We’ve been told for years that brushing, flossing, and fluoride are the ultimate keys to healthy teeth. And while those habits have their place, they don’t address the root causes of oral health issues. So today, we’re peeling back the layers to understand what’s really at play and how you, as a parent, can catch red flags early, intervene when necessary, and even prevent future health challenges.
The Problem With the Traditional Oral Health Narrative
Let’s start with what we’ve all been taught. From a young age, we’ve been told:
- Brush twice a day.
- Floss daily.
- Use fluoride toothpaste.
And while these are good habits, they only scratch the surface. The truth is, cavities and gum disease aren’t just about brushing and flossing they are symptoms of a larger problem.
Here’s a startling fact: Despite fluoride being in toothpaste for decades, cavities remain the #1 preventable childhood disease. So why are we still seeing these problems? It’s because oral health isn’t just about what happens in the mouth it’s about what’s happening in the entire body.
The Root Causes of Oral Health Issues
There are three root causes that often get overlooked:
- Nutrition and pH Balance:
- A diet high in sugar, processed foods, and acidic beverages lowers the pH in the mouth, creating the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to thrive.
- When the mouth’s pH is out of balance, even diligent brushing and flossing can’t keep cavities at bay.
- Breathing and Airway Health:
- Mouth breathing is a huge red flag. It dries out saliva, which is the body’s natural defense against cavities and gum disease.
- Kids who mouth-breathe often struggle with sleep issues, poor concentration, and even delayed growth.
- Stress and Nervous System Regulation:
- Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, leading to inflammation and poor healing in the gums and tissues.
- This is why nervous system care—calming the body and reducing stress—is just as important for oral health as brushing and flossing.
The Truth About Toothpaste: Why Bacterial Control and pH Matter More
For years, toothpaste commercials have told us that their products are essential to maintaining healthy teeth and preventing cavities. But what if I told you that toothpaste is just one piece of the oral health puzzle? To truly prevent cavities, gingivitis, and other oral health issues, we need to dig deeper into what really matters: bacterial control, pH balance, and proper breathing.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of toothpaste marketing, the myths it perpetuated, and what parents need to know to improve their children’s dental health.
The Marketing Genius Behind Toothpaste: Claude Hopkins and Pepsodent
In the 1920s, toothpaste wasn’t a household necessity. That changed when Claude Hopkins, a savvy marketer, turned brushing into a daily habit. Hopkins introduced Pepsodent with an ad campaign that promised to remove an invisible film on teeth what we now know as plaque.
How I Learned About Claude Hopkins
Let me share a story that totally changed how I think about toothpaste and oral health. I attended an Offer Lab event with Steve Larsen, and he shared the story of Claude Hopkins. Hopkins was a marketing genius who took something as simple as toothpaste and turned it into a household necessity. He introduced Pepsodent to the market by claiming it could remove an “invisible film” from teeth something most people hadn’t even thought about before.
This campaign wasn’t just about oral health; it was a masterclass in creating a problem and selling the solution. Toothpaste became less about preventing cavities and more about freshening breath, and from there, it evolved into the multi-billion-dollar industry we know today, with countless brands lining store shelves. Isn’t it wild to think that something so ingrained in our daily lives started as a marketing experiment?
But here’s the thing: Plaque isn’t invisible, and people were brushing long before toothpaste became a daily staple. Hopkins created a problem and sold a solution, transforming oral hygiene into a commercial industry. This marketing success was less about science and more about persuasion.
Fast-forward to today, and we’ve learned that toothpaste is helpful but far from a cure-all.
My Daughter’s Story
Now, let’s fast forward to something much closer to home my daughter. When she was younger, she hated toothpaste. She’d spit it out at me every time I tried to get her to use it, and honestly, it made me feel like a terrible mom. I thought, “What am I doing wrong? Shouldn’t toothpaste be the magic ingredient to keep her teeth healthy?”
To make matters worse, we had well water, so I worried she wasn’t getting enough fluoride. I stressed over this for years. And yet, here’s the twist—despite not using toothpaste regularly, she didn’t have cavities. But she did lose a tooth due to crowding, and when her permanent teeth started coming in, they pushed out a baby tooth too early.
At the time, I didn’t realize what her perfectly straight, tightly packed baby teeth were telling me. There were no spaces between them, which I now know is a huge red flag for future dental issues. What I’ve since learned is that toothpaste wasn’t the problem or the solution. Her oral health issues were connected to her breathing, swallowing, and overall development, not whether she brushed with fluoride toothpaste.
