How To Improve your Oral Health with Innovative Oral Care

Of course, we all know that we need to brush our teeth every day.  That’s a given!  And then there’s flossing, another daily task.  Hopefully we’re already doing these — most people are pretty good with the brushing, although the flossing may have room for improvement.  But even so, is there more we could be doing to improve our oral health?  And, is it even that important?

Let’s start with the “is-it-important” question…It gets a resounding YES!  Oral health is essential to overall health.  Your mouth is the entry point to your digestive and respiratory tracts, so what’s happening in your mouth gets moved along to the rest of your body.  The trillions of bacteria (some good, some not so good) can certainly cause issues in the mouth (gingivitis, cavities, periodontal disease etc.), but can also enter the bloodstream and wreak havoc on cardiovascular health, immunity and other areas of your body. 

So how do we improve our oral health?  We recommend starting with a daily routine using the following steps:

1. Clean Tongue 

Although you may have heard dentists say to “clean your tongue” it’s not as commonplace as brushing your teeth or flossing.  In reality, this is the first and very crucial step in your daily oral routine — one that you want to do shortly after waking in the morning and definitely before drinking or eating anything.  Why?  Overnight our bodies are detoxifying.  The film you see on your tongue when you wake in the morning is made up of the toxins excreted from your body overnight (the rough surface of the tongue is a handy and very effective catch-all).  Use a high-quality metal tongue scraper — more effective than using your toothbrush — and scrape the film from your tongue before your body re-ingests it.  This quick, 10-second practice not only removes toxins, it also helps reduce bad breath, improves your taste and jump starts your digestion.  Minimum once per day; more if you choose.

2. Floss  

While flossing may not seem innovative — we’ve heard of it before — studies show that only 4 in 10 Americans floss every day and 20 percent never floss at all!!¹  Flossing helps disrupt and remove bacteria, plaque and food from between your teeth, and reduce the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease.  This is also a very crucial, not-to-be-skipped step as it gets into the nooks and crannies where brushing can’t reach.  Technique is important and with a little practice and the right floss, it’s easy to master and make this a daily habit.  Use a soft and PFAS/PTFE free floss — simply slide floss between teeth, curve it around tooth and clean between tooth and gum with gentle up and down motion.  Minimum once per day; more if you choose.

3. Brush

We all know this step (LOL).  It’s been pounded into our heads since we were children — twice a day for 2 minutes.  What else do we need to know?  Just like flossing, technique is important as well as using the right brush.  It’s necessary to brush every surface and along the edges of your gumline, however excessive brushing (especially with medium-hard bristles) can cause more damage than good.  You can avoid possible scrubbing damage by using the unique and innovative Ionic Toothbrush. This soft-bristled brush uses ionic action to actually repel plaque from your teeth without all the hard scrubbing.  Minimum twice per day; after every meal if you choose.

4. Oil Pull

Oil pulling has been around for thousands of years but is a relatively new innovation for most Americans. The simple practice of swishing/chewing oil in the mouth for a period of time, adds a welcome level of improvement to your daily oral health routine! The oil helps BIND bacteria, which you then spit out—essentially ridding your mouth of bacteria through ‘swishing’.  Oil pulling with a plain oil takes 20 minutes (which can feel like a lifetime when you’re in a hurry or have something important to say but can’t speak because your mouth is full of oil).  Our inside tip? DrTung’s Oil Pulling Concentrate, whose enhanced formula of 24 botanicals reduces the pulling time to just 5 minutes.  Minimum 4 times per week; once a day if you choose.

Takeaway

Along with regular visits to your dental professional, incorporating innovative tools, techniques and practicing daily routines will all help improve your oral health.  It’s important to understand the mouth-body connection and how a healthy oral microbiome is an essential part of our well-being.