Is your oral health contributing to your unpleasant digestive symptoms? Let’s talk about the oral microbiome and how it affects the health of your gut.
First, we’ll begin with the definition of microbiome.
A microbiome is the community of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) that exist in a particular environment. The body has multiple microbiomes, including gut, oral, urogenital and skin.
The connection between the oral microbiome and the gut is huge. Certain bacteria can live in the mouth and transfer down on through the digestive tract quite easily. In fact, when I run the GI Map (a comprehensive stool analysis) in my practice, I oftentimes see certain elevated strains of bacteria contributing to gut symptoms and it’s coming from the mouth!
Bacteria like staphylococcus spp., streptococcus spp., prevotella spp. and h. pylori love to reside in the oral cavity. When it’s allowed to “take up shop”, it will travel on down the GI tract causing symptoms like gas, bloating, constipation, halitosis (bad breath), headaches and more!
Below is a snippet of a GI Map from a client who was experiencing daily headaches, constipation, low energy and indigestion. Not only did they have H. pylori present, the “oral” bacteria were also quite elevated telling me we needed to investigate what was happening in the mouth as well.
It is quite easy to overlook certain oral health practices and this client had done just. It’s another great example of “root cause healing”. Where we look at the body as a whole, not just address the symptoms.
So now you might be asking…what do I do to make sure my oral health is on point??
Questions to first ask…
- Are you brushing and flossing regularly?
- Do you have any cavities, root canals, etc. that need addressed?
- Do you wear a retainer?
- Are you eating a whole foods diet with minimal processed foods, sugar, soft drinks and alcohol?
- Are you chewing your food well?
Tips to up your oral hygiene game…
- change your toothbrush or toothbrush head regularly. Bacteria can hang out there so change it often.
- oil pull. Oil pulling with coconut oil may be beneficial in getting rid of oral microbes.
- get regular dentist cleanings. Skip the fluoride and bonus if you can find a holistic dentist trained to look at the mouth/body as a whole.
- clean your retainer. Soak/scrub in a vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution.
- tongue scrap. Clean that excess bacteria off the tongue first thing in the morning and/or right before bed.
- use an anti-microbial toothpaste 1-2x a week.
- use an oral probiotic. Certain strains like L. paracasei are clinically studies to promote a health oral microbiome.
Additional tools and resources:
- tongue scraping tool> click here
- oil pulling> in the morning, before eating or drinking, swish 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil in your mouth for 5-10 minutes. Spit the oil out in the trash (not the sink, it will clog!). Coconut oil naturally contains anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
- anti-microbial toothpaste and mouthwash> purchase on my online supplement dispensary. There are multiple options listed under the ORAL HEALTH category inside the dispensary.
- oral probiotic> found in the supplement dispensary as well
What can you do to promote your oral health today?
Need additional support with your oral and gut health? Book a new client interest call HERE to learn more!
