152. Oral Health: Is Your Mouth Silently Sabotaging Your Health? Here’s How To Fix It!

What's happening in your mouth isn't just about cavities. It could be a window into your overall health.
We're diving into a topic most people overlook, and that's your oral health. Most of us stop thinking about our mouths after we brush and floss.
The health of your gums, your teeth, your tongue, even your saliva can tell us so much about your risk for chronic disease and even how long you're likely to live. Oral health is about more than just white teeth and fresh breath.
Your mouth hosts a complex ecosystem of over 700 species of bacteria. Your mouth isn't just where digestion

starts, it's where disease often begins. Oral health plays such a pivotal role in how your

entire body functions. Now let me leave you with some easy evidence-backed steps to upgrade your

oral health and by extension your brain, heart, gut, and your immune system. Switch to...
Did you know that your oral health is directly linked to your heart, your brain, and even your lifespan? What's happening in your mouth isn't just about cavities. It could be a window into your overall health.
One simple ancient practice might just be the key to reducing harmful bacteria and inflammation. Welcome back to the Ultimate Human Podcast, guys.
I'm your host, human biologist and founder of the Ultimate Human, Gary Brecka, and today we're diving into a topic most people overlook, and that's your oral health. Most of us stop thinking about our mouths after we brush and floss, but your oral cavity is actually a mirror into your internal health.
The health of your gums, your teeth, your tongue, even your saliva can tell us so much about your risk for chronic disease, your inflammatory load, and even how long you're likely to live. And get this, there's a fascinating ancient practice that's getting a lot of attention from modern science.
It's called oil pulling. We'll break it down later in the show, but first let's dive into the science and explore how oral health is critical as a cornerstone of your whole body wellness.
Oral health is about more than just white teeth and fresh breath. Your mouth hosts a complex ecosystem of over 700

species of bacteria. A healthy oral microbiome, meaning a diverse, well-balanced community of

microbes, is essential for proper digestion, for your immune defense, and your overall systemic

health. When this balance is disrupted, something called oral dysbiosis occurs.
This is when harmful

bacteria outnumber the good, leading to inflammation, cavities, gum disease, and even systemic infections.

According to a study published in the Journal of the Indian Society of Periodontology, poor oral hygiene has been linked to serious systemic issues, including inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, and neurological decline. Chronic oral inflammation, gingivitis, and periodontitis doesn't just stay confined to your mouth.
It has ripple effects throughout your entire body. Inflammation in the gums allows harmful bacteria to enter your bloodstream and can lead to widespread systemic inflammation.
According to the NIH and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, this process may increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and even cognitive decline. A recent study from the National Institute of Aging followed over 8,000 adults over 65 and found that those with gum disease had significantly higher risks of dementia and Alzheimer's.
Remember, oral bacteria can migrate to the brain and trigger neuroinflammation, a hallmark of cognitive decline. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that oral bacteria can survive digestion, colonize in the gut, and contribute to things like irritable bowel disease.
One review in the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology noticed how oral bacteria, like Fusobacterium nucleatum, can compromise gut health and impair immune response. Here's where things get really fascinating.
Vitamin D is one of the most powerful micronutrients for the body. It's also one of the most underestimated tools for improving oral health.
Let's break it down. First, you have your enamel and tooth strength.
Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption and tooth mineralization. Remember, without adequate vitamin D3 and minerals, enamels become weak, porous, and it increases your risk of tooth decay, cavities, and even fractures.
According to a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to tooth demineralization and early childhood caries or cavities. Gum disease and immune function also follow this same path, with vitamin D3 modulating the immune response.

It upregulates antimicrobial peptides like cathelicidin and defensins, which help neutralize pathogenic bacteria in your mouth. It also reduces inflammatory cytokines like TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 markers, directly involved in gum inflammation and gum disease.
A review published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology concluded that vitamin D supplementation could actually significantly reduce the severity of periodontitis. Pregnancy and pediatric oral health are also involved in this.
Low vitamin D3 in pregnancy is associated with poor enamel development in the fetus, higher rates of childhood caries, and delayed tooth eruption. A prenatal deficiency can set a child up for a lifelong history of oral health problems.
Adequate vitamin D3 levels also lower systemic inflammation, which helps protect the heart, the brain, and the gut from the consequences of oral pathogens entering your circulation. Vitamin D literally shuts the door on the inflammatory cascade.
Now let's talk about one of the most powerful natural oral health practices. It's called oil pulling.
Oil pulling is the ancient Ayurvedic practice of just swishing oil around in your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes. I do it on a daily basis.
I don't do it for 10 to 20 minutes. I'll do it for one to three minutes, but traditionally it's done with a sesame or a sunflower oil.
But today most people would prefer, and I would prefer that you use an organic cold pressed coconut oil because of its high content of lauric acid, which has both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show that oil pulling with coconut oil reduces streptococcus mutans, candida albicans, can actually reduce these colony counts.
It can lower your plaque index scores scores it can improve gingival inflammation and even help prevent bad breath and oral thrush and unlike chlorhexidine mouthwash oil pulling doesn't cause tooth staining or alter taste perception here's how to start oil pulling take one tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil make sure that it's organic swish it in your mouth as long as you can for up to 10 to 20 minutes. Now, if you're like me, that's a long time.
So I do it for less time on a daily basis. But most oil pulling experts recommend 10 to 20 minutes.
Do not swallow the oil. Spit it into the trash can.
Not your sink because it can clog your sink. Rinse with warm water and brush as you normally would.
Do this three to five times a week to see the most benefit. Now, let me leave you with some easy evidence-backed steps to upgrade your oral health and, by extension, your brain, heart, gut, and your immune system.
Switch to a soft bristle or electric toothbrush. It reduces gum irritation and improves plaque removal.
Replace the head every three months if you're using one of those electric toothbrushes. Ditch the fluoride toothpaste, guys.
Use a toothpaste with hydroxyapatite. This is a natural enamel building compound that helps remineralize your teeth without the risks associated with fluoride.
Floss first, then brush. Flossing before brushing clears debris and allows your toothpaste to reach more surfaces.
Oil pull a few times a week. It's simple.
It's an ancient practice that reduces bacteria, improves gum health, and detoxifies your mouth naturally. Get sun on your skin or supplement with vitamin D3 and make sure that it contains K2.
Aim for 15 to 30 minutes daily or take a high quality vitamin D3 with K2 supplement. Remember, without K2, that calcium won't reach your teeth.
You should also add magnesium to your supplement routine. You need it to activate vitamin D3.
Without it, you're leaving results on the table. And stay hydrated.
Saliva is your first line of defense in the mouth, keeping bacteria in check and aiding in remineralization. Feed your oral microbiome as well, guys.
Fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi actually help populate your mouth with beneficial bacteria. Also, now's the time to cut down on sugar and acidic drinks, guys.
If you do drink them, try to use a straw to minimize enamel erosion. Your mouth isn't just where digestion starts, it's where disease often begins.
From gum disease to brain fog, from heart problems to gut issues, oral health plays such a pivotal role in how your entire body functions. I like just drawing your attention to this.
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And if not, I'll see you in the next episode. And that's just science.