The whole time I grew up, my Mom dutifully took me to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning. The dentist would inevitably find cavities, almost every single time. Since then, I’ve learned that it’s not just about flossing and avoiding sugar…dental health is about whole-body health and if you have that many cavities, something else is going on!

Nutrient Dense Foods: The Best Dental Health Strategy!

Weston A. Price compared people who still ate their traditional diets with his patients in the modern, industrialized world. Communities that kept their traditional ways of preparing, preserving, and cooking food had better markers of health (including dental health like including broader smiles and more room in the mouth for all their teeth). Meanwhile, his patients eating more refined and processed foods had more and more dental problems and other health complaints.

His observations are a reminder that how we prepare food matters as much as what we eat. Traditional methods like soaking, sprouting, and fermenting can make nutrients easier to absorb and foods easier to digest. That’s a big reason I encourage clients to choose thoughtfully prepared, nutrient-dense whole foods whenever they can.

Oral Bacteria – A Root Cause

Dental health matters beyond just preventing cavities. Obviously, avoiding cavities is important too because the more interventions in the mouth, the more opportunity for allergic reactions to fillings, mercury leaching into the body and problematic bacteria to grow.

Why does problematic bacteria grow in the mouth? Gum disease, root canals and bad dental care such as improper extractions all contribute to bad bacteria overgrowth. These problematic bacteria are implicated in the following health conditions:

Cardiovascular Health: One of the bacteria that grows in the mouth is porphyromonas gingivalis. This bacteria enters the bloodstream and causes narrowing of the blood vessels, and promote clogged arteries. These things contribute to heart disease risk.

Autoimmune Disease: Bacteria involved in periodontal disease have been associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions.

Gut Issues: Again, the bacteria involved in dental disease is a big player that contributes to gut dysfunction.

Book a discovery call with me to see how I can support you through diet and lifestyle strategies, better oral health practices and biological dentist recommendations.