The mouth, as the start to the digestive system can tell us alot about our health. Traditionally in Chinese medicine, the the condition of the mouth and tongue are used to help diagnose health complaints. The mouth will show signs of health problems and can also affect them. If the mouth is not in good health then it puts strain on the rest of the system. For example, if problems such as ulcers and absesses make it hard to chew, or there is not enough saliva being produced, then digestion further on is slowed. Oral health therefore is very important, and the best way to maintain it is naturally.

Contrary to the message which is put out by the media, fluoride toothpastes, mouthwashes and chemical based treatments will not improve oral health. Many of these products contain ingredients such as alcohol and sodium lauryl sulfate which creates foaming in toothpaste, which are detrimental to your oral health as they dry out your mouth, inhibiting the production of saliva. The production of saliva is important as it is the body's method of controlling the build up of plaque and bacteria in the mouth. The state of your saliva is a very important part of this process. Is your saliva too acidic for your body chemistry? Are some of the foods you are eating tipping your saliva into the alkaline territory? All of this we will investigate with time, and provide some natural options for you.

Using natural products will improve general health, by reducing the number of chemicals entering the body, as well as targeting oral health. Natural methods of protecting oral health are often more effective as they treat the cause of the problem instead of treating the symptoms. If you suffer from mouth ulcers, it is a possibility that your toothpaste or mouthwash may be causing it. There are a great number of convenient, natural oral health products available off the shelf too, so it is not necesssarily a case of stopping the use of the conventional oral care products, rather being more mindful in your choices.