Gandusha, kaval dharnam (mouth care)

Ayurveda lays stress on maintaing proper mouth hygiene by practicing Gandusha and kaval daily. These are both a form of gargling.

• Gandusha: in Gandusha one takes such a large quantity of fluid into the mouth that one is unable to move it inside the mouth. One should hold the fluid in the mouth till the nose and eyes start watering. Here the fluid penetrates the oral mucous membrane and gums by pressure and exerts its specific action. Gandusha is not advisable for children below the age of 5 years.
• Kaval: one holds and moves the semisolid, pasty solution in the mouth. It exerts a soothing and cleansing action on the mouth.

Types of Gandusha and kaval

1. Snehika (oily) – warm oil along with madhur(sweet) and lavan (salty) substance are used for Gandusha or kaval and is useful for the vata disease of the mouth, i.e. diseases associated with dryness and roughness in mouth.

1. Shamana or prasaana (soothing)- milk or sugar water medicated with katu (bitter), kashaya (astringent), madhur (sweet), and sheet (cold) medicines is used for its soothing action on pitta diseases of the mouth like mukh paak (stomatitis) etc.

1. Shodhana (cleansing)- a decoction of medicines with kashaya (astringent), tickt(pungent), katu (bitter), amal (sour) and lavan (salty) with ushan virya (hot potency) taste is used for cleansing action in kapha disease or for mouth characterized by excessive and stickiness

1. Ropana (healing)- warm decoction of medicines with madhur (sweet) and katu (bitter) rasa (taste) e.g. mulethi (licorice) is mixed with til tail (sesame oil) and is used for the treatment of ulcers in the mouth.
   

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