You might have grown up thinking cleaning your teeth was all about avoiding bad breath before the youth club disco, or removing stains from red wine, coffee and cigarettes. But there’s more and more evidence suggesting that good oral health may keep your heart, brain and blood sugar levels healthy, too.
You’ve heard of good gut bugs, but what about good mouth bugs?
“Your mouth contains an oral microbiome made up of over 700 known species of bacteria, as well as yeasts and viruses,” says Gary Moran, associate professor at the School of Dental Science at Trinity College, Dublin. “Like your gut microbiome, the bacteria in your mouth play an important role in your health.” And one recent piece of research from Colorado State University shows your oral health habits, such as regular flossing, can keep this microbiome in balance or, conversely, increase your risk of an unhealthy mix of organisms that affect your overall health.
Care for your mouth and you could stay well for longer
It turns out regular brushing, interdental care and looking after your oral microbiome might help reduce your risk of stroke, diabetes and heart problems.
The latest research says:
- Regular dental checkups dramatically reduce your risk of cavities, gum disease and a stroke. One recent piece of research followed thousands of adults for 20 years, revealing those with gum disease and cavities had an 86% higher stroke risk than those with healthy mouths.
- Treating a tooth infection with a root canal procedure may help improve blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation.
- New research is investigating how bacteria that get in through bleeding gums can travel to other parts of the body and potentially increase the risk of: brain changes, a heart condition called atrial fibrillation (where your heart beats out of its usual rhythm and increases your risk of stroke), Parkinson’s disease and breast cancer in women with an already increased genetic risk.
Protect your teeth – and your health
The latest UK Adult Oral Health Survey showed 64% of British adults had clinical decay in one or more teeth on the crown or roots, and 93% had some sign of gum disease. US figures suggest more than 90% of US adults have tooth enamel damage and/or cavities, and 42% of adults have periodontitis, a serious gum infection.
Here are the clever things you can do (alongside brushing your teeth and flossing) in the six months between checkups to help keep your mouth healthy.
Eat the Mediterranean way
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet – rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits and olive oil – may protect against gum disease by lowering inflammation. People eating a lot of plant-based foods are more likely to have better gum health, says research on 200 people from King’s College London. More new research also highlights two Mediterranean foods in particular:
- Pack in the tomatoes: the red colour in tomatoes comes from an antioxidant called lycopene, which could help prevent serious gum disease. You get more lycopene from cooked tomatoes, and it’s fat-soluble, so some oil in your meal can help you absorb it. Tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and tomato powder have the highest levels, but you can also get it from raw and tinned tomatoes and tomato juice.
- Garlic bread(!): we know good oral health is supposed to banish bad breath, but garlic extract has been found to work as well as common antiseptic mouthwashes, revealed one recent review of research. Using a garlic extract mouthwash might make you smell and also give that burning mouth sensation some mouthwashes give, so consider eating more in your soups, sauces and curries instead!
Quit smoking and vaping to keep your microbiome – and gums – happy
Smokers have a higher risk of gum disease, and it turns out e-cigarette users do too. The link is in the microbiome, according to a series of research projects from New York University. They revealed that e-cigarette users have a different oral microbiome to smokers and nonsmokers, but one that is strikingly more similar to that of smokers. More than 60% of US smokers have gum disease – another good reason to quit.
Deal with stress properly, especially if you’re a woman
Teeth grinding – or bruxism – affects more women than men. It wears away at enamel and encourages decay. People who are stressed by daily problems or trouble at work seem to be more likely to grind their teeth. Try regular belly breathing – deep breaths that raise your belly and ribcage rather than your upper chest, counting in and out to at least four.
Drink the right tea, and drink it right
“Drinking black or green tea without milk, lemon or sugar, protects against acid erosion,” says Kenton Ross from the US Academy of General Dentistry. It can also help prevent tooth decay as its polyphenols stop bacteria clinging to your teeth, and the leaves contain fluoride. Plus, skip fruit-flavoured teas because scientists have shown they’re acidic and can erode your teeth.
Don’t brush after meals
Timing your toothbrushing right helps reduce the amount of enamel-weakening acid you might grind into your teeth.
- Wait at least half an hour if you need to brush your teeth after eating. This allows time for your saliva to wash away the acid and for the enamel to harden again.
- Avoid brushing your teeth for at least an hour after having anything acidic like citrus fruits, fizzy drinks or sports drinks.
Do eat cheese after meals!
Eating cheese at the end of your meal can help protect your teeth against decay by increasing calcium concentration in saliva, allowing teeth to remineralise. Plus, the fat is thought to reduce the amount of bacteria on the surface of the teeth.
Salivate!
When your mouth waters or produces saliva it helps neutralise acid from your food and drink, dilute sugars and help teeth to remineralise. New research is showing an amino acid called arginine that’s in saliva could help reduce tooth decay by supporting your microbiome to grow bacteria that help neutralise acids.
- Smoking increases your risk of tooth decay because it interferes with the production of acid-neutralising saliva. So quit.
- In general, women produce less saliva than men. At menopause, dry mouth and increased teeth sensitivity and gum health issues are more common. And weirdly enough, the composition of saliva becomes less antibacterial during pregnancy. Drinking water, brushing and flossing are crucial!
- Some drugs such as antihistamines, beta blockers and antidepressants can cause a dry mouth too.
Avoid white wine if you’re eating berries
Drinking white wine throughout a meal creates rough spots and grooves on your teeth that then allow black coffee, berry or red wine stains to penetrate more deeply, says a recent study from New York University College of Dentistry.
Don’t get sucked into the ‘brush once a day’ misinformation
It might be tempting to skip the clean when you’re rushing around in the mornings getting the school run sorted, travelling to work or pressing the snooze button for the third time. But don’t let all the recent social media ‘once a day is enough’ chatter lure you in. “Brushing once a day simply isn’t enough for most people,” says Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation. “Very few of us clean perfectly every time, and plaque keeps forming throughout the day. Brushing twice daily – in the morning and before bed – remains the single most effective thing you can do to protect your teeth and gums.”
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