The dental hygienist always asks, are you brushing twice a day and flossing once a day? Hopefully you say yes, even though they’re asking while working on your teeth.
Recent studies show going to the dentist is more important than you think, because dental health is not only good for your teeth, but for your heart and brain health as well. The key is the link between your mouth’s microbiome and nitric oxide.
What is nitric oxide?
Nitric oxide is a short-lived, colorless gas produced by cells of the body that keeps blood vessels healthy. Its primary role is vasodilation, which widens blood vessels and improves blood flow by relaxing their inner muscles.
Nitric oxide is an unstable gas, so there is no supplement for it. The body produces nitric oxide from certain amino acids found in nitrates.
To increase levels of nitric oxide, include foods made by God that contain nitrates in your diet, especially leafy vegetables such as lettuce, arugula and spinach; and beets, celery, and carrots.
Increased nitric oxide may lower blood pressure, and improve peripheral artery disease, angina (chest pain), and erectile dysfunction.
Role of the oral microbiome
The mouth contains the body’s second-largest microbiome (after the gut) in terms of size and diversity.
Your mouth is home to over 6 billion bacteria from 700 species. Some promote health, others provoke disease.
Dysbiosis, or an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the mouth, can occur with inflammatory gum disease, called periodontitis. Some causes of this are insufficient brushing and flossing, a diet high in sugar, excessive alcohol or tobacco use, types 1 and 2 diabetes, and mouth breathing during sleep.
Periodontitis triggers systemic inflammation throughout the body. This can affect the health of many other systems of the body, including the heart and brain.
Effect of nitric oxide on heart and brain health
Ongoing research is exploring the link between periodontitis and diseases in other parts of the body. One important finding is that beneficial bacteria in the mouth are responsible for producing nitric oxide that enters the bloodstream directly inside the mouth.
Periodontitis upsets the balance of oral bacteria, resulting in less nitric oxide production and, subsequently, impaired blood flow. This affects the circulatory system, which in turn affects all organ systems, particularly the brain and cardiovascular system.
How to take care of your oral microbiome
Did you know that going to the dentist was important to your overall wellness?
So, other than visiting the dentist regularly, how can you take care of your oral microbiome to maintain a healthy heart and brain?
Avoid the use of mouthwash unless prescribed by your health care provider. Mouthwash kills both good and bad bacteria in the mouth and can disrupt the balance of the oral microbiome, causing dysbiosis.
Eat a healthy whole foods diet containing a variety of plants. Our cells need the nitrates in plants to produce nitric oxide.
Consult your healthcare provider to control mouth breathing during sleep, which causes the growth of bad bacteria because of a dry mouth. Nasal breathing supports the production of nitric oxide.
And of course, heed your hygienist’s instructions to brush and floss your teeth regularly.
Going to the dentist for a regular checkup is more important to wellness than you think!
