Actively practice nasal breathing over mouth breathing, as mouth breathing dries out the mouth, drops pH, reduces saliva, and increases the risk of cavities and gum disease. Nasal breathing also provides 20% more oxygen and supports brain function.
Consume a diet rich in high-quality protein, a wide array of vegetables (eating the rainbow), and limit ultra-processed foods. This approach feeds healthy oral bacteria, optimizes the oral microbiome, and is the primary defense against dental disease.
Eat meals on a schedule, ideally allowing about two hours between eating, and avoid constant snacking or grazing. This gives your saliva sufficient time (20-30 minutes after eating) to buffer acidity and remineralize teeth, combating dental decay.
Floss at least once a day, ideally at night before brushing, doing a C and backward C motion against the teeth. This removes food particles and disrupts biofilm between teeth, preventing cavities and stimulating gum tissue to reduce gum disease.
Use a soft toothbrush with gentle circular movements when brushing your teeth. This technique cleans effectively without wearing away enamel, which can lead to sensitivity and gum recession.
Consider switching to a toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite, as it is biomimetic and provides the natural mineral teeth use to remineralize. This can lead to healthier, stronger, and whiter teeth.
Do not habitually use strong, alcohol-containing mouthwashes, as they indiscriminately kill bacteria, including beneficial nitrate-reducing bacteria on the tongue. This can impair nitric oxide production, which is crucial for cardiovascular health, and potentially increase blood pressure.
Stay well-hydrated by drinking enough water, potentially with a pinch of salt or electrolytes, to maintain healthy, watery saliva. Optimal saliva is essential for remineralization, digestion, and overall oral health, as thick, ropey saliva indicates dehydration.
If you want to optimize your health, consider testing your oral microbiome, ideally using shotgun metagenomics, to identify specific keystone pathogens. These pathogens can contribute to systemic issues like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, fertility problems, and certain cancers, allowing for targeted intervention.
Incorporate tongue scraping into your oral hygiene routine to remove the film of anaerobic bacteria and biofilm from the tongue. This helps reduce dysbiosis, improve nitric oxide production, and enhance taste perception.
Wait 20-30 minutes after eating, drinking, or vomiting before brushing your teeth. This allows saliva to begin buffering the mouth’s acidity and remineralizing enamel, preventing bristles from damaging softened tooth surfaces.
After brushing your teeth, spit out the toothpaste but avoid vigorously rinsing your mouth with water. This allows beneficial toothpaste ingredients to remain on the teeth and in saliva for maximum efficacy and prolonged contact time.
Chew food equally on both sides of your mouth, allowing your tongue to move the food bolus from side to side. Uneven chewing can lead to muscle hypertrophy on one side, facial shifts (especially in children), and may indicate underlying issues like bite problems or tooth pain.
If you experience chronic halitosis (bad breath), dig deeper to understand its root cause rather than just masking it with strong mints or mouthwashes. It could indicate underlying issues like periodontal disease, infection (sinus, tonsil), or a deeper gut imbalance.
If a tongue tie (frenum) impairs function such as breastfeeding, speech, nasal breathing, or causes compensatory issues like neck or shoulder pain, consider a phrenectomy (tongue release procedure). This can improve tongue mobility, facial development, and alleviate related symptoms.
If undergoing a tongue release (phrenectomy), work with a myofunctional therapist both before and after the procedure. This therapy helps prepare oral muscles and facilitates proper function, optimizing the surgical outcome.
If you want to enhance your interproximal cleaning, consider using a water pick, especially if flossing alone is insufficient due to bone loss or difficulty. It can clean areas floss might miss and stimulate gum tissue.
Start reading the ingredient labels on your oral health care products, just as you would with food labels, to understand what they contain and where they are sourced from. Many common ingredients can be disruptive to the oral microbiome and mucosa.
Do not use toothpastes that foam or burn, as foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate can disrupt the oral mucosa and lead to ulcerations. Strong essential oils in some toothpastes can also damage healthy bacteria in the mouth.
If you choose to use nicotine pouches, ensure you get regular dental check-ups. These products, due to their contact time and ingredients, can cause cellular changes, gum recession, or early decay, which a dentist can monitor.
If you consume coffee, counteract its drying effect with adequate hydration and maintain regular dental cleanings to address potential staining. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste and oil pulling can also help maintain tooth brightness.
After a course of antibiotics, take a high-quality probiotic (either a pill or an oral probiotic) and increase your intake of probiotic-rich fermented foods. This helps repopulate the gut and oral microbiome with healthy bacteria that may have been wiped out.
If you have small cavities or incipient lesions that haven’t yet formed a hole, consult with a functional or biological dentist. These early-stage cavities, if still in the enamel, can potentially remineralize naturally with appropriate guidance.
Understand the rationale and potential risks of fluoride in drinking water, considering its systemic ingestion and cumulative effects on bones and neurocognitive development. If concerned, contact your local water bureau to inquire about fluoride levels.
When getting new dental fillings, request composite or ceramic-based biomimetic materials instead of mercury (amalgam) fillings. This avoids potential mercury exposure and utilizes materials generally considered safer.
If you have existing mercury (amalgam) fillings and are concerned about potential toxicity, get a blood test to check your mercury levels. This provides data to guide discussions with your dental and medical team about whether removal or other interventions are necessary.
Consider applying dental sealants to the grooves and fissures of molars, especially for children or individuals at high risk of cavities. Sealants effectively reduce cavity risk by creating a protective barrier against bacteria and food particles.
If you have celiac disease and use an acrylic retainer, be aware that some contain methyl methacrylate, which can have gluten. This could potentially cause gastrointestinal distress or skin rashes, so investigate if experiencing such symptoms.
Practice kindness and understanding towards your dentist, as dentistry is a challenging profession with high rates of depression and anxiety, and dentists often face significant pressures and patient fears. If a dentist’s personality doesn’t resonate, seek a different provider.
Do not avoid regular dental visits, as consistent professional care is crucial for maintaining optimal oral health. Despite any past negative experiences or fears, these visits help catch and address issues early.