This was a turning point for me. It shifted how I look at oral health—not just for my daughter, but for every child.
Why Toothpaste Alone Isn’t Enough
Brushing and fluoride are important, but they don’t address the root causes of oral health problems. Cavities and gum disease occur when the mouth’s ecosystem is out of balance. Here are three key factors that matter more:
1. Bacterial Control
Your mouth is home to billions of bacteria. Some are beneficial, while others cause decay and gum disease. The key to oral health isn’t killing all bacteria but maintaining a balance. Overusing antimicrobial toothpaste can disrupt this balance, leading to long-term issues.
2. pH Balance
The pH level in your mouth determines whether bacteria thrive. Acidic environments (below pH 7) promote harmful bacteria that erode enamel and cause decay. Alkaline environments help prevent these problems. Diet plays a significant role here: sugary and acidic foods lower pH, while vegetables and water help maintain balance.
3. Breathing and Saliva
Mouth breathing dries out saliva, which is crucial for neutralizing acids and washing away harmful bacteria. Nasal breathing, on the other hand, supports saliva production and maintains a healthy oral environment.
Practical Steps for Parents
Instead of focusing solely on toothpaste, consider these holistic strategies to support your child’s oral health:
1. Encourage Nasal Breathing
- Teach your child to breathe through their nose, especially during sleep.
- Use fun exercises to make nasal breathing a habit.
2. Focus on pH-Balancing Foods
- Include alkaline-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds in your child’s diet.
- Limit sugary snacks and drinks that create an acidic environment.
3. Practice Regular Oral Hygiene
- Brushing and flossing are still essential for removing food particles and reducing plaque.
- Use toothpaste as a supplement, not the sole solution.
4. Reduce Mouth Breathing
- Monitor your child during sleep and address mouth breathing if present. Mouth taping or consulting a myofunctional therapist can help.
Why This Matters
Oral health isn’t just about a bright white smile, it’s a window into overall wellness. By addressing bacterial balance, pH levels, and breathing patterns, you’re not only preventing cavities but also improving your child’s sleep, focus, and energy levels.
The marketing campaigns of the past sold us a story about toothpaste being the key to dental health. Now we know better. Let’s shift the focus to strategies that truly matter for lifelong health.
The OWNER Framework: A Holistic Approach to Health
This brings us to the OWNER framework, which stands for:
- Oxygen: Nasal breathing is essential for good oral health. Encourage your kids to breathe through their nose, especially during sleep.
- Water: Proper hydration keeps saliva flowing, which helps neutralize acids and wash away bacteria.
- Nutrition: Focus on whole, alkaline-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds to support a healthy pH balance.
- Enough Sleep: Sleep is critical for repair and growth. Look for signs of sleep-disordered breathing, like snoring or restless sleep, and address them early.
- Respect: Teach your kids to respect their bodies by creating habits that prioritize wellness, not just quick fixes.
This framework helps you see oral health as part of a bigger picture. It’s not just about what’s happening in the mouth, it’s about supporting the body as a whole.
Red Flags to Watch For
Now, let’s talk about some of the red flags you can look for as a parent. These are signs that something might be off, even if your child doesn’t have obvious dental issues yet:
- Mouth Breathing or Snoring:
- If your child breathes through their mouth or snores at night, it’s a sign that their airway might be compromised.
- Crowded Teeth or Narrow Palate:
- Crowding and a high, narrow palate are indicators of poor oral development, which can affect breathing and jaw growth.
- Frequent Cavities Despite Good Oral Hygiene:
- This could point to a deeper issue with diet, pH, or even saliva production.
- Restless Sleep or Daytime Fatigue:
- Poor sleep often goes hand-in-hand with mouth breathing and airway issues.
- Behavioral Changes or Difficulty Focusing:
- These can be tied to poor sleep quality and stress, both of which impact oral health.
Why Early Intervention Matters
The earlier you catch these red flags, the better. Many of these issues can be addressed with simple interventions, like:
- Working with an airway dentist to expand the palate or improve breathing.
- Using myofunctional therapy to strengthen oral muscles and improve tongue posture.
- Addressing diet and hydration to support a healthy oral environment.
Prevention is always easier and less expensive than treatment down the line.
What You Can Do Today
Here are three simple steps you can take right now to start shifting the narrative for your family:
- Observe and Take Notes:
- Pay attention to how your child sleeps, breathes, and chews. Write down anything that seems off, and bring it up with your dentist or pediatrician.
