Cinnamon has a long medical history.  Thousands of years ago Egyptians used cinnamon.  Traditional Chinese medicine is also known to have used cinnamon for many, many years.

According to Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, cinnamon contains substances that kill fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms, including those that cause botulism, staph infections and aflatoxin. 

Recent research conducted in New Zealand demonstrated that the essential oil of cinnamon has the greatest antimicrobial potency against Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for tooth decay, and Lactobacillus plantarum, one of the bacteria responsible in gum disease.  The research study concluded "that there may be a role for essentials oils in the development of novel anticaries (anti cavity) treatments".(1)

We included the organic essential oil of cinnamon in the Brushing Blend not only for its antimicrobial properties but also to bring a warming influence into the formula.

1.  Filoche SK, Soma K, Sissons CH.  Antimicrobial effects of essential oils in combination with chlorhexidine digluconate. Dental Research Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand.  Oral Microbiol Immunol.  2009 Oct;24(5):411-6.

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Peppermint has enjoyed a long medicinal history.  Every culture who has been blessed with peppermint has used the plant for medicine.  

In recent science, researchers have found that the essential oil of peppermint is the most effective in killing what are called anaerobic bacteria, bacteria that thrive in a low oxygen environment such as the bacteria that causes gum disease.  These disease causing bacteria thrive in low oxygen environments such as below the gum line.  This makes the essential oil of organic peppermint one of our main ingredients in the Brushing Blend.  One study, titled "The antimicrobial activity of essential oils and essential oil components towards oral bacteria" found that peppermint was among the strongest oils to kill disease causing bacteria.₁

In another study, peppermint was found to have strong activity against certain bacterial strains, particularly mutant and wild strains. ₂

1.  Shapiro S, Meier A, Guggenheim B, The antimicrobial activity of essential oils and essential oil components towards oral bacteria. University of Zurich, Switzerland. Lett Appl Microbiol.  2009 Sep;49(3):354-60.  Epub 2009 Jul 14.

2.  Khan MS, Zahin M, Hasan S, Husain FM, Ahmad I.  Inhibition of quorum sensing regulated bacterial functions by plant essential oils with special reference to clove oil. Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agrecultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.  Oral Microbiol Immunol.  2005 Aug;20(4):221-5.

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Spearmint, like its sister, peppermint, has enjoyed a long medicinal history.  Spearmint has similar chemical properties as peppermint.  We chose to include spearmint in the formula in order to increase the broad reach of the mint antibacterial properties.  

Given that spearmint is an effective antiseptic, it helps tissue to heal faster without the associated risks of getting contaminated and infected.₁   Spearmint also is a functional anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral agent as well.  It also is soothing to soft tissues like gum tissue.  For all these reasons, spearmint has its place in the formulation of the Brushing Blend.

1.  http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-spearmint-essential-oil.html

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Clove has been used medicinally in several cultures for many years as well.  Traditional Chinese Medicine has applied clove for relieving tooth pain for hundreds of years.  Clinical research demonstrated that clove inhibits many pathogenic bacteria, including Staph aureus, strep pneumoniae, and shigella.

Dentists of the past used clove to disinfect disturbed root canals, since clove has moderately strong germicidal properties.  Recent research has shown that the essential oil of clove has the strongest ability of the 21 oils studied in inhibiting bacteria growth.  One interesting note about this study showed that clove has a particular ability to inhibit the growth of mutant and wild strains of bacteria.₁

Also noted from this study is that the 'active' ingredient in clove, called eugenol, didn't have the same inhibiting quality as the essential oil of clove.  This suggests that the whole essential oil may have synergistic beneficial qualities other than the compounds that science has identified as 'active'.  Eugenol is an ingredient used in many mouth washes.  The OraWellness Brushing Blend uses organic essential oil of clove, not just the distilled eugenol.

1.Khan MS, Zahin M, Hasan S, Husain FM, Ahmad I.  Inhibition of quorum sensing regulated bacterial functions by plant essential oils with special reference to clove oil.  Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agrecultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.  Oral Microbiol Immunol.  2005 Aug;20(4):221-5.

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Manuka is a relatively new plant to be tested for its antimicrobial properties.  Similar to Australian tea tree, melaleuca, manuka has shown to be even more effective than tea tree to many pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Research conducts at the Tokyo Dental College in Japan found that manuka oil had the strongest antibacterial activity against bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay.  "The essential oils inhibited the growth of the bacteria tested, manuka oil being the most effective".₁

In another study conducted in New Zealand at the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine in Wellington, found that the essential oil of manuka strongly inhibited the ability of oral bacteria to attach themselves to the tooth surface.  This quality, called adhesion inhibition is particularly helpful in making the mouth less hospitable for these disease causing bacteria to function and do their dirty work.  Manuka oil contributes by being very effective at killing the bacteria as well as making it more difficult for the bacteria to cling to the tooth and gum surfaces.₂ 

1.  Takarada K, Kimizuka R, Takahashi N, Honma K, Okuda K, Kato T.  A comparison of the antibacterial efficacies of essential oils against oral pathogens.  Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Dental college, Oral Microbiol Immunol.  1994 Aug;9(4):202-8.

2.  Filoche SK, Soma K, Sissons CH.  Antimicrobial effects of essential oils in combination with chlorhexidine digluconate.  Dental Research Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicind, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand.

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Gold, frankincense, and myrrh - these were the gifts of the wise men at the dawn of the Christian era.  The aromatic resin of myrrh was valued at least 2,000 years before Christ.

Myrrh acts as an antiseptic and a soother, particularly effective when acting on mucous membranes.  It has also been used for years to support gums to heal and on mouth ulcers.  According to organicfacts.net, myrrh oil is very effective in supporting gum tissue to heal quickly by supporting the flow of blood in the gum tissue.₁  We have incorporated organic myrrh essential oil into the Brushing Blend formula to assist in the healing of gum tissue that has been damaged by disease causing bacteria.

1.  http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-myrrh-essential-oil.html 

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