7 Secrets about Oral Health Your Dentist Won’t Tell You

First, My Secret

Here’s my confession, I am a dental hygienist who has figured out a way to help people achieve amazing oral health daily at home, and I promise, it has nothing to do with flossing.  If you like to floss, go for it, but the reality is that many of the people that do floss either damage their gums, or they are ineffective because they are rushed or using tools (flosser) that don’t adapt to the tooth and instead cut the gums.

Over the years I have enjoyed hearing people’s reaction to hearing the words oral health coaching.  When oral health is brought up in conversation (vs. inside the dental office) many people honestly feel they are “healthy enough” because they brush daily (sometimes floss) and visit their dental office 2-4 times a year for “cleanings”…..surely that should be enough, surely.Hearing someone say that is like hearing someone say that they go to the doctor every 6 months to get a good scrubbing of their hands, but they do a quick little wash daily.  Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.

  The bacteria in your mouth build up daily, and unless you are using the correct tools and getting to the correct spots, you are bound to miss the most important areas.Furthermore, if you are relying on products that line the shelves of the oral health isle, chances are you are using products that create an imbalance in bacteria, or have so many ingredients that your body is always working hard to combat the issues they are creating (sounds like the current take a pill, encounter a side effect, take another pill routine to me).Below is a list of the top 7 things that you as a mouth owner may want to consider if you are at all interested in caring for your mouth on your own, day in and day out. 

Prevention is by far the best medicine you can buy, especially because when your mouth aint happy, aint no part of you happy….you can thank momma for that one!

1. The words tooth brushing is a misnomer, you are really aiming to focus on the gums, and most importantly, the “pocket”…..gum disease is an infection of (you guessed it) the gums.

2. Plaque is super soft; all the scrubbing in the world won’t take off any more gunk than a soft polishing stoke will. Really, you want to become fluid with your brush strokes and include each nook and cranny with your toothbrush that you possibly can, and again pay special attention to the gum line and think about polishing or massaging instead of scrubbing.

3. Toothpaste is not always necessary, but if you do enjoy using it to clean your mouth please remember that SLS Sodium Laurel Sulfate (a degreasing chemical found in most commercial toothpastes) is known to cause canker sores, dry out the tissues and is a pretty nasty chemical. Also, sensitive toothpastes often cause tartar “build up” on teeth, and tartar control toothpaste often causes sensitivity to teeth.
   
   I know, I know, the foaming of toothpaste really makes your mouth FEEL clean, but often it is doing more harm than good, and mint flavor numbs your tongue so that you feel less of what is left behind. If you want a “regular” toothpaste (like one from the store shelves), Crest Cavity Protection Toothpaste (not gel) is one of the “safest”. It contains Sodium Fluoride, and silica (still not a favorite because it contains the dreaded SLS). If you want a natural antiseptic option Tooth and Gums Paste is great, Vita-Myr is a great non SLS foaming herbal paste and Dr Sharps is a good mint/green tea paste that is free of SLS, PABA and fluoride.

4. Xylitol is an amazing ALL NATURAL SWEETENER that helps your mouth in many ways. Yes, I know it sounds all chemically, but it isn’t. It is found in things like birch trees, corn, some vegetables, and our body also makes it daily. You need 6-10 grams a day of xylitol to have it be considered a therapeutic amount, and you should have it multiple times throughout the day. A good example of daily xylitol use is have some after every meal, and add a teaspoon to water and sip throughout the day. Xylitol is great for treating the symptoms of dry mouth, sensitive teeth and helps to remineralize teeth.

5. A key factor of oral health is the pH of your mouth. Bacteria and inflammation thrive in an acidic environment. Knowing the pH of the products you use and the foods that you eat and drinks that you drink are important, and when eating it is always a good idea to try and finish a meal with an alkalized food, or xylitol mints, candies, gums or plain granules. A few examples of alkalized foods would be pineapple, cheese, nuts and cucumbers.

6. Mouth rinse is great for coating, conditioning and cleaning the areas that you can’t reach with your toothbrush and toothpaste. Avoid alcohol containing mouth rinses, and know the ingredients in the rinse you use. The inner lining of your mouth and under your tongue is delicate and chemicals can be absorbed in your system easily. Think about sublingual vitamins and how well they work, the same can be said for chemicals and dyes; they go straight into your system.
   
   My personal favorites are Tooth and Gums Tonic and CTX3 xylitol rinse. Tooth and Gums Tonic is the organic and healthy version of a Listerine type rinse. It is antiseptic and intense (but amazingly good for your mouth and breath). The CTX3 is a xylitol rinse that contains a small amount of sodium fluoride (the most natural of fluorides). If you are completely anti-fluoride, you can make a mouth rinse with xylitol and water but for some reason, the sodium fluoride binds with the xylitol and makes it stronger.

7. Irrigation, when done correctly, is amazing! There is nothing like a pulsated stream of water that gently massages your gums and floats the bacteria and food out from under your gums and in between your teeth. The sensation of the oxygen flow and stimulation to the gums just really helps them stay healthy! Be warned that many irrigators use too much force, which can actually damage the gums by tearing the inner lining of the gum away from the tooth when used on high speeds!!! OUCH!!! If you have an irrigator, read the warnings and instructions and make sure it tells what power to not go above. The WaterPik directions used to say not to use it past medium power, but who reads directions, and I’ve seen a lot of damaged gums from people using it on high power.
   
   I can’t help but love the Hydrofloss. The machine ionizes the water, which attracts bacteria, and the pressure regulation stops damage to the gum tissue from happening. Randomly enough, I am a fan of both oral irrigation and nasal irrigation, and truth be told, I like adding xylitol to the water of both….I know, another xylitol plug, but if you are on board with me, you are going to hear it often. If you suffer with allergies or sinus issues, look into a Sinupulse nasal irrigator. You may just thank me!

With a little bit of gumption and a slightly different skill set, you can take charge of your oral health, and take care of your mouth daily!  We are at a pinnacle point in healthcare, and it’s time you learn the wonderful tricks when it comes to oral health and wellness! 

OralHealthCoaching.com strives to bring you the very best and most effective products that deliver great results, and more importantly, we actually teach you HOW to use the products you’ve invested in!I have spent nearly 20 years in the dental field studying and learning about products and techniques and am thrilled to teach you this aspect of healthcare that we just for some reason overlook in the traditional model of dentistry most people practice.  In the interest of transparency, the links all go to products on our site. 

I am continually adding products that work, and therefore I share my information freely with you.  I’m sure there are many other products out there that work well, these just happen to be ones that I know about.  Thanks for reading, I hope something has inspired you or given you hope. 

If so, I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below, and I promise I will reply!

All The Best,Carrie