I have worked in the dental field since I was 16 years old. It has been quite the evolution of learning so many things that we were not taught in school about the body and how it functions. After seeing patterns and trends of well over 50,000 patients, I believe health starts with our mouth, nose, and tongue.
I have always known the mouth has an important function in our survival, yet I never really gave it much thought. As I saw patients for many years, I just looked at their teeth and gums for cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease taught them how to brush and floss, and sent them on their way till the next visit.
After about five years, I began to see patterns in patients’ medical histories and the condition of their teeth. I saw the mouth-body connection, especially with diabetic patients. Their sugar levels were off, and their gums were inflamed 95 % of diabetic patients have gum disease.
In 2000, the US Surgeon General called the mouth “the mirror of health and disease in the body.” It’s not a closed system.
If gut health is so key to our understanding of health and disease, and the mouth mirrors the health of the body, it should come as no surprise that oral health is intrinsically linked with gut health.
This is where our understanding of the oral microbiome begins.
As you go about your daily life, you’re probably not thinking about the trillions of microscopic organisms living inside you or the cells in your body and what they are doing to keep you alive. To be honest, if you are, you’re unique. But when it comes to your health, these microorganisms — that outnumber the human cells that contain your DNA — play a vital role in your overall well-being.
Humans are complex organisms made up of trillions of cells, each with their own structure and function. Most recent estimates put the number of cells at around 30 trillion.
As you work hard to stay healthy, the team of organisms in your gut can help. Your gut includes your stomach and intestines, where food passes through and is broken down. Ensuring you have the right balance of organisms in your mouth and gut is important when it comes to overall health.
The Basics of the Gut Microbiome
Your gut consists of a collection of bacteria, yeast, viruses, and other tiny organisms called microorganisms or microbes. Together, they comprise your microbiome, which acts almost as its own ecosystem. These microorganisms are present from birth, and you may gain or lose hundreds of species throughout your life. A healthy microbiome is a home to the optimal type and level of each microorganism that works together — with you — to thrive.
Each microorganism plays a different, important role in digestion. They help break down the food you eat and absorb and process essential nutrients to keep your body running optimally.
How Your Microbiome Changes Throughout Your Life
When you’re born, your microbiome starts from your mother’s microbes. From there, what you eat or get exposed to determines what types of bacteria are in your mouth and gut. Certain foods can add new species to your microbiome, and you may lose some if you take certain medications, such as an antibiotic, which can’t distinguish between the “bad” bacteria causing an infection and your body’s good” bacteria.
Having multiple sets of microorganisms is key to how well your gut’s microbiome functions. When some species of microbes increase and others die off, your gut changes, creating an imbalance. This imbalance is called dysbiosis.
The Mouth and Gut Microbiome’s Impact on Health
Scientists have studied thousands of strains of microbes to learn their functions and role in our health. A wealth of research has shown that people with certain health challenges tend to have less variety in their mouth and gut microbiome. It is that imbalance — too few of some microbes, an overgrowth of others, or both that may create some unpleasant side effects, including:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Low energy
- Less sleep
- Low mood
- Changes in appetite
- Skin issues
Also, many of these problems have an impact on your daily life.
Building a healthy microbiome takes time, but the mouth and gut are often the best places to start when it comes to rebalancing your health. Making small daily changes, such as adding more variety of whole foods to your diet, can increase diversity and improve balance, putting you on the path to feeling your best.
Different sites inside the body and on its surface have ecosystems. The microbes in these ecosystems, which are known as microbiomes, constantly interact with their human host. The gut microbiome is one of the largest microbiomes and is generally friendly and helps train the immune system, keeping dangerous unfriendly bacteria away. However, the microbiome can turn into a foe if this relationship is thrown off balance. Such an imbalance can cause gut microbes to produce carcinogenic toxins or trigger inflammation and health problems. Understanding the factors that shape the human microbiome is key to preventing and controlling the disease.
In the past, it was thought that the microbes usually found in the mouth only transfer to the gut in people with specific diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and some cancers.
The oral and gut microbiomes of an individual have distinct compositions; strains of oral bacteria colonize the gut far more often than we can explain.
Researchers found that 74 of the 125 microbial species frequently found in both the mouth and the gut showed evidence of oral-gut transmission in all individuals: these species included a number of bacteria that are highly prevalent in the mouth; about 22 bacterial species appeared to be transmitted from mouth to gut in some individuals.
