For years, the mouth-body connection has been neglected as the severity of the connection had not yet been discovered. Through recent years of numerous scientific studies and research, it has become more evident that what happens in the mouth is a direct reflection of the health of the rest of the body, whether it be positive or negative. Holistic dentistry can help treat your mouth to assure it has the most positive effect possible on the rest of the body.
Gum Disease = Active INFECTION in Holistic Dentistry
Statistics show that if you are reading this, you likely have some form of gum disease and don’t even know it. Over 90% of adults over 30 years old and 65% of kids younger than 15 years old have an active form of gum disease.
Bad breath, swollen gums, gums that bleed when flossing or brushing, sensitive teeth or painful spots on the gums when chewing can all be signs of gum disease.
Picture bleeding gums as an open wound in the body. Yes, blood, bacteria and pus can leak OUT of your gums (which is gross enough), but harmful bacteria can also travel INTO the bloodstream. Most of us know the bloodstream is connected to all of our major organs, so bacteria in the mouth = bacteria in the body.
Holistic dentistry treats the mouth as an integral part of the immune system. It is well documented that gum disease can increase the risk of various types of cancer (including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer and others), heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, arthritis, and chronic inflammation.
Improve the Body Through The Health of Your Mouth With Holistic Dentistry
Oral Hygiene: Understanding the mouth/body connection makes it easy to see how good oral health habits can greatly affect the immune system as a whole.
Diet: To support oral health, it is important to eat a vitamin and mineral rich diet, consume plenty of quality fats and eliminate foods containing sugar.
Lifestyle: For immune health, it is important to get enough sleep, address stress, and avoid lifestyle habits like tobacco use that can impact oral health.
Holistic Dentistry Tips to Reduce Harmful Bacteria in the Mouth
- Brush your teeth two times per day (preferably with an electric toothbrush).Clean in between the teeth too (this doesn’t necessarily mean with floss, either!) We are huge advocates of the Waterpik due to its ability to flush bacteria in pockets not typically reached by floss. The point is – by not cleaning in between the teeth, you are essentially leaving behind approximately 35% of the bacteria – yuck!
- Clean your tongue! The majority of bad-breath bacteria sit on the tongue. Any increase in bacteria in the mouth can lead to infections.
- Finish your routine off with a mouth rinse. Whether it be a natural mouth rinse, or coconut oil, or one of our prescription mouth rinses, they all have proven anti-bacterial properties, and will clear the mouth of any residual bacteria after your oral care routine.
