The Connection Between Oral Health and Overall Wellness
The mouth is important for obvious reasons, especially for things like eating, drinking, talking, and most importantly, smiling! What you might not know, is that your mouth actually contains many clues about what is going on in the rest of your body. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, more than 90% of all systemic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes have oral manifestations. This connection between our mouths and overall health is largely due to what is referred to as the “oral microbiome.” The oral microbiome is the body’s second largest and diverse microbial community, following the gut. An overabundance of pathogenic bacteria in the mouth can result in a slew of problems like gingivitis, candida/oral thrush, cavities, and persistent bad breath. Interestingly, this imbalance of the oral microbiome can lead to health problems in the rest of the body when harmful oral bacteria escapes through the gums and into the bloodstream. Additionally, every time we swallow, we are swallowing millions of bacteria, some of which have the potential to reside and proliferate the GI tract leading to disturbances in the gut microbiota. P. gingivalis, which is most commonly involved in the onset of inflammation and tissue destruction during periodontal disease has actually been linked to various chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases.
Fortunately, our diet and lifestyle habits can have a profound effect on our oral health. Whole food, plant-based diets include key micronutrients, such as vitamin C and D, calcium, phosphorus, and fluorine, that are instrumental in supporting a healthy oral microflora. In addition, polyphenols found in certain dietary sources like green tea, curcumin, cranberries, pomegranate, mango, and resveratrol from grapes and red wine have have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and antibacterial properties that help against P. gingivalis. We also recommended avoiding alcohol-based mouthwashes as they can disrupt the oral microbiome and dry out the oral tissues.
Another thing to note is that October is National Dental Hygiene Month! Here are a few tips for practicing good dental hygiene:
Brush your teeth at least twice a day and after each meal, if possible.
Use floss, water flossers, or interdental brushes daily.
Eat a variety of nutrient rich foods to promote a balanced and diverse oral microbiome.
Avoid cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
Keep up with routine dental health appointments.
Find and visit a functional dentist! A functional dentist addresses the root cause of disease, and views the body as an integrated system rather than a collection of independent organs.
