Given that all of the different parts of our body are linked, it comes to no surprise that your oral health can impact your digestive health. It is important to know how best to take care of your oral health in order to avoid adverse effects such as tooth decay, digestive issues, bad breath, and acne. Today, we are going to break down just how your oral hygiene is impacting you, and the different ways you can improve your oral health.
How Poor Oral Hygiene Impacts Digestion and Skin Health
Similarly to your gut, your mouth contains its own microbiome that can contain healthy bacteria and bad bacteria. Bad oral bacteria can cause a host of issues that are present in the mouth such as inflamed gums, bad breath, and receding gums. When bad bacteria is present it can be transferred into your digestive system through your spit. When this happens it can lead to a buildup of bad bacteria in your gut, which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and other digestive issues.
This is why having a vitamin that helps with bloating and protecting you from bad bacteria like Probiotic Renu is so important. A probiotic is a supplement for bloating that helps to protect your digestive system from any harmful bacteria, and in turn strengthen your gut from developing other digestive issues.
It is also important to maintain your oral health, because when you experience tooth decay it is possible to lose your teeth. Having missing teeth can contribute to indigestion, because you are lacking the proper tools needed to properly chew your food, which is an essential part in breaking down the food you eat.
Similarly to your digestive system, your skin can be impacted by the buildup of bad bacteria in your mouth. This bad bacteria can start to accumulate around your gum line, and if it is not contained can be spread to infect the surrounding skin. In order to avoid these adverse issues, you must work to implement a variety of different methods that help to avoid poor oral health.
Methods to Implement to Improve Your Oral Health
Here are some ways to improve your oral health, and how they help to reduce the bad bacteria in your mouth.
Tongue Scraping
Tongue scraping is something that not very many people are familiar with, but is a great way to reduce the amount of bad bacteria in your mouth. Tongue scraping involves using a tool to scrape off any bacteria that might be lingering on your tongue. You might have noticed that your tongue sometimes develops a white coating to it that can be quite stubborn to reduce with just the use of a toothbrush. This is where tongue scraping comes in handy. Instead of relying on just your toothbrush, the tongue scraper will ensure you are getting that pesky bacteria off of your tongue, and as a result avoids it seeping into other areas of your body such as your digestive system. Tongue scraping can also help to improve bad breath and reduce the potential for tooth decay.
Antibacterial Mouthwash
While some people tend to stay consistent with brushing their teeth and flossing, a lot of people tend to neglect mouthwash. Using an antibacterial mouthwash can help to reduce the amount of bad bacteria in your mouth, removes any excess food debris that might be harder to get rid of, and freshen your breath. It is especially helpful for those moments when you might not have enough time to properly brush your teeth, such as in the middle of the day. Keeping a travel mouthwash in your bag can be a great way to support your oral health consistently throughout the day!
Limit Alcohol Intake and Stay Hydrated
What we put into our bodies is just as important for our oral health as it is for our digestive health. That is why it is important to limit your alcohol intake, because it can cause excess acid in your mouth. Acid is known to lead to tooth erosion, and can increase the possibility of you experiencing acid reflux. When you have stomach acid come back up from indigestion it stays on your tongue and in your mouth, which we have established causes a host of issues. Instead, try increasing your water intake which is essential in maintaining your overall health.
How Your Sleeping Habits Could Be Impacting Your Oral Health
It is no secret that the quality of your sleep impacts your overall health, but did you know that it actually impacts your oral health specifically? Sleeping helps to increase the amount of calcium that strengthens your teeth and can help to increase your immunity levels. Having a strong immune system helps to decrease the chances of you experiencing tooth decay, an increase in bad bacteria, and/or gum disease.
If you are not getting a good quality night of sleep, your body is not given the proper time to help you achieve these benefits. A great way to help your body relax before bed is by taking a supplement that helps with bloating and relaxation. There are a variety of different herbs that can help you to relax including valerian root, chamomile, and lavender.
Sleeping with your mouth open is another potential reason for poor oral health. When you are breathing through your mouth throughout the night, you are allowing all the excess bacteria in particles in the air to enter through your mouth where there is little to no filter. The same could be said about breathing through your mouth during the day. Your nose’s responsibility is to filter the air that you take in, so it is important to allow your nose to do its job.
If you have found that you tend to breathe through your mouth, there could be a variety of different reasons for it or it could be a habit that you gradually picked up over time. Try to be more mindful of your breathing as this will not only help to improve your oral health, but your physical health as well.