Those who know the art of make-up would definitely know this. If you wear pink lipstick your teeth (however fair they are) would look pale and yellow and if you wear red lip color, they would look whiter. In our daily life, we come across many people who have yellow and even blackish teeth. Some may not be confident of showing their happiest of emotions in fear of betraying their unpleasant stained teeth. Well, a pretty smile would add a spark not only to your face but to your over all appearance.

Teeth Stains

Your teeth can be stained due to various reasons. One of the main reasons for discoloration of teeth is the use of smoke or tobacco. Unhealthy eating and drinking (soda, coffee, tea) habits also contribute to it. The drinking water has fluoride in it, the excess of which may stain your teeth rather than whitening it. Certain medications and health conditions may also be responsible for yellow teeth. As you age, your teeth may turn yellow exposing the yellow-colored Dentin under the enamel. To an extent, improper dental care also leads to stained teeth.

If you feel that your teeth discoloration is not due to your life style or poor dental care you need to visit your Dentist. But yellow teeth does not steal anything more than a beautiful grin. There are no health issues tied to it and you don’t need to go for any expensive teeth cleaning sessions unless your insurance covers it. You can take some extra care and try out some home remedies to bring back your brightest smile.

Herbal Remedies for Yellow Teeth

Ayurveda maintains that yellow teeth is a result of Kapha dosha. Ayurveda offers some medicinal herbs for proper dental care. Tulsi (Ho­l­y­ Bas­i­l­-O­c­i­mum s­an­c­tum), Babul­ (Ac­ac­i­a ar­abi­c­a), Ban­­yan­­ (F­i­c­us­ reli­gi­os­a), Mar­gosa (Neem- Az­ad­ir­ac­h­th­a in­­d­ic­a) and the like are medicinal herbs which can bring back the sparkle to your face. Tulsi is the Queen of herbs and plays an important role in dental care. It can prevent teeth discoloration and bleeding of gums (p­yorrhea). Twigs of Babul and roots of banyan are great natural tooth brushes. Chewing of Babul bark aids loose teeth and dental disorders while the ingredient, tannin will help teeth whitening. Banyan will render health to the teeth and gums as it whitens the teeth with its astringent properties. Neem is both antibacterial and antiseptic. Brushing with neem twigs will get rid of mouth odor, eliminate plaque and reduce dental cavities.

Home Remedies

Most of the home remedies mentioned here are not scientifically proven. They stem from either folk medicines or individual experiences.

1. Brush your teeth with baking soda. A little of baking soda cannot do any harm to your teeth enamel but will help to make it shine.
2. The white inside of orange peels can be rubbed on your teeth for whiter teeth.
3. Try a tiny pinch of salt with your usual tooth paste. But salt in excess can damage your teeth enamel. The abrasiveness in salt helps to remove plaque and food particles from the teeth while too much of abrasion can weaken your enamel.
4. Using burnt rice husk for brushing (cleaning with fingers) is an age old practice. I have personally done it at my ancestral house and it works wonders to clean your teeth.
5. Many people are against the use of strawberries (sugar content) and hydrogen peroxide for teeth whitening. Better go to a dentist than trying out anything dangerous.

Change the Diet

Quit smoking, chewing tobacco and yes, betel leaves. Avoid too much of coffee and black tea if you have colored teeth. Eat less of sweets and chocolates and always remember to gargle after eating. Foods which are pung­ent­, bit­t­er­ and astringent are good for whitening your teeth.

My teacher was so right when she said ” a smile takes only 14 muscles where as it takes 144 muscles not to smile.” I am not sure of the numerals but what she said is so right. Have a smile, always!

-Aparna K V

Neem, the bitter health.

Some people like my uncle can have a tiny ball of fresh Neem for great health. Neem is known for its curing powers since time immemorial. Neem is perhaps the only tropical evergreen that withstood the scientific researches and proved its mettle as a panacea. Neem is one of the main ingredients in Eastern medicine. Various parts of the plant (fruits, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark) are used to treat various illness in ancient medicines like Ayurveda and Unani. Hence its name the “village pharmacy”, the provider of good health in the rural. Diseases and disorders which succumb to neem include worms, diabetes, piles, dysentery, jaundice, vomiting, wounds, eye disease, blood disorders, paraplegia, female genital diseases and all kinds of fevers.

Skin, Hair and Nails

Neem takes up different roles in various medical formulas due to its antiviral, anti-allergic, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Hair problems like dandruff, scaling and hair loss can be checked by using neem extracts. Neem oil can get rid of head lice if applied regularly on the scalp. The extracts of Neem can heal skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, leprosy, herpes, (yes!) warts, athlete’s foot, acne and chicken pox. It can also take care of ringworm, scabies and skin rashes. Pale, yellow or brittle nail can get back its natural color and condition with the use of neem. Thus neem and neem oil became a primary ingredient in many herbal bath and beauty products.

