Oil pulling is a great way to help improve the health of your teeth and gums. To oil pull, you put a tablespoon of oil (I prefer coconut oil) in your mouth in the morning when you get up, let it melt, and then swish it around for 5-20 minutes. Then spit it out and brush your teeth as you normally would. Oil pulling is also helpful if you suffer from dry mouth or have Sjogren's syndrome. Another option for improving your oral health is tongue scraping. It’s best to scrape your tongue in the morning when your body is rested and before you eat. Bacteria sit at the base of your tongue. And, if they are not removed, they can cause bad breath and an imbalance of oral bacteria. This is the tongue scraper I use and love. Another very important factor for teeth and gum health is what you eat. Processed and refined ingredients wreak havoc on our teeth and gums. The book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration shows just how important what we eat is for our dental health. In fact, most of the dental disease that we see today is completely preventable just based on what we eat. As much as you can, stick to eating real food, and avoid white flours, sugars, processed ingredients and refined and artificial ingredients to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.