If you want to improve your overall health, you might exercise regularly, eat healthy, take time to meditate, and make sure you get some time outdoors throughout your week. Alongside these steps, you can improve your overall health (and your smile!) with a holistic oral health routine. As you start a natural oral health routine, find out more about the connection between oral health and whole-body wellness.
What Is the Mouth-Body Connection? How Does Oral Health Support Your Whole Body?
Also called the oral-systemic link, the mouth-body connection refers to the link between oral health and overall health. For example, issues like gum disease can influence conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, making proper oral healthcare an essential part of a holistic health approach.
Symptoms of many health conditions can also start in the mouth, with dentists often uncovering conditions like cancer, diabetes, or Crohn’s disease before other healthcare professionals.
As a result, the mouth-body connection goes both ways. A healthier body supports a healthier mouth, and a healthier mouth supports a healthier body!
10 Diseases Connected to Poor Oral Health
Many diseases and conditions can be caused by poor oral health, while other oral health issues can be caused by some conditions. Due to the link between oral health and overall health, it’s essential that people understand how improper oral health habits could put them at risk of developing more than just a cavity. Review the top ten diseases and conditions connected to oral health below:
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Cardiovascular Disease: Gum disease (periodontal disease) increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by allowing bacteria in your microbiome to enter the bloodstream, leading to inflammation and arterial plaque buildup.
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Diabetes: There is a two-way relationship between diabetes and gum disease, where diabetes increases the risk of gum disease, and gum disease can make blood sugar levels harder to control.
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Cancer: Poor oral health, particularly gum disease, has been associated with higher risks of certain cancers, including pancreatic, kidney, and blood cancers.
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Pregnancy Complications: Periodontitis has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birth weight.
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Respiratory Infections: Bacteria from periodontal disease can be inhaled into the lungs, potentially causing respiratory infections like pneumonia.
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Alzheimer’s Disease: Chronic gum inflammation may contribute to brain inflammation, potentially increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis: The inflammation associated with gum disease may exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
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Osteoporosis: Bone loss in the jaw from osteoporosis can lead to tooth loss, indicating a link between bone health and oral health.
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Gut Dysbiosis: Oral bacteria can travel to the gut and disrupt the balance of the intestinal microbiome, contributing to inflammation and digestive disorders.
- Kidney Disease: Poor oral health may be linked to chronic kidney disease through systemic inflammation and infection.
7 Holistic Dental Care Tips
If you brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day, you’re already helping your oral health, but a great natural oral care routine will include a few more easy steps. Beyond going to a holistic dentistry office every six months, you’ll want to follow a few alternative oral care tips to improve your oral health and overall wellness. Our top seven holistic oral care tips include:
1. Switch to a Fluoride-Free All-Natural Toothpaste
The first step in almost any alternative oral care routine will be to switch to fluoride-free, all-natural toothpaste tablets. Since fluoride does reduce the risk of tooth decay, look for all-natural toothpaste or toothpaste tablets with hydroxyapatite. This mineral makes up your bones and teeth, and it can remineralize your teeth without the potential risks of fluoride.
2. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day for Two Minutes
Always brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes to receive the full benefits of regular toothbrushing. Doing so helps remove food, bacteria, and plaque from your teeth to keep your oral microbiome and teeth healthy while also reducing gum swelling. Generally, soft-bristle brushes are best but consult with your holistic dentist about whether you need a different type. You’ll also want to replace the toothbrush every three to four months to reduce the risk of bacteria buildup.
3. Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet With Alkaline Foods to Improve Your Body’s pH
Eating alkaline foods is a great way to achieve or maintain a healthy pH balance for your body (usually between 7.35 and 7.45 pH). In your mouth, you’ll want the pH balance to be higher than 7.0 pH, as lower levels raise your risk of cavity-forming bacteria developing in your mouth. An easy way to improve your mouth’s pH is to eat lots of vegetables, beans, and seeds that are high in alkaline, which raises the pH level of your mouth. Some examples of pH-boosting foods include:
- Vegetables: Spinach, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, kale, and bell peppers.
- Beans: Navy, soy, and lima beans.
- Seeds: Cumin, fennel, sesame, and caraway seeds.
Alongside eating more of these foods, cut back on sugars, breads, acidic artificial sweeteners, condiments, alcohol, dairy, and coffee.
4. Use an Oral Irrigator Instead of Dental Floss
While flossing your teeth is good for you, lots of dental floss is made with plastic and coated with chemical substances to help the floss move more easily between your teeth. Oral irrigators (also called water flossers) are a more natural oral care option since they only use pulsating water. They also remove plaque at a similar level and are gentler on the gums. Use the irrigator at least once a day for best results.
5. Don’t Forget to Clean Your Tongue
Another way to support oral health and whole-body wellness is to routinely clean your tongue. When you don’t, dead cells, food particles, bacteria, and toxins can build up on your tongue, potentially causing gum disease and tooth decay. Investing in a dedicated tongue cleaner that you use once or twice a day ensures your tongue stays clean (it can even boost your sense of taste!).
6. Rinse Your Mouth With Salt Water After Dental Procedures
If you’ve had a dental procedure and want to avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs, you may want to try rinsing out your mouth with salt water instead. Rinsing your mouth with salt water can lower inflammation, relieve sore gums, and increase your mouth’s alkalinity to reduce bad bacteria that could cause cavities. Simply mix a teaspoon of salt with eight ounces of warm water before you rinse! Those with high blood pressure, however, should check with their doctor before doing so.
7. Use an All-Natural Mouthwash
Traditional mouthwash can hurt your natural saliva production, eliminate healthy bacteria, and irritate your mouth. In contrast, all-natural mouthwashes will avoid harsh chemicals and alcohol. They also tend to include herbal extracts and essential oils. The best all-natural, alcohol-free mouthwashes will include hydroxyapatite for remineralization and tooth enamel strengthening.
Start Your Holistic Oral Care Journey With ENML
If you’re looking for all-natural toothpaste that’s fluoride-free, ENML is ready to serve you. As an alternative oral care brand, we’re proud to provide 100% vegan toothpaste and mouthwash tablets that don’t contain any preservatives, sodium lauryl sulfate, or fluoride.
Our use of micro-hydroxyapatite in our tablets ensures you can naturally remineralize your teeth and reduce the risk of decay. Since our natural oral care products come in the form of a dry tablet, they’re shipped without plastic, can be brought through TSA without any worries, and easily turn into a paste or mouthwash after being chewed!
Check out our all-natural toothpaste tablets and mouthwashes today!
