List of Medicinal Plants Used as Toothbrush and Paste For Oral care

Plants used as natural tooth brush since long time. In Aurveda many of them are described with their medicinal properties and uses for overall oral care.

Certain trees are used for management of gum bleeding, toothache, sores in the mouth and bad breath. Stem, Young Twigs, Leaves, Bark, Fruit, Spines, Seeds and latex are the parts of trees being exploited for oral health care. Many study shown that there are plenty of medicinal plants to treat a wide spectrum of oral ailments.

List of Medicinal Plants For Oral Health

List of Medicinal Plants( with botanical names) and their use towards oral health care from various parts of India used as either tooth brush, paste or for the treatment of oral problems.

Azadirachta indica: Known as Neem Tree and very respected tree for it’s medicinal properties. Tender twigs used as tooth brush, it’s twigs are very common natural tooth brush in India. Flowers are very effective for mouth infections and bleeding of gums. There are many brands making herbal tooth paste using Neem tree extracts. The Neem Tree is one of the most known Indian tree which has many medicinal properties and used to treat no of diseases.

Babool(Acacia arabica): Bark is used for Gum diseases and mouth ulcer. Read more to know the uses of babool for oral care. There are many brands making herbal tooth paste using bark of Babool tree.

Albizia lebbeck(Shirish): Dried bark powder used as tooth powder. Read more medicinal uses of Shirish.

Ficus bengalensis(Banyan tree): In India root of Banyan tree is used as toothbrush. Fresh latex of the plant are applied to treat the bleeding and swelling of gums. Know more about Medicinal Uses of Banyan Tree in detail.

Ficus religiosa(Peepal Tree): Tender leaf twigs are chewed to cure toothache. Read more here about medicinal use of Peepal Tree.

Psidium guajava(Guava): Guava Leaves are chewed to get relief from the mouth blisters. Leaves of guava are very good remedy for mouth problems.

Madhuca longifolia: Mahua tree is common tree in India with medicinal values. Small twig is used as toothbrush.

Syzygium cumini(Jamun Tree): Twig used as toothbrush and Bark decoction as Mouth wash. Know medicinal uses of Jamun in this post.

Sesbania grandiflora: Boiled leaf is used for mouth ulcer. Due to it’s medicinal property Agastya is considered very sacred in Ayurveda. Its various parts are used to treat different ailments. Its leaves can be used to treat fever of all types. It is without any side effect. Its leaves can be used even to treat a new born. The leaves of this tree are tridoshnask.

Ziziphus mauritina Lam(Ber): Steam of boiling Plant is used as mouth freshener. Ber twig is also used as tooth brush. Ber is a medicinal tree and its various parts, such as leaves, roots, bark, seeds are used from time immemorial to treat wide range of ailments. Medicinally, the fruits of wild variety are astringent, pain relieving, cooling, stomachic and styptic (check bleeding by contracting the tissues or blood vessels). The ripe fruits of cultivated variety are mild laxative and expectorant. The leaves of the tree are astringent and causes sweating on oral use.

Apamarg (Achyranthes aspera): Stem used as toothbrush, Roots are used as a brush to relieve pain and clean the teeth, ash of the whole plant is used as tooth powder, to relieve pyorrhea and toothache. Achyranthes aspera is also known as Prickly Chaff Flower. This plant is easily identifiable due to its ability to attach seeds to clothes. Apamarg is excellent herb to treat various oral problems. Here is how to use it to cure mouth problems.

Emblica officinalis: Twig worn into neck to cure tooth ache and twig also used as toothbrush. Indian gooseberry or Amla is a well-known fruit and used in Ayurveda in preparation of various medicine. It is a Rasayana which prevents aging, rejuvenates the bodyand gives longevity. It is richest source of vitamin C which is an anti-oxidant. Read more about medicinal uses of amla in ayurveda in this post.

Rubia cordifolia: Manjishtha leaf paste is applied on swollen gums. Manjishtha helps in balancing aggravated Pitta in the body. It is hot in potency. Manjishtha has an astringent, thermogenic, antidysenteric, galactopurifier, rejuvenating and anthelmintic activities.

Phyllanthus niruri:It’s leaves are used for mouth ulcer. Commonally known as Tamalki is used in Ayurveda for the treatment of many diseases especially related to the liver. In Africa, this plant is used by people in the treatment of the kidney stones, dysentery, jaundice, diarrhea, wounds, ulcers and urogenital diseases.

Ricinus communis: Well known as Castor plant full of many medicinal properties used to treat many health problems as natural remedy and used as key ingredient in many ayurvedic medicines. Cotyledon is fried in mustard oil and the smoke is emitted by this process is inhaled for tooth ache.

Ocimum basilicum: Well known as Sweet Basil. Leaves chewed to induce saliva secretion, keeps mouth fresh. Read more here about medicinal uses of sweat basil here.

