By Dr. Mercola
Your dental health is an important component of your physical
health. It’s a frequently underappreciated aspect that can have a
profound systemic influence. In fact, thousands of studies have linked
oral disease to systemic disease.
Your mouth is like a window to your health; the soft tissues and your
teeth reflect what’s going on in the rest of your body. Inflammation is
well-known as a “ravaging” and disease-causing force, and gum disease
and other oral diseases produce chronic low-grade inflammation.
When the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease enter into
your circulatory system, it causes your liver to release C-reactive
proteins, which have inflammatory effects on your entire circulatory
system.
Health Risks Associated With Poor Oral Health
People who fail to brush their teeth twice a day may be putting themselves at risk of heart disease,1,2 and advanced gum disease can raise your risk of a fatal heart attack up to 10 times.
There’s also a 700 percent higher incidence of type 2 diabetes
among those with gum disease, courtesy of the inflammatory effects of
unbalanced microflora in your mouth. Other health effects associated
with poor oral health include an increased risk of:3
Bad breath (halitosis)
Dementia: failing to brush twice a day increases your risk of
dementia by as much as 65 percent, compared to brushing three times a
day
Pneumonia: good oral hygiene has been shown to lower your risk of
pneumonia by about 40 percent. Other research has shown that people
with periodontitis have a 300 percent greater chance of contracting
pneumonia
Erectile dysfunction (ED): ED is more than twice as common among those with periodontitis than those without ED
Kidney disease and more
Overall, your diet is the most significant determinant of your oral
and dental health, but how you clean your teeth can also make a big
difference. Flossing,
for example, is an important strategy, yet one-third of American
adults never floss. If you’re one of them, I’d encourage you to
reconsider.
The Importance of Flossing
Flossing is perhaps even more important than brushing because it
removes bacteria that are the precursors of plaque, which if left to
fester will turn into tartar that cannot be removed by regular brushing
or flossing.
Tartar is what eventually causes the damage that leads to decay and
tooth loss. Most people are aware that flossing is a recommended
practice for optimal oral health, yet nearly one-third of Americans
never floss.
Remarkably, 1 in 5 Americans also does not brush their teeth twice a day.4 According to a recent investigation:5
32.4 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 30 never floss
37.3 percent floss, but not daily
30.3 percent floss on a daily basis
More women than men never floss
Low-income participants are less likely to floss than those in higher income brackets
Flossing Guidelines
Use a piece of floss that is about 15 to 18 inches long, wrapping each
end around your index fingers. Slide the floss between your teeth and
wrap it around the side of the tooth in the shape of a “C.”
Scrub the area by moving the floss up and down, and back and forth.
Make sure you scrub both sides of the adjacent teeth before moving on
to the next set.
If you have wider spaces between your teeth, use Super Floss, which is thicker.6
If dexterity is an issue, use soft plaque removers. Similar to
toothpicks, they allow you to clean between your teeth with one hand. A
double-pronged floss holder is another option.
While flossing, you can get telltale signs of potential health
problems. For example, bleeding gums is a warning sign that you have
bacteria in your mouth causing damage, which can easily spread through
your blood stream and cause chronic inflammation elsewhere in your
body.
The answer is to gently floss and brush more often, until your gums no
longer bleed from brushing or flossing. If bleeding persists longer
than a week, see a dentist.
Keep in mind that a Waterpik cannot replace flossing. These types of
irrigation tools can also be hard on your gums. The truth is, if you
brush and floss, you have no need for a Waterpik. That said, it can be
beneficial if you have braces.
Tooth Brushing Guidelines
Research suggests the ideal brushing time is two minutes, and the ideal
pressure is 150 grams (gm), which is about the weight of an orange.7 Brushing your teeth too hard and longer than necessary can cause more harm than good.
Researchers found that brushing longer than two minutes, and/or using
pressure greater than 150 gm does not remove any additional plaque, so
there's a “Goldilocks’ zone” when brushing, and there’s no reason to
keep going past that point.
When it comes to toothpaste, I recommend using non-fluoridated
versions. There are a growing number of such toothpastes on the market
these days, as more people are becoming aware of fluoride’s downsides
and dangers.
Other toxic toothpaste ingredients to avoid include triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), propylene glycol and diethanolamine (DEA).
Alternatively, you could make your own toothpaste8 using ingredients such as coconut oil, baking soda (which acts as an abrasive and helps with whitening), and a pinch of Himalayan salt. High-quality peppermint essential oil can be added for flavor and cavity prevention.
The Case for Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice. When combined with the antimicrobial power of coconut oil,
I believe it can be a powerful tool to improve your oral health. The
high lauric content of coconut oil makes it a strong inhibitor of a wide
range of pathogenic organisms, from viruses to bacteria to protozoa.
However, it also helps promote oral microbiome homeostasis, which is really important, as you don’t want to kill all microbes.
Oil pulling is thought to improve oral and physical health by reducing
your toxic load. By swishing and “pulling” the oil between your teeth,
it helps draw out pathogens that might otherwise migrate into other
areas of your body. When done correctly, oil pulling has a significant
cleansing, detoxifying and healing effect.
Naturopathic physician and coconut oil expert Dr. Bruce Fife has
compared the benefits of oil pulling to changing the oil in your car:9
"It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil
picks up dirt and grime. When you drain the oil, it pulls out the dirt
and grime with it, leaving the engine relatively clean.
Consequently, the engine runs smoother and lasts longer. Likewise,
when we expel harmful substances from our bodies our health is improved
and we run smoother and last longer."
Sesame oil is traditionally recommended, but it has a relatively high
concentration of omega-6 oils and the large amounts of unsaturated fats
make it particularly sensitive to oxidation and going rancid.
