Did you know that oral health is a good predictor of overall health and well-being?
It’s true, having gum disease makes you more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or inflammation.
Basically, oral health is way more important than most of us think.
And this raises the question: Do you know how to best take care of your mouth?
If the answer is no, don’t worry, here are 12 things that will help you achieve a healthy smile, holistically.
1. Your mouth is full of bacteria—good ones and bad ones
It’s not something we like to think about, but our mouths are full of bacteria—some of which can be harmful to our teeth and overall health. These bad bacteria erode teeth and contribute to periodontal (gum) disease. That being said, a healthy bacteria level in the mouth is all about balance. More than 500 species of bacteria have been detected in the oral cavity (of a healthy mouth!).
The “good” bacteria has been shown to be responsible for:
- synthesizing and excreting vitamins,
- preventing pathogens from entering the body and
- destroying pathogens.
Among this group is:
- S. sanguinis,
- S. orals,
- Actinomyces naeslundii,
- Neisseria subflava, and
- Veillonella dispar.
“Bad” bacteria (when in high numbers) causes:
- dental decay (Streptococcus mutans) and
- periodontal disease (Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingival is, F. nucleatum).