- Incorporate the OWNER Framework:
- Focus on one area at a time. For example, start by encouraging nasal breathing or adding more whole foods to their diet.
- Educate Yourself:
- The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to advocate for your family’s health.
Practical Daily Routines for Every Age Let’s break this down into actionable steps for different age groups, because I know as both a dental hygienist and orofacial myofunctional therapist that each stage of development needs different approaches.
For Babies (0-2 years): You might be surprised to hear this, but oral health starts before the first tooth! Here’s what to watch for:
- Notice how your baby breathes during sleep. Are they breathing through their nose or mouth?
- When breastfeeding or bottle feeding, watch their tongue movement. It should create a wave-like motion.
- Start gentle mouth cleaning even before teeth emerge using a soft cloth.
- When those first teeth appear, use a finger brush with just water.
Quick Tip: If your baby seems to always have their mouth open, that’s a red flag we should address early.
For Toddlers (2-5 years): This is when we can make oral health fun! In my practice, I’ve seen how getting creative helps establish lifelong habits:
- Make a “breathing game” where they pretend to smell flowers (nasal breathing practice)
- Use a special song during tooth brushing time (I’ll share my favorite one in a moment)
- Practice “butterfly breathing” – where they place a paper butterfly on their nose and try to keep it there while breathing
- Introduce healthy snacks that exercise jaw muscles, like apple slices and raw carrots (always supervised)
For School-Age Children (5+ years): Now we can start teaching the “why” behind healthy habits:
- Explain how the tongue is like a natural retainer when it rests on the roof of the mouth
- Use a mirror to practice proper tongue positioning
- Make a game of checking each other’s breathing during the day
Myofunctional Exercises You Can Do at Home Let me share some simple exercises that I teach in my practice. Parents, you can do these with your kids:
The Spot Check:
- Have your child find their “spot” – that bumpy area right behind their upper front teeth
- Practice placing the tongue tip there for increasing periods
- Start with 30 seconds, working up to 2 minutes
- Do this 2-3 times daily
The Fish Face:
- Make a fish face by sucking in the cheeks
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Release and repeat 10 times
- This strengthens the buccinators muscles, which help with proper swallowing
The Tongue Push-Up:
- Press the entire tongue flat against the roof of the mouth
- Hold for 5 seconds, then release
- Repeat 10 times
- This helps develop proper tongue resting posture
Environmental Factors That Matter Let’s talk about something that often surprises parents – how our modern environment affects oral development:
Screen Time Impact:
- When kids are focused on screens, they often slip into mouth breathing
- Poor posture while using devices can affect jaw development
- Set up device-free zones and times, especially during meals
- Encourage active play that promotes natural breathing patterns
Allergies and Breathing:
- Seasonal allergies can force mouth breathing
- Work with your pediatrician on allergy management
- Consider using a humidifier in bedrooms
- Keep nasal passages clear with saline sprays when needed
Nutrition for Oral Development Let’s get practical about food choices that support oral health. I’m going to share my “Power Plate” approach:
Every meal should include:
- Something to chew (like raw vegetables or tough proteins)
- Something mineral-rich (like leafy greens or seeds)
- Something hydrating (like water or cucumber)
Some favorite combinations I recommend:
- Apple slices with almond butter and cheese cubes
- Carrot sticks with hummus and water
- Celery sticks with cream cheese and raisins
The Parent’s Role Remember, you’re not just teaching habits – you’re modeling them. Here’s what I want you to focus on:
Your Own Habits:
- Practice nasal breathing yourself
- Make oral care a family activity
- Show enthusiasm for healthy food choices
- Model good posture during meals and screen time
Creating a Supportive Environment:
- Keep water easily accessible throughout the house
- Have healthy snacks at eye level in the fridge
- Create a calm bedtime routine that supports nasal breathing
- Make tooth brushing and tongue exercises a regular family activity.
Remember, every small change you make today can have a huge impact on your child’s future health. Start with one habit, master it, then add another. You’ve got this, and I’m here to support you every step of the way!
The Healthy Habits Experience
If you’re ready to take this to the next level, I want to invite you to join my Healthy Habits Experience.
To learn more, visit www.shereewertz.com
Don’t wait this is your chance to take control of your family’s health for good.
Remember, oral health is a gateway to overall wellness. By redefining the narrative and focusing on prevention, we can create healthier, happier lives for ourselves and our families.
