The Mouth-Body Connection
There are some basics of oral hygiene that we have been taught since childhood: Brush your teeth after every meal. Floss daily (or at least say you do). Mouthwash prevents bad breath. And don’t forget the fluoride! (In your toothpaste, in your water, at the dentist’s office.) These are the steps for keeping our teeth healthy and avoiding tooth cavities. But is it enough? Is this the right advice? And does it really matter? You might find the Functional Medicine answers to these questions surprising.
The fact is oral health is incredibly important to our overall health. Poor oral hygiene is often one of the first indicators of a bigger, systemic problem. Changes to the gums, tongue, and enamel can give clues to nutrient deficiencies, undiagnosed chronic disease, infections, and inflammation. It has been well established in the scientific literature that there is a direct link between gum disease and cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (heart attack). Scientists have even found the DNA of bacteria from periodontal disease within the thrombus (or blood clots) of stroke patients. We also know that harmful bacteria in the mouth can spread to the lungs and cause respiratory illness. So good oral hygiene is about much more than just an attractive smile. It’s a critical component of health, especially cardiac health.
In holistic and Functional Medicine, when we talk about the gut it is only a matter of time before we sing the praises of the microbiome. This is because we have come to learn the massive impact a healthy (or unhealthy) microbiome has on overall health. But did you know that there is an oral microbiome as well? It’s true and, in fact, it is the second largest microbiome in the body! The oral microbiome has been a quickly growing area of study and, in recent years, we have learned of the impact it has on our immune system as well as the link with inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. This is because, just like with our gut microbiome, the microbes in our mouth have jobs like keeping the bad bugs in check and releasing biproducts that get absorbed and used by the body.
The oral microbiome positively impacts health by:
Aiding in digestion
Supporting a strong metabolism
Promoting nitric oxide production with is needed for healthy blood pressure
Assisting with remineralization of the teeth
Carrying oxygen to the gums and soft tissues
Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation
Fighting infection and overgrowth of harmful organisms
Removing waste products from the mouth’s surface
So it’s important to nourish and protect the oral microbiome. Unfortunately, many commercial products found in the average household are not designed with those fragile microbes in mind. Harsh, chemical filled toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss kill off the protective microbes. Antibiotics and certain medications can also greatly disrupt the balance, just as they do in the gut. Signs of an imbalanced microbiome can include things like increased plaque, bad breath, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, cavities and gum disease, tonsillitis, thrush, and frequent respiratory infections. If you have any of these symptoms, you may want to consider the health of your oral microbiome. The good news is the it can easily be rebalanced to a healthy and diverse environment that helps to build rock solid health for you.
Here are a few easy tips to promote a strong microbiome in your mouth!
Use a natural toothpaste that does not contain harsh chemicals. The benefit of this is twofold. First, those chemicals are dangerous for your whole body, not just your mouth. And secondly, harsh chemicals such as sodium laurel sulfate or artificial sweeteners kill off beneficial microbes. It’s best to avoid products with these ingredients:
Sodium laurel sulfate (SLS)
Triclosan
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and erythritol
Artificial colors
Propylene glycol
Diethanolamine (DEA)
Microbeads (tiny plastic particles)
Avoid alcohol-based mouthwash. While it may seem like that burn is only way to feel minty fresh, in fact the alcohol is abolishing the helpful organisms that naturally prevent bad breath. Companies have done a great job fooling us with their marketing ploys. Alcohol based mouth wash is not doing you any favors and may actually be contributing to a decline in health. Opt for alcohol-free mouthwashes or make your own with the use of essential oils!
Floss daily. I’m sure your dentist has been telling you this your entire life but many of us still skip it. Don’t! It’s a critically important step to preventing gum disease. If you really want to have best practice in this area, use a dental floss free from plastics and chemicals such as Teflon (yes, those super easy to ‘glide’ types of floss use this). Opt for silk floss coated in wax instead.
Consume Probiotic rich foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, or lactofermented veggies. There are many delicious sources of natural probiotics that can be just as effective as taking a supplement.
Eat a healthy, whole foods diet that is rich in nutrients. This seems like a no-brainer, but worth mentioning because it truly is the basis for health and wellness in every aspect.
A note about fluoride. Whether or not fluoride is good or bad for us is hot topic and I’m going to have an honest moment with you. For me, the jury is still out. There are a lot of benefits to fluoride. It does strengthen teeth and it does it well. But too much fluoride is definitely a bad thing. Fluoride fills the same receptor sites in the body that iodine does. This can become a problem for many people because iodine is critical for making thyroid hormone. So if sufficient thyroid hormone is a concern for you, using fluoride free products may be a good idea. The other important point to mention is that in many towns fluoride is also in the drinking water which has been shown time and time again to result in over exposure. So, I am not willing to make a blanket statement that fluoride is bad but, instead, encourage everyone to make a well-informed decision for themselves based on your unique circumstances.
Making your oral health a priority can make a surprisingly big impact on your wellness. I encourage you to take a few minutes to reevaluate your oral hygiene routine. Can it be improved in any way? What products can you swap for something healthier? Your mouth and your heart will thank you.
