The Mouth: A Gateway to the Rest of Our Body
Brushing our teeth and flossing may seem like a minor inconvenience at times, but the benefits of keeping our teeth and gums healthy is not limited to a beautiful smile, it impacts our entire body, even our cardiovascular system!
Our Mouth is an Ecosystem
The health status of our mouth affects our overall health in significant ways. The process of digestion begins in the mouth. Saliva helps to break down sugars. Spit may seem insignificant, but it is an important element in a healthy mouth. Saliva helps to keep the environment in the mouth moist, which allows the ideal composition of organisms to thrive. It also serves the function of transporting nutrients to these microorganisms.
Our mouth contains its own microbiome, which is the distinct collection of microbes and their genes. We can find nine separate regions in the mouth, each with its unique colonies. The oral microbiome is the second largest microbial community in humans after the gut. Since it is easy to collect samples from the mouth, it is the most studied and well understood.
There are more than 700 different microbial species living in the average person’s mouth. These include various viruses, yeast, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria, which usually live symbiotically together. Regular brushing and flossing helps keep excess bacterial growth and plaque formation at bay. Microbes can contribute to health or disease, depending on the organism and its relative amounts.
For example, when the bacteria Streptococcus mutans lives in the mouth in harmony with other organisms, it minds its own business and stays out of trouble. But when numbers of other helpful bacteria such as Streptococcus salivaris decrease, this guy gets busy contributing to cavities and sometimes even infective endocarditis, an infection of the valves of the heart. Infections in the mouth can easily enter the blood stream. Recent studies show this might be a contributing factor to atherosclerosis, the thickening and stiffening of the lining of the arterial walls, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Oral Health Affects the Rest of Our Body
Many disease processes in the mouth are associated with inflammation. Gingivitis is the swelling and redness of gums and soft tissue of the mouth. When gingivitis progresses, the disease process affects the teeth, this is called periodontitis and can lead to tooth loss. Pregnant women with periodontal disease have greater risk of delivering a preterm infant, low birth weight baby, and to develop preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a serious condition that occurs during pregnancy which leads to high blood pressure and other symptoms that can be harmful to the developing fetus. Interestingly the types of organisms found in the placenta are similar to those found on the tongue and tonsils of the mothers.
Microorganisms responsible for periodontitis have been found in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s. These organisms and others are also associated with cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon/rectum and lung. Studies also indicate they may be involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.
Here are some signs that indicate you may be suffering from gum disease:
Gums that bleed during and after tooth brushing.
Red, swollen gums. Healthy gums should be pink and firm.
Persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth.
Receding gums.
Formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums.
Loose or shifting teeth.
Changes in the way teeth fit together upon biting down, or in the fit of partial dentures.
How to Care for Our Mouth
There are many helpful habits we can adopt to maintain the health of our mouths, and thus the wellbeing of our entire body. These are some of the most important ones:
Practicing good oral hygiene by brushing teeth and flossing regularly. This almost goes without saying, it is a must! If you can, brush after every meal.
Consuming a fiber-rich diet and fermented foods. This helps feed the good bacteria that live along the digestive tract.
Limiting candy, sticky foods, refined carbohydrates, acidic foods and drinks. Refined sugars help support the growth of S. mutans and other potentially harmful bacteria. Acidic foods and drinks can damage our teeth if consumed in excess.
Regular professional teeth cleaning, ideally every 6 months.
Oil pulling. Studies show swishing oil in our mouths, similar to how you would use a mouthwash, helps to decrease the number of organisms in the mouth without disrupting the microbiome.
Reducing stress. Not surprising, stress also affects our oral health. Try new ways to deal with stress. Exercise, meditation and good sleep all help.
Avoiding smoking. Smoking not only stains teeth but also wreaks havoc on the microbiome in the mouth. It increases inflammation in the body, which is linked to many negative health conditions.
Our body is an ecosystem, each part affects the other, and all parts are intimately connected. The health of one, affects the health of the others. We are investigating and learning more about this at a rapid speed. So take good care of your mouth, the rest of your body will thank you!
Melissa Rodriguez, N.D.
References
Acquisition and establishment of the oral microbiota
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8252790/
Biology of Oral Streptococci
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6287261/
Comparison of the plaque regrowth inhibition effects of oil pulling therapy with sesame oil or coconut oil using 4-day plaque regrowth study model: A randomized crossover clinical trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34124840/
The Effect of Coconut Oil pulling on Streptococcus mutans Count in Saliva in Comparison with Chlorhexidine Mouthwash
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27084861/
Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease)
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/gingivitis-periodontal-disease
High-resolution taxonomic examination of the oral microbiome after oil pulling with standardized sunflower seed oil and healthy participants: a pilot study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32949257/
Oral health: A window to your overall health
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475
Oral Health: The First Step to Well-Being
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6843908/
Oral microbiome: Unveiling the fundamentals
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6503789/
The oral microbiota and its role in carcinogenesis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044579X21002698
Periodontal disease and subgingival microbiota as contributors for rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis: modifiable risk factors?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24807405/
Stress and periodontitis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32716399/