Garlic for Oral Health: Prevent Gum Disease, Cavities & Tooth Pain

Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes since 3000 B.C. The compound allicin—the same compound that causes garlic breath—gives garlic its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial effects.

That antimicrobial action also appears to help fight gum disease.

Your mouth hosts more than 500 bacterial species. Some contribute to oral health, while others increase the risk of problems. Maintaining oral health is largely about keeping the balance between beneficial and harmful microbes. When that balance is preserved, the risk of gum disease decreases.

Allicin inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. Several studies suggest that garlic extract can help manage periodontitis by suppressing harmful oral bacteria and allowing beneficial species to remain or recover.

Many commercial oral-care products advertise that they kill “99.9% of bacteria,” but wiping out all bacteria is not ideal. Different types of bacteria recolonize at different rates, and indiscriminate killing can create an imbalance between helpful and harmful microbes, which may damage oral and overall health.

For that reason, adding allicin to toothpaste could be useful—without needing the paste to taste like garlic.

How to reap the benefits?

You can take garlic (allicin) as a supplement alongside your regular vitamins. Alternatively, include garlic in your cooking. Garlic is nutrient-dense and low in calories, and using it routinely in meals is an easy way to gain its benefits. One convenient trick is to keep crushed garlic in the freezer for quick use—frozen cubes of crushed garlic make adding it to omelets and other dishes fast and mess-free.

Don’t consume garlic solely for oral benefits. Research also indicates garlic supplements may shorten the duration of the common cold—one study found the average length dropped from about five days in a placebo group to roughly 1.5 days in a group taking garlic—likely because allicin supports immune function.

Mark Burhenne DDS

Learn More:The Five Best Foods for Optimal Oral Health