Keeping your twice-yearly visit to the dentist has undoubtedly been harder to accomplish in 2020. Lockdowns, quarantines, social distancing…all have put oral health and hygiene on the back burner for many people.
This is a critical mistake especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. And the negative impact on your health can go way beyond the social impropriety of mask breath or halitosis.
If at home, you must be diligent in your oral health routines. This includes consistent brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, mouthwash, and more. Research clearly shows that the oral microbiome affects your entire body.
You most likely learned to brush your teeth 2 times per day and encouraged you to floss. However, you may not understand the important reasons why these practices are so crucial to your overall health. Practicing proper oral hygiene helps to boost your immunity, prevent infections, protect against autoimmune conditions, and more.
A clear link exists between oral health and our oral and gut microbiomes. If you know me, you know I preach about the importance of stealth infections in the mouth, root canals (which have a lifetime of approximately 8-10 years), crowns, mercury amalgams, and any pain/sensation in the mouth. Research shows the oral microbiome is absolutely connected to systemic, overall health, and unfortunately, it’s being missed in mainstream medicine.
Links Between Oral Health and COVID-19 Risk Factors
You most likely know that COVID-19 is a much greater concern for people with certain common risk factors including:
- Race
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- High blood pressure
- Age
- Metabolic disease
- Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress
What do these common conditions have in common with each other? The probability of a compromised oral microbiome (the beneficial bacteria in the mouth vs the pathogenic microbes in your mouth that lead to inflammation).
Many researchers have delved into the links between the SARS-CoV-2/coronavirus and common oral bacteria. The result has been some very compelling hypotheses surrounding the role of bacterial superinfection in COVID-19 complications.
Some blood pressure medications may cause dry mouth. Diabetes and obesity are frequently linked to gum disease, due to inflammation. It is well known that periodontitis or gum disease, creates an increased risk for heart disease. This makes sense. Think about all the times people must take antibiotics prior to dental surgery. This is because disrupting pathogens in the mouth can give them direct access to the circulation and bloodstream where they can cause cardiac issues. Why then do we not believe that these said pathogens can affect us in many other ways?
What is the Significance of This?
The importance of this link cannot be overstated. The possibility of a secondary bacterial infection produces a significantly greater risk for patients with COVID-19. You must take your oral hygiene routine to a much higher level to reduce those risks.
Science has already linked oral microbiome to gut health. However, many people don’t know that your oral microbiome can also impact your lungs. If you experience dysbiosis, or improper pathogenic ratios, in your mouth, you face the risk of spreading harmful bacteria to your lungs through the simple act of breathing. Remember the mouth connects to the esophagus and we can aspirate saliva into our trachea and down our lungs quite easily. Poor oral hygiene may cause bacterial overgrowth in your lungs, especially if you have contracted the COVID-19 virus.
Similar to HIV, those who have contracted the disease often die from secondary infections such as tuberculosis. With COVID-19 patients, many are dying from pneumonia. What causes bacterial pneumonia? Bacterial overgrowth. Research is showing that treating SARS-CoV-2 with antivirals and something for bacteria (like an antibiotic) is more effective than tending to the virus alone.
Because COVID-19 research is only a year old at most, exciting news comes out frequently. Trials on oral health and COVID-19 are beginning and may bring critical information that may alter how we prevent and treat respiratory viruses. There is even interesting research on COVID-19 and parasites!
In the meantime, take oral health and hygiene very seriously. The good news? Toothpaste, floss, brushes, and mouthwash are readily available and fit into nearly everyone’s budget. I personally recommend Dentalcidin, found in the Fullscript store.
Be proactive in seeking out holistic dentists here: http://www.iaomt.org
They have a trained eye when looking for infections, bad root canals or safely removing mercury amalgams,
Here are my daily Practices for Oral Health:
- Brush 2 times a day with Dentalcidin or remineralizing toothpaste (nice to switch them up)
- Floss once a day
- Gargle with saltwater
- Oil pulling 4x/week
- And be sure to see your dentist for a cleaning every six months!
- Ask about a cone beam scan or CT if you feel an issue is being missed in your mouth
- Remember regular dentists often miss the issue because they are not used to looking for low level infections in the mouth/bone.
I hope you enjoyed this timely article. Now, give your mouth the attention it deserves! The effort will help you stay healthier in so many ways. Your whole body will thank you!