Asparagus racemosus: Known as Satavar. Root powder is used for Swelling in the mouth. Know more about Medicinal Use Of Shatavari Or Asparagus Racemosus.

Henna(Lawsonia alba Lamk): Bark of stem is used to cure toothache. The fresh leaves of Henna are ground and gargled to treat mouth ulcer.

Piper betle(Paan): Pann Leaves are used for foul smell in the mouth, strengthens the teeth. It is widely used mouth freshener in Indian sub-continent.

Abrus precatorius: Know as Gunja in Ayurveda. Gunja leaves are chewed to get relief from tooth ache.

Barleria prionitis: It also known as the porcupine flower and vjradanti. It’s Root, Leaves are chewed to relieve from tooth decay.

Buchanania lanzan Spreng: Know as Chironji(famous dry fruit). An adhesive is obtained from the tree and available as Chironji ki Gond used to treat tooth ache. Twig of this tree is used as toothbrush.

Mangifera indica: Mango tree is very common has many medicinal uses. Toothbrush of small stem is used to cure toothache. latex is applied to relieve gingivitis. In Ayurvada various parts of Mango Tree such as leaves, bark, fruits, and roots are used to treat various diseases. In India people also use it’s stem for cleaning tooth.

Cuminum cyminum: Cumin(Jeera) Seeds are chewed together with a little sugar in aphthous ulcers in the mouth. Cumin seeds has many medicinal values like antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, antiepileptic, antifertility, anticancer, antioxidant and the immunomodulatory.

Ferula asafoetida: Root extract is used as tooth ache. Asafoetida plant species are native to Afghanistan and Iran. It is distributed throughout the Mediterranean region to Central Asia. In India it grows widely in Kashmir and in some parts of Punjab. Heeng or Asafoetida is hot and pungent. It is heating effect on the body. It reduces vata/wind and kapaha and increases pitta. It improves appetite and aids in digestion. Heeng contains essential oil that evaporates when applied externally on skin. It is stimulant, expels gas, antispasmodic, and anthelmintic.

Plumeria obtuse: Latex is used as a mouth wash, and used to cure mouth ulcer. This plant is commonly used as an ornamental, grown for its flowers. In Cambodia the flowers are used to make necklaces and in offerings to the deities.

Tabernaemontana divaricata: Latex applied to prevent cavity formation. The roots have a bitter taste. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as an anthelmintic for ascariasis and a treatment for scabies.

Wrightia tinctoria: Pala indigo plant or dyers’s oleander, is a flowering plant species in the genus Wrightia found in India. Leaf paste is applied on aching teeth to get relief from toothache.

Calotropis: Paste of root is applied as tooth paste tooth brush to cure toothache Ash of root is used to remove pus from gums. Calotropis is also found in most part of world with warm climate, dry, alkaline and sandy soil. It is commonly available in two varieties that is Calotropis procera (purple-flowered) and Calotropis gigantea (white-flowered). For the medicinal purpose white flowered variety is preferred. The latex or milky discharge of the plant has abortifacient (causing abortion), spasmogenic and carminative, anti-dysentric, anti-syphilitic, anti-rheumatic, antifungal, diaphoretic properties Read more here to know medicinal uses of Calotropis.

Bombax ceiba: Bark used for toothache. In Ayurveda it is referred as aphrodisiac, astringent, antidiarrheal, antidysenteric, antimicrobial diuretic, alterative, antipyretic and tonic. It is used in the treatment of asthma, diarrhea, wound, leucorrhoea, anemia, seminal disorders and skin problems. Read more about medicinal uses of Bombax ceiba.

Bauhinia Variegata: Kachnar is a medicinal tree and used in India from time immemorial for the treatment of diseases and Twigs used as toothbrush and toothache. In Ayurveda, this tree is known as Kanchanar, Kanchanarak, Gandhari, Sona-pushpak (White-flower species) and Kovidar/Rakta Kanchanar (Pink flower species). Read more about medicinal uses of Bauhinia Variegata.

Tamarindus indica: Bark powder used as tooth powder. Read more about Tamarind medicinal uses in this post.

Carica papaya: Latex is used to cure tooth ache and mouth ulcer. Read more about Medicinal uses of papaya leaves.

Cajanus cajan: Fruit used for the treatment of tooth-ache. The plant is also used as toothbrush. It is a very well-known as Tuvar/ Arahar and commonly used pulse in India.

Acalypha indica: Decoction of the herb in used as a cure for tooth. In India as well as Africa, it is used as medicinal plant. In West Africa the leaves are cooked and eaten as vegetable. In traditional Tamil Siddha it is believed to rejuvenate the body. Indian acalypha is also eaten by cats to cure constipation and indigestion. The cats search for this plant and chew its leaves and roots. Read more about medicinal use of Indian acalypha here.

Pongamia pinnata: Known as Karanj tree. Tender leaf twigs are chewed to cure toothache.