(Originally Posted on April 18, 2015)

Last week we began the Microbiome series with an introduction to your microbiome; what it is, some fun facts and how to support it in general. As promised today we will start with your oral or mouth microbiome and take a deeper look into what it is and why it is important to your overall health and not just that of your mouth.

Last summer I was blessed to have listened to Dr. Gerry Curatola, DDS, who is being hailed Internationally Recognized Holistic Dentist and Wellness Pioneer, speak about this very subject. Following are some of the highlights from the insights I learned at that training.

Why Your Oral Microbiome Is Vital To Your Health

In 2002 the Oral Health Report of the U.S. Surgeon General stated:

• The mouth reflects general health and well-being.
• Oral diseases and disorders in and of themselves affect health and well-being throughout life.
• Lifestyle behaviors that affect general health, also affect oral and craniofacial health as well.
• Oral disease and conditions are associated with health problems.

Has your dentist ever mentioned these points to you? Probably not. They probably have never mentioned that oral disease is a major source of low-grade inflammation and is directly related to illness and disease in other areas of the body either. One example is the link between gum disease and cardiovascular issues. You can read more in depth here at WebMD about this. As we are becoming more aware of how bacteria are our friends it’s important to recognize that our oral microbiome can be the gateway to systemic wellness in the rest of our bodies.

Plaque is natural, you want it there! The key is to keep it healthy. What?! That was news to me! All you ever hear is about how all plaque is bad and it needs to be gone. One of those lightbulb moments; it makes perfect sense when you actually think about it though.

Dental plaque has been defined as a “specific but highly variable structural entity consisting of micro-organisms and their products embedded in a highly organized intercellular matrix.”(1) It represents a true biofilm consisting of a variety of micro-organisms involved in a wide range of physical, metabolic and molecular interactions.” This whole topic can go very deep and I encourage you to delve deeper and for the sake of keeping it simple we will recognize that plaque is not necessarily the enemy we’ve been led to believe. We want balance between the friendly and unfriendly bacteria in our mouth which gives you a balanced microbiome; this is called homeostasis. Periodontal disease or gum disease is a lack of balance, where the unfriendlies take over. Imagine your mouth is the coral reef protecting the island.

Causes Of Oral Microbial Imbalance In Toothpastes

What are some of the things that cause this imbalance then? Fasten your seat belts and hold on tight; you might not be prepared for these ingredients that interrupt your mouth’s natural balance!

In conventional toothpaste and oral care products:

1. Triclosan: found in Colgate brand toothpaste and oral products (not in Europe where it is banned) (2019 update: Colgate to relaunch finally after all these years without Triclosan). There is so much information out there about triclosan, a toxic pesticide and how destroys your oral microbiome and is detrimental to your health. Most US states and Canadian provinces have not banned this ingredient. Just do a google search and you will find plenty there.
2. Fluoride: again found in many big brand conventional toothpastes and oral care products. Sodium fluoride a toxic drug that  once widely used as an insecticide and rodenticide is not safe and does nothing to protect your teeth. In fact it does the opposite by disrupting the healthy balance of your natural oral microbiome.(2)
3. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (SLS): found in conventional toothpastes and oral products is considered a carcinogen. It is a synthetic chemical added to  products that acts as a foaming agent. It can also be found in things like engine degreaser and garage floor cleaners. Both are equally bad for the healthy balance of your mouth’s oral microbiome.
4. Artificial sweeteners: these are added to mask the bitter taste of the toxic chemicals used in the formulation. Saccharin is manufactured from petroleum products. Formaldehyde is a by-product of Aspartame.  Sorbitol stems from corn syrup so one of many issues is the gmo influence.
5. Artificial colours, dyes – FD & C Blue Dyes 1 & 2: are synthesized from petroleum and coal tar oil and are active carcinogens. They are absorbed within seconds through the skin on your lips and can cause a whole slew of allergic reactions and health problems.

