turmeric along with two cloves and ground leaves of guava in about 200 grams of water. Allow this solution to cool, and use it to rinse your mouth on a regular basis.

Turmeric can also be incorporated in our daily diet or consumed directly through various dietary supplements thronging the market.

It can also be found as an important constituent of various OTC available herb based medications.

And while you are at it, make sure to follow these up with regular brushing of your teeth using your regular toothpaste, since the direct topical usage of turmeric tends to leave strong yellow stains on the white of our teeth!

 

Is It Really Safe?

Turmeric is an extremely safe source of alternative and complementary medication, and exposes us to no major side effects as such. So, next time you witness any symptoms of oral leukoplakia or even any oral infection for that matter, instead of spending volumes on those expensive, oral health products, go natural and include some turmeric in your diet. Besides, if you happen to be suffering from this particular ailment, you need to quit smoking or alcohol immediately, and get into the habit of maintaining a good oral hygiene. Also, include more antioxidants in your diet, since they are known to inhibit the action of bacteria and other irritants in our mouth. Leukoplakia or not, be sure you visit your dentist on a regular basis so that he / she can examine any possibility of this disease well in time, and set you straight on the path to recovery.

 

Watch Video: Oil Pulling Ayurveda Techniques here 

 

About the Author:
Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.

Dr Sonica Krishan’s Books are available at Amazon

 

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