I strongly believe coconut oil is a far superior option. I also think
it tastes better. Coconut oil has a lipophilic effect, helping to
eliminate unhealthy biofilm from your teeth. As noted by Authority
Nutrition,10 it’s particularly effective at killing Streptococcus mutans, an oral bacterium responsible for a majority of tooth decay.
Coconut oil also contains a number of valuable nutrients that help
promote oral health. That said, from a mechanical and biophysical
perspective, either oil is likely to work.
So how do you do it? It’s quite simple, actually. You simply rinse your
mouth with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, much like you would using a
mouthwash. Work the oil around your mouth by pushing, pulling, and
drawing it through your teeth for about 15 minutes. This process allows
the oil to dislodge and neutralize pathogens and other debris.
When done, spit out the oil (do NOT swallow it) and rinse your mouth
with water. I typically spit mine out on the soil outside of my house,
being careful to avoid any plants. If you want, you could dissolve a
pinch of Himalayan salt in the water and rinse with that. Himalayan
salt contains more than 85 different microminerals, so this is another
all-natural strategy that can help promote strong, healthy teeth and
gums.
Poor Oral Health Is a Risk Factor for Oropharyngeal Cancers
Poor oral hygiene has also been linked to an increased risk for head
and neck cancers. As noted in a recent analysis of 13 studies that were
part of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE)
Consortium, lack of tooth brushing and low frequency of dental visits
consistently raised the risk of head and neck cancers.11,12
Poor oral health is also an independent risk factor for oral human
papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which could contribute to oral cancers
such as cancers of the throat, tonsils, and base of tongue, if left
untreated for long periods of time.
In one 2013 study,13,14
participants with poor oral health had a 56 percent higher rate of HPV
infection than those with healthy mouths. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 60 percent of
oropharyngeal cancers are related to HPV,15 but according to this study it could be as high as 80 percent.
The researchers speculate that good oral hygiene could help prevent
HPV infection, thereby lowering your risk for oropharyngeal and other
cancers associated with untreated HPV infection.
The Importance of Nourishing Your Oral Microbiome
Part of oral health is attending to your oral microbiome — the colonies
of beneficial microbes residing in your mouth. Achieving oral health
is really about promoting balance among the beneficial and pathogenic
bacteria in your mouth.
And contrary to popular belief, antimicrobial agents and alcohol
mouthwashes designed to “kill bad bacteria” actually do far more harm
than good in this regard, as they can be indiscriminate killers. The key
is to nourish the beneficial bacteria, so they can naturally keep the
potentially harmful ones in check.
Your oral microbiome, while connected to your gut microbiome, is quite
unique. By promoting oral microbiome homeostasis, you can improve your
digestion and salivary immune system, the latter of which helps protect
you against disease, such as the common cold and flu. Your oral
microbiome even plays a role in making vitamins.
Interestingly, probiotics do not work in the mouth, so it’s not as
simple as adding more beneficial microbes into your oral cavity.
Instead, as an initial step, you need to cease killing too many
microbes in your mouth. Scientists are now starting to recognize that
many of the same bacteria that perform beneficial functions can have
pathogenic expression when disturbed. So avoiding disrupting the
microflora in your mouth is typically more helpful than trying to kill
everything off.
Even natural antimicrobial herbs can disrupt your oral microbiome. This
includes tea tree oil, tulsi oil and oregano oil. The problem stems
from the fact that beneficial bacteria end up having less of a chance
of developing a healthy and balanced microbiome when you disturb them
too much.
Promoting Oral Health Through Nutrition and Homeopathy
So what are your alternatives? While probiotics do not have a direct
effect on your oral microbiome, addressing your gut flora can make a
big difference. Fermented vegetables and other traditionally fermented foods are an ideal source, but if you don’t eat fermented foods, then a high-quality probiotic is certainly recommended.
I used to be severely challenged with plaque, but once I started eating fermented vegetables
on a daily basis, and doing oil pulling with coconut oil, the plaque
buildup was dramatically reduced. Your diet can also make or break your
teeth, as it were, by influencing inflammation. Avoiding the following
dietary culprits can go a long way toward reducing or preventing
inflammation in your mouth and body:
Refined sugar/processed fructose and processed grains
Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
Damaged omega-6 fats found in processed vegetable oils
Certain nutrients are very important for optimal gum health. Vitamin
C is one. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is another. CoQ10 is a critical
cofactor in the Krebs cycle, which is how energy is created in your
cells. Bleeding gums, for example, can be a sign of CoQ10 deficiency.
There are also a number of homeopathic tissue salts that can be
beneficial for oral health, including:
Silica
Calcarea fluorica (calc. fluor.) or calcium fluoride
Calcium phosphate
Calcium carbonate
4 Strategies That Can Improve Your Oral Health
Research revealing the connection between the microorganisms in your
mouth and cancer (as well as many other health problems) makes it clear
that oral hygiene is a necessary prerequisite if you want to be
healthy. Major problems can result from the overgrowth of opportunistic
oral pathogens, including oropharyngeal cancers. In addition to
avoiding fluoride and mercury fillings, my top four recommendations for
optimizing your oral health are as follows:
Eat a wholesome diet
of real food: fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-pastured meats,
poultry, eggs and dairy; nuts and seeds. Minimize consumption of sugar
and processed food
When it comes to oral hygiene and preventing cavities, please
remember, drinking fluoridated water and brushing your teeth with
fluoridated toothpaste is not the answer because fluoride is more toxic than lead. Rather it's about your diet, and about proper dental care: brushing and flossing.
By avoiding sugars and processed foods, you prevent the
proliferation of the bacteria that cause decay in the first place.
Following up with proper brushing and flossing, and getting regular
cleanings will ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy naturally.
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