Most people know about gut health and how to ensure it isn’t causing tany health problems. Dental health professionals would say the same about the oral microbiome. However, most people don’t realize that their oral health may be causing other health issues, including those in the gut.
The mouth and nose act as a gateway into the rest of the body. By taking care of it, you may see an improvement in not only your oral hygiene but also your overall health and wellbeing.
Continue reading to learn about the oral microbiome and how to improve it.
What Is Oral Microbiome?
A human’s microbiome is similar to the different ecosystems in the world. It is made up of ecological systems that house living microorganisms. All of the body’s microbiota systems work to and against each other depending on their overall health.
The oral microbiome includes the mouth, nose, throat, tonsillar bed, and esophagus. An unhealthy oral microbiome can lead to gum diseases like periodontitis, but it can also lead to a disruption in your gut health.
There are over 700 types of bacteria in the oral microbiome. This means that the bacteria on your tongue may be a little different than the bacteria on your gums or in your esophagus.
When the bad bacteria outweighs the good, the microbiome gets disrupted. This can happen when you forget to brush your teeth every day, eat an improper diet, or use abrasive dental products that strip your mouth of good bacteria.
How Can You Improve Oral Microbiome?
This can seem scary, but you don’t have to worry. By taking care of your dental health and improving oral hygiene, you can rebalance your oral environment. If you are worried about your oral microbiome, here are some things that you can do to rebalance the bacteria in your mouth.
- Make sure that you are brushing and flossing every day. Even if you don’t think your mouth feels dirty, you should brush and floss daily. Flossing can ensure that no food or other oral debris gets stuck between your teeth, causing tooth and gum issues.
- Diets high in sugary or acidic foods can cause this imbalance. Improving your diet by adding more low-sugar and low-acidic foods may help you repair your oral microbiome when it is struggling to stay balanced.
- When we take antibiotics due to an overload of bad bacteria in our body, our gut health suffers. Sometimes, we find that we’ve flushed out all of the good bacteria as well as the bad.
- The same can be said for the oral microbiome. When there aren’t enough good bacteria, it suffers. Taking a probiotic every day can help ensure that our bodies continue producing a healthy level of good bacteria.
Get It Together!
By prioritizing a thorough dental routine and making sure you are making healthier diet choices, you ensure that your oral microbiome isn’t going to cause any other problems within your body.
Contact Synergy OMS today for more information on oral health. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
