If the eyes are the window to the soul – then the mouth is the front door to the body. The mouth is linked to the health of your body.
From the state and health of the mouth, we can tell a lot about your general health, nutrition and lifestyle as well as your oral hygiene habits.
Your mouth can show signs of illness and disease and act as an early warning that your systemic overall health has issues.
Bleeding gums, for example, can be a sign of diabetes or high blood sugars.
Bleeding gums can be a sign of an array of health issues that could lead to serious problems like Type II diabetes and even a heart attack.
Many have suffered from bleeding gums while brushing or flossing – but what this bleeding is a sign of is inflamed tissue due to the body’s immune cells fighting off pathogens.
While some inflammation is normal due to a microbial imbalance in the mouth, gums that bleed too much are usually the first sign that your body is experiencing excess inflammation.
The inflammation can also be a sign of an imbalance in the gut, which can be caused by medications like aspirin and excessive alcohol use.
Real dental health begins before you even have teeth to brush or floss. Tooth decay is actually a sign that the body is starving of essential nutrients.
Every time you swallow, thousands of bacteria are sent through your digestive tract. So when the microbiome in your mouth is out of balance, as it is when you have gum disease, the effects are felt all over your body.
When there is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, this is called dysbiosis. Studies are now showing dysbiosis to the gut microbiome is linked to conditions like allergies, type 2 diabetes, obesity and even disorders of the brain like ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
The importance of the microbiome just can’t be understated.
Your mouth serves as the bodyguard for your gut and the rest of your body for your entire life.
Rachel is the founder and principal dentist at Evolve Dental Healing with over 30 years experience, practising holistically since 2001. Not your typical dentist, Rachel is a passionate opinion leader, challenging convention to empower people to make better dental and health choices, helping thousands to have healthy natural smiles. A respected writer and presenter on holistic dentistry, health and wellness it is Rachel’s mission to revolutionise the way people look at their dental health.