Good bacteria are always trying to repopulate. Plus, remember every time you swallow, you add over 140 billion bacteria into your gut per day. Sending good bacteria down the intestinal or respiratory tract will also improve overall health. You will breathe better and free yourself from allergies and headaches. You will get a more restful sleep, feel more relaxed and enjoy better digestion. In theory, it makes a lot of sense, right?
But how exactly do we do that? Well, the first thing one might think of is taking probiotics. At least this is what you hear everyone recommend when there’s a Flora imbalance, especially in the gut. I admit this was also what I thought in the beginning. The only thing is not all probiotics are the same, and not all probiotics are good for all diseases.
Just like you cannot take the same pill for a headache and bad digestion.
The probiotics that you usually find in the market are mostly designed for the gut. But when it comes to the teeth, you need completely different strains of bacteria. Unfortunately, most of the time, the strains and your supplements are already dead because of poor packaging and handling, meaning you’re ingesting good bacteria that have no effect whatsoever. Secondly, in order to sell more probiotics, certain brands add as many strains as possible inside the formula without making sure they interact well with one another. Two many strains only confuse your body. And if the bacteria strains are not compatible, they create a new Warzone inside your mouth and gut. Studies show that your saliva and stomach acid kill 96% of the live probiotics. Keep in mind that your saliva might be more acidic than normal.
Last but not least, we don’t take a probiotic that goes directly to your stomach. Oral probiotics rebalance the mouth microbiome and stop the growth of germs at once. It also helps the mouth produce more saliva, which is like giving flowers to the water they need. Once the microbiome of the mouth is restored, teeth and gums have the perfect environment to start healing themselves.
Understanding Probiotics
Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, they are the third most-used dietary supplement in the U.S. after vitamins and minerals.
Naturally found in yogurt, most fermented foods, and dietary supplements, probiotics are live organisms, or “good” bacteria and yeasts, also naturally present in the body. When ingested or applied topically, probiotics can help to balance the body’s microbiome and eliminate more harmful strains of bacteria.
But with so many different strains of probiotics, how can you know which probiotic supplements to use? This article will provide an introductory guide to understanding probiotics, why you may choose to incorporate them into your nutrition plan and how they can be beneficial to your health.
As a whole, probiotics actually comprise several unique strains of beneficial bacteria and yeasts, most notably formulated to promote and balance gut health. Each strain has a specific purpose, but multi-strains have been shown to be even more effective in maintaining balance within the digestive tract, which is why understanding probiotics are important to choose the one that best supports you.
The digestive tract is home to more than 500 bacterial species, each contributing to body functions, such as digestion, immune system development, and nutrient production.
Burst Oral care came out with probiotics for the mouth. I became a Burst ambassador after using their products and falling in love with this company.
Who can benefit from oral probiotics?
Anyone looking for fresh breath, a balanced microbiome, and healthy, happy gums can benefit from BURST Oral Probiotics!
What makes Burst Oral Probiotics so special?
The proprietary blend of probiotic strains was carefully chosen based on clinical research that showed a substantial reduction in bad breath in over 85% of patients in just a 3-day period.
Every lozenge contains a whopping 6 billion CFU at the time of manufacturing (2 billion CFU expected at 18 months to expire).
It is not for me to put a price on your health or on the peace of mind of being free from disease. Burst makes it affordable for most people to get prebiotics for their mouth.
- Dental probiotics provide beneficial bacteria to support healthy gums and teeth.
- Oral health benefits: Promotes balanced mouth flora for breath oh-so-fresh!
- Carefully curated formula: Our unique and potent blend contains one of the highest concentrations of BLIS K12TM and BLIS M-18TM available. Studies have shown that these probiotic strains support oral health.
As always, if you currently have a medical condition or you’re taking other prescription medication, we advise you to show a bottle of Protandim to your doctor before you take it just to put your mind at ease.
The microbiome of your mouth and gut is important to overall health. I don’t know about you, but I would like to do what I can to live a healthier life instead of spending my retirement on caring for a body I did not make a priority when I had the chance.
Everything I share is what I have learned and experienced over my lifetime. I share the products and providers I have used to get my body back in balance after doing what was easy and convenient for so many years. I did not have a choice but to change my habits and the products I use. I want to take my experience to be an example of how you can start no matter where you are in life. You need to start somewhere. The time is now to make better choices to live a healthier life free from disease, starting with your mouth.
A few simple habits hack into your daily routine, and you are on your way to a happier, healthier life!
https://www.burstoralcare.com/?coupon_code=5ZMZBR
Use promo code 5ZMZBR for the discount
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6424561/
https://equi.life/blogs/digestion-gut-health/what-is-your-gut-microbiome
