Brushing, flossing, and in most cases, mouthwash are essential for taking care of your teeth. However, when you have a mental illness like depression or a physical condition that makes everyday activities difficult to do, you can fall behind in your routine. Developing cavities and gum disease are the most common punishments for neglecting oral hygiene, but research suggests that CBD oil may be able to help.

Cannabidiol may help with oral hygiene by regulating the endocannabinoid system as well as honing antifungal and antibacterial properties. Studies suggest that you may be able to drop a few drops of CBD oil on your toothbrush or take it sublingually to help your mouth heal from the damage caused by the bacteria or fungus growth.

Gum Disease

When you don’t floss or brush your teeth enough, or if you are just more prone to gum disease, you can develop the first stage of gum disease called gingivitis. A good indication that you need to pick up the slack is when you start to bleed from brushing your teeth.

Gingivitis happens when the gums are swollen and starts when food particles mixed with your spit and bacteria-forming plaque sticks to your teeth without being cleaned. Your teeth and gums can begin to feed bacteria every time you eat or drink, which is why it is suggested to brush after every meal.

If you go too long without brushing this plaque away, it can harden and turn into tartar which is much harder to eliminate. If you don’t get your teeth cleaned and leave the tartar untreated, it can start attacking the gums which make them become inflamed. Gingivitis is treatable by using an antibacterial or strengthening your oral hygiene routine, but if it doesn’t get taken care of it can turn into periodontitis.

While gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums, periodontitis is when the tooth itself is infected or inflamed. This gum disease can cause bone loss, creating gaps in your gums that collect plaque and is much harder to clean. As bone tissue is lost, teeth will become loose and begin to fall out. This gum disease is irreversible and may require surgery.

Causes

• Improper oral care
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Crooked, overlapping, or rotated teeth
• Hormonal changes
• Cancer and cancer treatment
• Drinking alcohol
• Stress
• Mouth breathing
• Poor diet
• Poor saliva production

How CBD may Help with Gum Disease

Cannabidiol interacts with the CB2 receptors which mediate the immune functions of the body. CBD can reduce the inflammation and sensitivity to pain caused by gum disease. CBD also has antibacterial properties helping to minimize the damage. It is still suggested to get your teeth cleaned and make regular visits to the doctor to monitor your condition and make sure you have it under control.

Tooth Decay

One of the most common reasons for tooth decay is the oral bacteria in your mouth called Streptococcus mutans. This bacteria lives off of the sugars and starches that you eat. Just like the way it sticks to your teeth and attacks your gums, this bacteria can attack your tooth enamel and cause cavities.

When the plaque builds up into tartar, it creates a coat of bacteria that can start eroding your teeth. The plague can remove the minerals that make up your enamel, causing the openings known as cavities. When the tiny hole is created, it gives passage to the bacteria to start attacking deeper in the tooth to the next level called dentin.

Dentin is softer and is less resistant to the bacteria and acid it produces. Dentin also has tubes that connect to the nerves inside the tooth causing sensitivity. Once the bacteria makes its way through the dentin, it reaches the center of the tooth, the pulp.

The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels that become swollen and irritated from the bacteria. Because there is nowhere for the pulp to go, when it becomes inflamed, it compresses against the tooth walls and causes pressure. This pain can extend from the inside of the tooth to the outer bone and roots.

Causes

• Poor oral hygiene
• Having a lot of sugars and carbohydrates in your diet
• Eating foods that stick to your teeth and aren’t washed away by saliva like
  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Mints
  • Hard candy
  • Dry cereal
  • Chips
  • Dried fruit
  • Cake
  • Cookies
  • Soda
  • Ice cream
  • Sugar
• Snacking frequently
• Not enough fluoride
• Age
• Worn-down fillings or dental devices
• Acid reflux
• Eating disorders
• Smoking

How CBD may Help with Cavities

Cannabidiol has been shown to be effective against the oral bacteria Streptococcus mutans specifically. By adding CBD to your oral hygiene routine, you can help fight off the bacteria trying to erode your teeth. There have been reports of people finding results through CBD with their inflammation and decay that is associated with cavities. However, this aspect of CBD still needs to be studied before dentists will start proclaiming it as a solution.

TMJ

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ, is when you have pain or discomfort in your jaw joint because of erosion, inflammation, or displacement. Symptoms include aching pain in or around your ear, pain or tenderness in your jaw, difficulty chewing, and your jaw locking making it difficult to open or close. Often, you can feel a grinding sensation or hear a clicking sound when you open your jaw.

Causes

• The disc meant to make movement smooth erodes or moves out of alignment
• Arthritis damages the joint's cartilage
• An injury damages the joint
• Clenching or grinding your teeth
• Certain connective tissue diseases.

How Can CBD Help With TMJ?

In a clinical study focusing on symptoms that cannabidiol can help reduce, they found that those who had TMJ noticed a reduction in their symptoms. Cannabidiol has shown in studies to help with the inflammation that causes damage in arthritis while also decreasing your sensitivity to pain. Teeth clenching and grinding is often a result of stress and anxiety which CBD may also reduce.

Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is what the name says. It is when you get a burning sensation on your tongue, lips, or the roof of your mouth for what seems like no reason at all. This burning sensation happens every day and can last for months or even longer. Other symptoms of this syndrome are dry mouth, a metallic taste, tingling or numbness, and an alteration in taste. BMS isn’t considered a disease but more of a describing of symptoms. There is still no specific treatment option for BMS, but doctors prescribe medication to help with the symptoms.

Causes

• Dry mouth
• Poor diet
• Allergies
• Acid reflux
• Medications
• Oral habits
• Endocrine disorders
• Anxiety or depression
• Thrush

How Can CBD Help with Burning Mouth Syndrome?

When testing patients who experienced BMS, they found that there was a decreased amount of CB1 receptors and an increased amount of CB2 receptors. This irregularity could be an indication of where this syndrome comes from, but researchers and doctors are still unsure.

Cannabidiol may help with specific symptoms and causes of BMS like replacing medication and using CBD instead, reducing your anxiety and depression, and eliminating thrush. With its ability to reduce your sensitivity to pain, it may also grant relief while figuring out the underlying cause of this condition.

Thrush

Thrush is a fungal infection in your mouth that makes you have white patches in your mouth or throat as well as soreness and mouth pain. It can make your tongue white, give you dry mouth, bad breath, and unpleasant taste, make you feel like you have food stuck in your throat, or give you a sore throat. This condition can lead to Burning Mouth Syndrome if it isn’t taken care of.

Causes

• Stress
• Medications
• Weakened immune system
• Poorly fitting dentures
• Smoking

CBD Oil for Thrush

Studies show CBD may help kill fungus in the same way it may help kill cancer cells. A fungus is a difficult thing to kill in the body without harming the human cells, but CBD has shown that it can stop cells from multiplying without inhibiting cell growth within our bodies. CBD may also reduce your stress and improve your immune response which could be the causes of this condition.

How to Take CBD for Oral Health

One of the easiest ways to use hemp oil for your teeth and gums is to put drops of your tincture on your toothpaste when you brush your teeth. You can also drop the tinctures right on your gums and let it absorb through the tissue.

For a more advanced routine, you can oil pull. This is when you swish oil in your mouth through your teeth. You can add the oil do a small cup of warm water and swish it around for at least thirty seconds, but you can do it for as long as you can swish, and then spit it out. You don’t want to swallow anything it might have drawn out.

Be sure to check out our shop and your bottle of CBD tincture to start adding to your oral hygiene routine. If you have a personal experience using CBD oil for gum disease or other oral conditions, leave your story in the comment section below!