🌿 Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult your doctor, especially if you take prescription medication. Full disclaimer

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Oral & Dental Health

Prevention first: the daily habits that do the most for your teeth and gums, extra care if you have had head or neck radiation, and where supplements fit in.

Natural remedies & lifestyle tips

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth daily
Drink fluoridated tap water
Limit foods and drinks with added sugar
See your dentist at least once a year, even if you wear dentures
Do not use tobacco, and drink alcohol only in moderation
If a medicine gives you a dry mouth, ask your doctor about alternatives; if you have diabetes, managing it lowers your risk of gum disease

Caring for your mouth during and after radiation

Radiation to the head or neck can cause dry mouth, sore gums and a higher risk of cavities, and some of these effects can last for years. If you have had this treatment, these steps from the National Institutes of Health are worth building into your routine:

Ideally see a dentist about a month before radiation starts, and ask your dentist and cancer doctor to talk with each other
Look in your mouth every day for sores or other changes
Brush your teeth, gums and tongue with an extra-soft toothbrush after meals and at bedtime; soften the bristles in warm water if brushing hurts
Use fluoride toothpaste, and ask your dentist about a fluoride gel, since radiation raises the risk of cavities
Floss gently every day; if some areas bleed or are sore, skip those spots but keep flossing the rest
Avoid mouthwashes that contain alcohol
For dry mouth, sip water often, keep water by your bed, chew sugar-free gum, and ask your dentist about saliva substitutes
Rinse several times a day with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt in 1 quart of warm water, then rinse with plain water
If your jaw feels stiff, open and close your mouth as wide as you can without pain, 20 times, three times a day
Skip tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks, and sharp, spicy or very acidic foods while your mouth is sore
Call your doctor or dentist about mouth pain or signs of infection; infections can be serious during cancer treatment

What to know about aloe vera

Aloe products are made from the clear inner-leaf gel, the yellow latex just under the skin of the leaf, or the whole crushed leaf. Which part you use matters:

On the skin, research suggests aloe gel may speed burn healing and ease burn pain; research on radiation skin reactions is limited. Ask your radiation team before putting anything on treated skin
Aloe gel on the skin is usually well tolerated, though some people get burning, itching or a rash
If you drink aloe, choose inner-leaf gel products labeled decolorized or with aloin removed; aloe gel taken by mouth has been studied as safe for up to 42 days
Avoid aloe latex and non-decolorized whole-leaf products by mouth: aloe latex was removed from over-the-counter laxatives by the FDA, and non-decolorized whole-leaf extract caused cancer in animal studies
Aloe leaf extracts taken by mouth have been linked to rare cases of liver inflammation; stop and call your doctor if you notice yellowing skin or eyes or dark urine
Do not take aloe by mouth if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and check with your doctor if you take medicine, especially heart medicines such as digoxin

Bill's story

“Radiation treatment for cancer left me with burned skin, trouble swallowing, and gum problems with bleeding gums. My radiation nurse told me to rub pure aloe vera on the burned areas, and in my experience it really helped my skin. I also began drinking aloe, and I found it made swallowing easier; I've had a glass a day for about 30 years. About twenty years ago, a doctor in the Philippines suggested green barley grass for my gums, and I've taken it every morning since. In my experience my gums improved, and I still see my dentist regularly. That's my personal story, not a medical claim, and everyone is different.”

Bill Delanoy founded Only Nature's Finest and Naturáis. Barley grass is the first ingredient in Naturáis Greens Superfood.

Make it at home

Snack

Crunchy Veggie & Cheese Plate

Carrot and celery sticks
Apple slices
A few cubes of cheese
A handful of almonds

Arrange everything on a plate.
Enjoy as an afternoon snack instead of sweets.
Finish with a glass of water.

Crunchy, low-sugar snacks are a better choice for teeth than sticky sweets. If your mouth is sore after radiation, choose soft foods such as yogurt or scrambled eggs instead. Contains dairy and tree nuts.

Drink

Unsweetened Iced Green Tea

2 green tea bags
4 cups water
Lemon slices
Ice

Steep the tea bags in 1 cup of hot water for 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups of cold water and the lemon.
Chill and serve over ice.

A no-sugar alternative to soda and sweet tea. Contains caffeine. Leave out the lemon if acidic drinks sting a sore mouth.

Product videos

Aloe vera after radiation: what helped me, and what to know

Why I've taken green barley grass every morning for 20 years

Naturáis products to explore

Naturáis Store

Dental + Oral Health Chewables

Chewable tablet with xylitol, guava fruit powder, three probiotic strains and hydroxyapatite. Chew one daily after a meal. 30 chewables.

View product → Naturáis Store

Greens Superfood

Barley grass powder first, with spirulina, green tea, wheat grass and about twenty other plant ingredients. One scoop in 6–8 oz of water once a day.

View product →

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Products marked “Naturáis Store” are sold by Naturáis; Only Nature's Finest may earn from purchases made through these links.

Talk with your doctor. A supplement does not replace brushing, flossing and dental visits. Evidence that xylitol products prevent cavities is limited: a Cochrane review found only low-quality evidence, mainly for xylitol in fluoride toothpaste for children. Xylitol can cause bloating, gas or loose stools in some people, and it is very toxic to dogs, so store xylitol products well out of reach of pets. See a dentist for tooth pain, bleeding gums or sores that do not heal.

Written by Bill Delanoy for Only Nature's Finest. Last updated 2026-10-20. Educational content only, not medical advice.

Sources

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