Triphala Mouth Wash

April 19, 2019 3 min read

Triphala Mouth Wash
Make your own Triphala Mouth Wash

Do you suffer from dental plaque, gingivitis, mouth ulcers or dental caries?

Teeth are considered an updadhatu of Asthi dhatu (bone tissue).

In Ayurveda it is mentioned that the tooth eruption (dantopatti kala) is best when a child is 8 months old.

Names of various teeth have been given by Kashapya. These are: Rajadanta, Vasta, Damstra, and Hanavya. The middle two teeth are Rajadanta (incisor) and are considered sacred. Teeth by the side of Rajadanta are called Vasta (canines) and other teeth by the side of it are called Damstra (pre-molar). The rest are called Hanavya (molar) and named because are helpful in mastication.

Bones are a natural governed by Vata and in disease of the bones, the teeth are also weakened. Food and tonics which are good for bones and the muscular tissues are also beneficial for teeth and gums.

Normal healthy teeth are strong, white, smooth without decay. The gums should be even, pink and smooth. Gums are known as Dantamansa or Dantaveshta.

According to Sushruta (Author of Sushruta Samhita) fifteen disease of the roots of the teeth and gums have been mentioned. To prevent tooth and gum disease good oral hygiene should be implemented in our Dinacharya (Daily Routine).

We would recommend you to try Triphala mouthwash.
Triphala is the combination of the herbs Haritaki, Bhibhitak and Amalaki.

In Ayurveda two techniques have been mentioned.
1. Gandusa
This is filling the mouth to its full capacity without allowing movement inside the mouth. The liquid is held for a few moments.
2. Kavalagraha
This is holding of a smaller amount of liquid, allowing the liquid to move and be swished around for a period of time before it is spit out.
Both (Gandusa and Kavala) can be done with oils, medicated oils, ghee, herbal decoction or warm water.

Gandusa and Kavala are beneficial to promote health and also cure disease of the mouth, teeth, throat and face.
Several studies have been done supporting the benefit and efficacy of Triphala mouth wash (see the clinical study below).

How to prepare your own Triphala mouthwash

Take 4 gm of Triphala powder and boil it in one liter (about 4 cups) of water until it is reduced to 250 mL (1 cup). When it cools, filter it with a strainer and keep this preparation in a clean, sterilized bottle. Use 20-50 ml (2-3 Tbsp) of this decoction as a mouthwash.

Let us know how you find it? We would love hearing about your experience.

With love your Lakshmi team ❤️❤️❤️

Clinical studies on medicinal plants in the JVN-8
(S. Dixit & D.N. Pandey, 2015, RSMPB, Jaipur)
The objective of this study was to ascertain the effects of a mouthwash prepared with Triphala (Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula) on dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and microbial growth and compare it with commercially available Chlorhexidine mouthwash. This study was conducted after ethics committee approval and written consent from guardians (and assent from the children) were obtained. A total of 1431 students in the age group 8-12 years, belonging to classes fourth to seventh, were the subjects for this study. The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of the subjects was determined using a questionnaire. The students were divided into three groups namely, Group I (n = 457) using Triphala mouthwash (0.6%), Group II (n = 440) using Chlorhexidine mouthwash (0.1%) (positive control), and Group III (n = 412) using distilled water (negative control). The assessment was carried out on the basis of plaque scores, gingival scores, and the microbiological analysis (Streptococcus and lactobacilli counts). Statistical analysis for plaque and gingival scores was conducted using the paired sample t-test (for intragroup) and the Tukey′s test (for intergroup conducted along with analysis of variance test). For the Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney test were applied for intragroup and intergroup comparison, respectively. All the tests were carried out using the SPSS software. Both the Group I and Group II showed progressive decrease in plaque scores from baseline to the end of 9 months; however, for Group III increase in plaque scores from the baseline to the end of 9 months was noted. Both Group I and Group II showed similar effect on gingival health. There was inhibitory effect on microbial counts except Lactobacillus where Triphala had shown better results than Chlorhexidine.