*Did you know that there is a poison warning on these toothpastes? If a child under the age of 6 swallowed 70% of a tube of toothpaste at one time it could prove to be fatal. (3)

From natural toothpaste and oral care products:

1. Xylitol: is usually NOT derived from birch bark. It is mostly manufactured from gmo corn cobs. It contributes to oral and gut microbiome imbalance as it is poorly absorbed and not broken down in the stomach becoming an unfriendly ferment that can lead to gas, bloating, diarrhea. (4)
2. Erythritol (Truvia): another sugar alcohol exclusively derived from gmo corn. Unlike xylitol it does get absorbed but does not get metabolized. It contributes to metabolic acidosis which can lead to acid reflux. It also promotes dehydration, dry mouth and excessive thirst. There is nothing “natural” about it; it is chemical.
3. Tea Tree Oil: powerful antimicrobial that destroys microbes on contact. Can be poisonous if used improperly. Problem is, besides being poisonous if ingested, causing allergic reactions in many it destroys the bacteria you want and need along with the other. It does not differentiate.
4. “Natural” Fluoride: still has the same toxicities in the body as sodium fluoride. (2)
5. Sodium Bicarbonate: damages tooth enamel with its abrasiveness and prevents remineralization.

Your mouth is extremely absorbable and absorbs all of these ingredients. Did you happen to notice the little coloured squares at the bottom of the toothpaste tube? They actually mean something! Green = natural. Blue = natural + medicine. Red = natural + chemical composition. Black = pure chemical.

Wow, are you blown away yet? I was! Look at the ingredients in your toothpaste. Even many all natural products contain ingredients that can disrupt your oral microbiome. When you buy your next toothpaste, choose one without these offenders.

The Toothpaste I Use

Dr. Curatola is one of the brains behind Revitin toothpaste (5) which promotes homeostasis of the oral microbiome and which I personally use and have found to be the most effective toothpaste I have ever used. I had suffered from receding gums and other oral issues all my life, even after I recovered my health in other areas, until I started using Revitin, I was not able to fully recover my oral health. After seven months of use I no longer have receding gums, all the pockets are gone and my mouth has never looked nor felt this healthy. Many of my clients have experienced similar benefits and you can use it on your pets too! (By the way, I do not receive any kickback or monetary benefits from promoting this product; I believe in it wholeheartedly, have seen the results and wish to share.) The product is available here to the general public.

Nutrition To Support Oral Health

Of course you can support a healthy oral microbiome through your diet from the inside out too. Three nutritional factors play role in your oral health. They are:

1. the presence of enough minerals in your diet;
2. the presence of enough fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) in your diet;
3. how bio-available these nutrients are in your body and how well you absorb them.

What that translates to is:

• Eliminating/reducing foods high in phytic acid; legumes, nuts, seeds and grains. These foods should be soaked and sprouted (and I like to add fermented) to remove phytic acid before ingested.
• Limit foods containing sugar, even natural sugar, including fruit to moderate amounts.
• Eat healthy fats daily; grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and I like to supplement with cod liver or krill oil.
• Drink/eat homemade bone broth daily for minerals and amino acids. See my Immune Boosting Chicken broth here. Or for vegan and vegetarian options, eat seaweeds and sea veggies at least two times a week.
• Include fermented foods daily. I like to use unpasteurized miso and raw apple cider vinegar in dressings as a simple way of doing this. And an addition of sauerkraut or kim chi to a meal works wonders too.

I know this is quite a bit of information to digest so I am going to leave this blog off here. Next week we will begin looking at your gut microbiome so stay tuned!

Eager to learn how you can support your oral microbiome (and your entire self) at a deeper cellular level? Then I invite you to check out my book:  “Live Vibrantly! 10 Steps to Maintain Youthfulness, Increase Energy and Restore Your Health”. Go here for more information and how to get your free bonuses.

Please do leave your questions/comments below as I would love to hear from you!

Live Vibrantly!

(1) Lang NP, Mombelli A, Attstrom R. Oral Biofilms and Calculus. In: Lindhe J, Lang NP, Karring T, editors. Clinical Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. 5th ed. Oxford: Blackswell- Munksgaard; 2008. pp. 183–267.

(2) Read “The Case Against Fluoride” by Paul Connett, PhD and/or “the fluoride deception” by Christopher Bryson. Read this article by Dr. Mercola.

(3) http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/poison/toothpaste-overdose/overview.html

(4) Read more about xylitol here.

(5) Read more about dental disorders here.

Posted in Exciting New Learnings and tagged allergies, auto-immune, cardiovascular health, digestion, immune, infection,inflammation, menopause, women’s health.