It is true that healthy teeth lead to a healthy body seeing the mouth is the gateway to our blood circulation and major organs. Simply stated, our mouth is the entry point for pathogens and keeping this 1^st line of defence strong means we can protect the body from unwanted invasion of bad bacteria and viruses.

It turns out that cleaning teeth is a great start to physically remove ‘threats’ to the greater body. Brushing your teeth twice a day prevent accumulation of bacteria so their by-products (plaque) don’t inflame our gums. It also physically removes plaque, that sticky biofilm that coats the mouth. Too much plaque may trigger inflammation and we know that too much inflammation can over-tax the body. Earlier I mentioned in Step 1 whereby the key to a healthy immune system is by minimising unnecessary inflammation so our body has more energy to do ‘house-keeping.’  

Why is this important:  if we don’t remove plaque early, it can harden, making it very difficult to remove thereafter. This hardened plaque is ‘tartar.’

It makes sense to floss to remove debris that can build up as plaque before they inflame and increase the risk of infection in the gum.

I see a holistic dentist who advises me on preventative measures every 6 months. My dental-hygienist is excellent in reminding me how to floss my teeth according to the contours of my gums and remove any debris from these blind spots. She also has the tools to physically remove ‘plaque’ and ‘tartar’ build-up, the main cause of inflammation of the gums (gingivitis).

And I don’t stop there…

There is emerging research on our oral microbiome and how there is good and bad bacteria in the mouth. Do you use antibacterial mouthwash? Similar to antibiotics, antibacterial mouthwash can kill both bad and good bacteria. My preference to freshen my mouth is coconut oil pulling. This ancient Indian tradition has many merits. Coconut oil pulling can reduce plaque.[i] I do this remove any microscopic debris that remain after brushing my teeth.

If you’ve never oil-pulled, here’s how I do it:

1. Brush teeth then floss
2. Take 1 tablespoonful coconut oil and put it in your mouth. Do not swallow
3. Swish the oil around the mouth for at least 10 minutes. This pushes the oil in between teeth and around the mouth, removing any leftover debris
4. Spit this out into the rubbish bin. Do not spit into the toilet bowl as coconut oil can solidify quite quickly and clog up the system.

Here’s another tool to add to your back pocket: a tongue scraper. A tongue scraper is a tool to physically remove surface gunk from back to front of your tongue. Better still, tongue scraping can reduce bad breath[ii] and remove bad bacteria while promoting good bacteria that is essential for heart health.[iii]

By the way, do you wake-up with a dry mouth? This could mean that you’re a mouth breather. Mouth breathing evaporates air leaving you with dry mouth in the morning. Nose-breathing goes through a natural filtration process and warms the air that gets to your lungs.

It turns out that mouth-taping may help train you to nose-breathe rather than mouth-breathe.

It sounds weird but mouth-taping has increased my energy levels that I didn’t realise I was losing with mouth-breathing. To mouth-tape, buy a 25mm surgical tape, cut a piece that is long enough to cover your lips and apply before going to bed.

Floss religiously, Go for 6 monthly-dental checks, If you drool, consider mouth-taping

References:

[i] Woolley J, Gibbons T, Patel K, Sacco R. The effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic review. Heliyon. 2020;6(8):e04789. Published 2020 Aug 27. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04789

[ii] Choi HN, Cho YS, Koo JW. The Effect of Mechanical Tongue Cleaning on Oral Malodor and Tongue Coating. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;19(1):108. Published 2021 Dec 23. doi:10.3390/ijerph19010108

[iii] Tribble GD, Angelov N, Weltman R, et al. Frequency of Tongue Cleaning Impacts the Human Tongue Microbiome Composition and Enterosalivary Circulation of Nitrate. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2019;9:39. Published 2019 Mar 1. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2019.00039