HEALTHY ORAL FLORA AND GUMS

Your Nose and Mouth: I also call them the front door of your immune system!

Here, you block foreign substances like viruses, fungi, and bacteria that don’t belong. That’s why it’s so important to breathe through your nose and take care of your oral flora. And to avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc., all day long.

There are over 10 billion bacteria living in our mouths. This is what we call oral flora. A balanced oral flora is important not only for our mouth but also has far-reaching effects. Every day, we swallow more than half a liter of saliva, which naturally contains all these bacteria. By swallowing saliva, our oral flora also influences our gut flora.

How healthy is your mouth?

If you quickly experience bleeding gums, the front door to intruders is wide open. I also call this a “leaky mouth.” It’s almost as harmful as a leaky gut.

Bleeding gums are not as innocent as they seem. You may not feel much of it, but your mouth is the gateway to your health. It’s essential to prevent and properly treat bleeding gums.

“Bleeding gums are often the result of damage to the gum tissue. The cause is typically gum inflammation.” A disruption in your oral flora, leading to the growth of harmful bacteria, yeast (Candida), viruses, and your immune system, all play an important role here. These troublemakers activate the immune system, causing inflammation and damage to the gums, leading to bleeding.

Tips to care for your oral flora and gums:

• Don’t smoke, drink little alcohol, and be mindful of how often you eat (I usually stick to 3 meals a day, and sometimes 4/5 on exercise days). The more frequently you eat, the more you burden your oral flora. Every time you eat, the pH balance in your mouth changes.
• Scrape your tongue with a stainless steel tongue scraper to remove any waste products that have collected while you sleep. Also, rinse your mouth right away and only drink water afterward.
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night and manage stress. My Insta feed and highlights are full of anti-stress tips, so check them out!
• Use toothpaste without harmful chemicals. This helps prevent mucosal damage. Avoid aggressive mouthwashes or toothpaste with fluoride and abrasive agents (you’ll recognize them by the foam and unpleasant aftertaste). Other mouthwashes from the drugstore often contain alcohol and harsh ingredients that can damage your oral flora.
• Proper nutrition and beverages promote a healthy microbial balance in your mouth > a well-functioning immune system in your mouth. The wrong foods, on the other hand, stimulate the growth of harmful microorganisms, such as sugar, omega-6 fatty acids, processed grains, fast food, etc.
• You can also take a Green Juice every morning. It contains prebiotics and probiotics that support your microbiome.
• Floss for better oral hygiene and use wooden toothpicks every day (wood kills bacteria). This helps keep the contact points between your teeth and molars clean.
• Visit a dental hygienist regularly and ideally go to a holistic dentist or a biological dentist. They often use ozone instead of harsh chemicals like anesthetics and antibiotics.
• Eat plenty of fruits like blueberries, pineapples, pears, etc. They’re great for your oral flora!

Tip: If you want to learn the scientific background of certain nutrients or supplements quickly, check out examine.com. It’s incredibly educational.

According to Chinese medicine, all teeth and molars are connected to meridians (energy channels) and lymph nodes that run through your body. So, if your oral health is disrupted, it can show up in your lymphatic system, like acne around your mouth, for example. The microbial load is high, and it also puts pressure on your immune system. Inflamed gums activate your entire immune system. It’s a low-grade inflammation.

Your body is essentially in a constant state of alarm. There’s no acute issue like pain or fever, but your immune system is activated. This is a strategy of your body to prevent pathogens from multiplying. In low-grade inflammation, inflammatory substances circulate in your body, spreading to your organs and tissues through the bloodstream. This type of inflammation is not “healing.” Low-grade inflammation can actually make you sick.

Useful products for your oral flora:

1. Dr. Hauschka Salvia Mouthwash – A refreshing mouthwash.
2. Dr. Hauschka Mint Forte Toothpaste
3. A tongue scraper to remove plaque from your tongue.

Toothpaste can contain many hormone-disrupting substances. That’s why I’m a fan of Dr. Hauschka toothpaste. It’s fluoride- and paraben-free and made with plant extracts, natural essential oils, and gentle cleansing mineral particles for clean teeth. It doesn’t contain sulfates or surfactants that create that chemical foam, which I find gross and chemical!