Did you know that each tooth is connected to an organ system in the body? It’s true. The health of your teeth is important for the health of your organs and I’m going to show you how to take care of your teeth and help improve your overall health.
Most people don’t realize that there are more variety of bacteria living in the mouth than any other part of your body and using antiseptic mouthwashes may reduce the bacteria for short periods of time but the truth is they always repopulate and it only takes about 30-60 minutes for the bacteria to fully recover from these rinses. The best way to reduce tooth decay and prevent cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath is to completely interrupt plaque formation at least once every 24 hours. And this means proper brushing and flossing.
When it comes to brushing, timing is everything! Do you know when the best time to brush your teeth is? It’s right before you eat a meal. This is because anytime you eat fermentable sugars they become food for the bacteria living in your mouth. These bacteria take the sugar and produce harmful acids that break down the enamel and cause tooth decay. By reducing the film of bacteria that buildup on the teeth by brushing before you eat there are not enough bacteria organized to produce an amount of acid that will be harmful.
Additionally, it’s best to floss at least once every 24 hours. Most people prefer to floss before bed and this is fine. As long as you’re flossing at least once a day and brushing your teeth using proper technique before meals the bacteria will not have a chance to colonize and produce the acids that harm your teeth.
So hopefully it’s clear that brushing before meals is really important but how do you know if you’re using proper technique? Well, first you want to make sure to brush thoroughly but gently and you do not want to scrub so hard that you wear down the enamel by brushing too vigorously. Brushing your teeth is not like washing your floor and brushing gently for about two minutes 2-3 times per day using a soft bristle is best.
As for toothpaste, the truth is: you don’t even need toothpaste! Or at least not very much. The action of brushing even just with water is usually enough if you brush for a full two minutes. At the same time, toothpaste makes brushing your teeth taste better and will encourage you to keep at it for the full two minutes. But you can make your toothpaste last even longer by using a small amount.
There also seems to be a lot of controversy about what kind of toothpaste to use and whether or not it’s OK to use fluoride in toothpaste. The truth is that any kind of natural toothpaste is fine; and as long as you are not swallowing the toothpaste, fluoride is in fact OK. Fluoride exposure locally on the teeth will not be harmful. Fluoride does not harm the body by applying it to the teeth for washing. Fluoride is however a health concern if swallowed because fluoride is very toxic to the body when ingested. This is why it’s important to discourage adding fluoride to drinking water, ingesting even small amounts of fluoride throughout the day over time can be harmful for the body and is unnecessary. Studies have shown that proper brushing is much more effective for cavity prevention than fluoride treatment and adding fluoride to the water is unnecessary and dangerous.
Now that you know the basics on brushing and flossing let’s talk mouthwash. Many people are already using a mouthwash regularly and when thinking about improving dental hygiene we can use this to our advantage and make a mouthwash at home that will have many healing benefits in addition to being antiseptic and breath freshening. Just like the mouthwash you’re already using now but better. Keep watching for a simple easy to make recipe once we get to the kitchen!
Before we head in to make our mouthwash, there are a few more things you can do to help prevent dental disease and keep your teeth in tip top shape! Remember we were talking about acid being a major cause for tooth decay? Well it’s really important that the pH in the mouth stay neutral to prevent the enamel, that protects your teeth, from wearing off. So, how do we keep the pH neutral? The best buffer for maintaining a neutral pH is saliva! And when do we produce the most saliva? While we’re eating. So, what exactly does that mean? That means, the best time for you to enjoy sugary foods or juice is during a large meal. The truth is that snacking is one of the worst things you can do for your teeth. By snacking in between meals, you might not produce enough saliva to neutralize the acid and your enamel will start to wear down over time. So do your best to eat and drink three meals a day and stick to water in between meals.
One final suggestion to compliment your oral hygiene routine is oil pulling. If you’ve never heard of this it might sound kind of strange at first, but trust me your teeth will appreciate it. All you have to do is take a tablespoon of cold pressed organic coconut oil or sesame oil and swish it around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Even a few minutes has benefit, so you can start there and work your way up to 15-20 minutes every day. Once you’re done swishing, you can spit out the oil and your done! It’s really easy, it feels soothing for the mouth and gums and the oil has the benefit of pulling out bacteria from those hard to reach dental spaces as well as preventing bacteria from sticking to the teeth in the first place. Between the moisturizing benefits, the potential to help prevent cavities and gingivitis as well as bad breath, oil pulling is a win-win for the sake of your teeth and gums.
Now let’s head to the kitchen and make that mouthwash.
First, we’ll need to gather our materials…
4 oz dark glass bottle
Glass measuring cup
Whisk
Funnel
1/2 cup aloe vera juice (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or health food store)
1/4 cup distilled or RO water
1/2 tbsp. witch hazel
1 tsp. baking soda
10 drops peppermint essential oil
The recipe will make about 6 oz and you can always adjust the amounts to make a larger batch.
Start by mixing everything together in a glass measuring cup EXCEPT THE ESSENTIAL OIL and whisk until combined. Then, pour the mixture into the glass bottle using the funnel for ease. Add the peppermint oil directly to the glass bottle containing the rinse and shake well. Voila! Store your mouthwash in a dark cool cupboard for up to two weeks and enjoy.
I hope you’re feeling motivated to take time out for oral hygiene now that you know the truth about teeth. Thank you for watching. I’ll see you next time!