Is Your Oral Health Making You Sick?

Our daily oral hygiene routine, such as brushing our teeth is generally considered to be of benefit for reducing tooth cavities, gum disease and bad breath. However, the health of our mouth, and particularly the microbiome of our mouth, has far-reaching effects on our overall health.

Just like our gut and skin, our mouth has a unique population of microorganisms on our gums, teeth, tongue, mouth, lips and in our saliva. All of which need to stay in balance, yet are under constant pressure from the outside world through varying foods, drinks, chemicals, pH, temperature and eating habits. An imbalanced microbiome in the mouth has been shown to increase the risk of heart and liver disorders, along with pneumonia, dementia, obesity, Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis, as pathogens spread to other parts of the body. Diabetes (types 1 & 2) is known to have an adverse influence on oral hygiene, but in a reciprocal effect, improving oral health can also help to better manage insulin and blood glucose.

While dysbiosis of the gut has been linked to inflammatory bowel diseases, along with overall health and wellbeing, the oral microbiome’s influence through the oral-gut connection is just being highlighted in research. ‘Bad’ bacteria from the mouth and saliva can be swallowed or enter our blood stream to travel to the gut, where it disrupts immune function and increases inflammation.

There are natural ways to support your overall health through your oral hygiene:

• Eat crunchy fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples and celery, as they stimulate saliva and help scrub away food particles.
• Avoid sugary foods and drinks, pickles and tomato sauce as their acidity can upset the balance.
• Sage mouthwash or tea can help to balance bacteria, reducing those that promote plaque and decay. Oral probiotic products can also help to populate your mouth with ‘good’ bacteria.
• Xylitol in mints, gum or as a sugar substitute can help to neutralize saliva pH and reduce cavities.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Daily brushing, flossing and tongue scraping to reduce bacterial load in the mouth.

 

Referances:

Elzayat et al. (2023). Unravelling the impact of gut and oral microbiome on gut health in inflammatory bowel diseases www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/15/3377

Sharma et al. (2018). Oral microbiome and health www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/microbiol.2018.1.42

Article Supplied by Claire George, Naturopath - our newest member of the team who is also available for consultations