Did you know that your body has the capacity to repair small cavities that develop inside your mouth? I always thought that I have to go to the dentist to get each cavity drilled and filled , but after watching this Huberman Lab podcast I was blown way to find out that in the case of small cavities that have not reached to the dentine we can have our body fix them for us.
The podcast starts with some information about tooth anatomy and an oral health quiz. I used to think that the best moment to brush your teeth is in the morning so that everyone would benefit from your breath not smelling of that of a dinosaur. But it seems that the best time to brush your teeth if you can only do it once is in the night because at night your saliva has the opportunity to work its magic and if you have eaten and there are debris for 8 hours in your mouth that will not be very good.
Our saliva has a vital role. The cavity can be repaired by the chemistry of our own saliva as our teeth are in constant remineralization or demineralization process. This is why mouth breathers have more cavities as the mouth is dry and the saliva can’t work for their benefit.During the night the saliva production is reduced so the bacteria has more chances. This is why brushing your teeth before you sleep is vital.
Cavities are not caused by sugar, but by bacteria that feeds on sugar so there is no specific food that causes cavities therefore the bacteria is the one responsible for producing the acid that demineralizes our teeth.
Periodontal diseases are correlated with Alzheimer’s as the bacteria that causes gum recessionn can cross into the bloodstream. Gums are like gatekeepers and they prevent any intruder we might have in the mouth to enter in our blood. It is important to keep your mouth as alcaline as possible and to avoid tobacco, alcohol, sugar and citrus fruits.
Fluoride is a hot topic in dental heath. This element can help repair the bonds created during remineralization but it can be disruptive for thyroid and brain health and if you drink tap water you will be exposed to more fluoride. Xylitol on the other hand is much more beneficial. When bacteria eats if, it can’t produce the acid. Xylitol also kills the streptococus mutans, the bacteria responsible for cavity formation and it reduces the inflamation of the gums while it helps our mouth microbiome. So try to chew xylitol gums after a meal and maybe use a toothpaste with it too. Avoid alcohol moutwashes as they destroy your good microbiome.
Cheap things that you can use to improve your oral health are high salt solutions that you can rinse your mouth with, baking soda which is low on the abrasive scale and low fermented foods. A water floss is better than doing the flossing old school while tongue scraping should happen with another toothbrush instead of a scraper.
What you need to retain is that the mouth and gut are connected. So your oral health is more that meets the eye and it is a small link in your overall chain of health.
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