Ulcers and Viruses

Ulcers can be treated with Neem as it can reduce the secretion of acids in th stomach. Neem can prevent viral and bacterial infections without destroying the beneficial intestinal flora. It can further prevent inflammation with its antihistamine and antibacterial compounds. No serious side effects have been reported.

Oral Health

Oral health problems like dental plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease are caused by certain bacteria in the mouth. Regularly use of neem toothpaste and mouth rise (with real extracts) can prevent and cure infection, tooth decay, tender and bleeding gums and so on. You can also chew neem leaves for the same purpose. Beware of the bitterness, though!

Diabetes and Heart Disease

We see many herbal capsules and powders with neem in the market which claim to treat Diabetes. Neem can reduce insulin requirements for diabetics by half without altering blood glucose levels.

Cancer and AIDS

Many types of cancer including lymphocyte cancer and skin cancer can be treated by ingesting neem or by applying neem ointments and creams topically.

Neem can fortify your body, ward off infections and enhance your immunity with its immune-modulating polysaccharides compounds. Neem increases the production of antibodies while stimulating the immune function side by side.

Chronic fatigue, Arthritis and Rheumatism

By enhancing your immunity Neems also gets rid off chronic fatigue and candida.

The polysaccharide compounds, catechin, and limonoids in neem help to reduce the pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints in people with Arthritis. Consumption of Neem and topical application can alleviate the pain and inflammation in rheumatism.

Insects and Pests (Malaria)

Neem oil is a natural, non-toxic insect repellent. It not only destroys the reproduction of agricultural pests and bugs (boll weevils and Florida beetles), Neem also helps in preventing diseases like malaria. The presence of neem trees in the compound keeps mosquitoes away and also stop them breeding in the compound.

Neem is a great detoxifier which it can can cleanse your circulatory, digestive, urinary systems. It is a healthy tonic and astringent that can cure wounds.

-Aparna K V

Tags: herbs, skin disorders, aryuvedic, supplements, dietary supplement

Playing in groups, teasing each other, fights and mischief are all parts and parcels of everyone’s childhood. No kid would sacrifice his/her playtime and time out with friends even for the biggest treat offered. Their innocence and enthusiasm towards everything they do is so mind boggling that it sometimes becomes difficult o control them. One effect on the kid if she indiscriminately is in physical contact with unclean children is the risk of development of lice infestation in the hair. This is more common in girls than boys but is quite irritating and disturbing.

What is head lice?

Lice is the plural of louse, a parasite which infests in the hair of humans. This is infestation among human is existing since ages since the Egyptian mummies have also found to have traces of dead lice in their head. Head lice are human parasites and require human blood to survive. Head lice can survive on a human host for approximately 30 days. They generally cannot survive longer than 24 hours off the host. A female louse lays 3-5 eggs a day called nits. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days and it takes another 7-10 days for the louse to mature and lay their own eggs. Once laid, it takes 7-10 days for a nit to hatch. Nits off the head may not even hatch at all as they are laid close to scalp because they need human warmth to incubate. A nit hatching off of a head results in tiny nymph head louse which, without an accessible/nearby human, is doomed because it requires an immediate blood meal.

Signs of lice infestation

Though very small, lice can be seen by the naked eye. What you or your doctor might see by thoroughly examining your child’s head:

Lice eggs look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear. Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the skin’s surface, where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can’t be removed by brushing or shaking them off. Unless the infestation is heavy, it’s more common to see nits in a child’s hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they’re laid.

The adult louse is no bigger than a sesame seed and is brownish tan (although lice may look darker on people with dark hair). Nymphs are smaller and become adult lice about 7 days after they hatch. Most lice feed on blood about every 4 to 6 hours, but they can survive up to 3 days off the scalp.

With lice bites come itching and scratching. However, the itching may not always start right away — that depends on how sensitive your child’s skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take weeks for kids with lice to start scratching. They may complain, though, of things moving around on or tickling their heads

For some kids, the irritation is mild; for others, a more bothersome rash with crusting and oozing may develop. It’s also not unusual for kids to develop some swelling of their lymph glands. Excessive scratching can also lead to a bacterial infection (the skin would become red and tender around the bite area). If your doctor thinks this is the case, he or she may treat the infection with a topical or an oral antibiotic.

They spread radically

Head lice can be spread whenever there is direct contact of the head or hair with an infested individual. Lice can also be spread through the sharing of personal articles like hats, towels, brushes, helmets, hair ties, etc. There is also a possibility of spreading head lice via a pillow, headrest or similar items.

Herbal remedies