No one wants to age quicker than necessary or deal with chronic illness. However, many of today’s anti-aging efforts focus on outward appearance and enhancements, or supplements and fitness regimes instead of the teeth related vital issues that can affect health. In this article you’ll find the top 3 secrets why your oral health is vital to slow down or even reverse ageing.
1. Gut Health Begins in Your Mouth
Inner health is a major contributor to the way we look, think and feel and the microbiome of the gut is of prime importance. Our DNA only constitutes 10% of the body, while the other 90% is bacteria, viruses, and other nasty aliens.
The mouth is the first point in the gut system with its own unique oral biome that communicates with our body. As a result, oral health affects overall health and ageing.
2. Stressors on Oral/Gut Microbiome & Mitochondria
Recent scientific research has identified several stressors that contribute to degradation of the oral/gut microbiome and mitochondria. These include heavy metals, infections, inflammation, lack of oxygen, and electromagnetic fields. Here’s how these can affect your oral fitness.
– Mitochondria
Mitochondria are the energy-producing mechanisms of every cell in the body. Some claim all chronic illness is due to mitochondrial dysfunction and ageing may relate to the breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane. Consequently, it is important to eliminate any stressors on these powerhouses of the body.
– Heavy Metals & EMF
Many people have old silver fillings in their mouth. They’re made of over 50% elemental mercury and the rest is silver, tin and copper.
Unfortunately, a small amount of heavy metal mercury releases every time you chew or grind and it’s absorbed into the respiratory system and digestive system.
Your oral microbiome converts the mercury to methyl mercury, the same dangerous substance found in some fish. The methyl mercury changes the gut microbiome and can increase risk of toxicity, candida, and antibiotic resistance.
My recommendation is to find a dentist certified in SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique). This ensures safe and environmentally-friendly replacement of fillings which protects you, dental staff, and the planet. Removing metals from your mouth also reduces electromagnetic field effects on the body.
– Infections & Inflammation
Many sources can cause infections and inflammation. Here are a few that could affect your health and contribute to aging.
Do your gums bleed? This is a sign of gum disease which leads to the loss of the bony attachment around your teeth, abscess, and tooth loss.
When you have unbalanced bacteria in you oral microbiome, nasty anaerobic bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to your brain and other organs. This chronic infection leads to whole body inflammation which impacts overall health.
Avoid using store bought mouthwash as it significantly disturbs the oral microbiome. Recent studies show it also reduces nitric oxide, essential for good vascular health.
Choose a dental practice with a dental hygienist. They can help you address the bacteria and teach you how to prevent the problem from reoccurring. At Dental Wellness we call it “Oral Fitness Therapy” and include natural ozone-infused solutions and oral maintenance programmes.
A root canal can cause an ongoing low grade infection beyond the root end in the bone of your jaw. A dead tooth that has not undergone a root canal is also a definite source of chronic infection.
If you had a tooth removed and the bone of the socket did not heal completely, it may also cause a chronic infection. These anaerobic infections also travel via the bloodstream to the brain and organs and impact overall health
In cases where the patient wants to save the tooth, it is also recommended to get an Endodontic opinion to further accurately diagnose the issue and offer treatment options.
I recommend to visit your holistic dentist for a visual examination of the gum at the neck of your teeth and for a digital x-ray. If the gum has a purple tinge, it usually indicates an infection.
We at Dental Wellness conduct an effective and non-invasive ‘Orotox’ test to detect discharge of anaerobic by-products. We’ll also remove any dead teeth to address the infection in the bone and socket and start you on a protocol to encourage healing. We also use advanced healing techniques utilizing your own blood components (Platelet Rich Fibrin) to accelerate healing and to enable a healthy tooth replacement with a zirconia dental implant.
– Increase Oxygen Supply
Optimal oxygen supply to the cells of your body depends on correct breathing. Nasal breathing is best, but many people struggle to breathe through their nose, especially when they sleep. Snoring and sleep apnoea can result.
Mouth breathing can increase the risk of a heightened nervous system, anxiety, stress, and even high blood pressure since the cells of the body receive less oxygen.
As a biological dentist I can assess breathing and the airway from a very early age. Encouraging nasal breathing when young promotes correct jaw development. It is also possible to improve nasal breathing in adults through a dental splint. It opens your bite to reduce nasal air intake resistance.
It may be also necessary to assess tonsil and adenoid health, provide dietary guidance, and refer you to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, if necessary.
You can also ask your GP to refer you to a sleep study to rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. If you have sleep apnoea, you’ll follow an action plan to alleviate stress on your heart and brain when you sleep.
At Dental Wellness we have also integrated a rebreathing training programme into our practice that often improves your sleep quality and overall well-being. Deep sleep is essential for calming the nervous system and allowing healing and detoxification of the brain.
3. Smiling is good for you
When you smile you feel good, which improves overall well-being, reduces stress, and combats ageing. If you have a smile you are embarrassed about, we can help.
Modern aesthetic dentistry can achieve the smile you have always wanted. Dental Wellness uses safe, healthy techniques including metal-free solutions such as wafer thin ceramic veneers or zirconia crowns, bridges, and implants.
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As you have read, when you address dental issues in a safe, modern, holistic way you can minimise the major stressors on the body. And remember, keep smiling – it’s good for you!
“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of understanding.” Mother Teresa.